In addition, Wright experimented with processing effects through his other keyboards, notably plugging a wah-wah pedal into his Wurlitzer electric piano to sweep filter frequencies on some tracks. Probably one of the most groundbreaking aspects of The Dark Side Of The Moon was keyboardist Richard Wright’s extensive experimentation with synthesisers.Ī relatively new musical concept at the time, Wright fully embraced the synthesiser as the sound of the future, with classic synths such as the Moog Minimoog and ARP String Ensemble being heard across the record. Live, Gilmour added a Dearmond volume pedal and a Vox Wah pedal, which can be seen above with his Fuzz Face and Uni-Vibe. Gilmour’s main tools throughout the recording of the album included the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (heard on ‘Money’ and ‘Time’), a Colorsound Powerboost overdrive, a Univox Uni-Vibe, a Binson Echorec II (which made use of a magnetic disk as opposed to a tape), a Kepex Tremolo Processor (heard on ‘Money’), and an EMS Synthi Hi-Fli, a prototype multi-effects unit with effects such as ring modulation, octave shifting, and auto-wah built in. To achieve the creamy, saturated tones heard across the album, Gilmour used a selection of Hiwatt DR103 All Purpose 100W heads, which were fitted out with Mullard E元4 power tubes and ECC83 pre-amp tubes.įor cleaner tones, Gilmour used a silverface Fender Twin Reverb combo, ocassionally plugging into Maestro Rover and Leslie Rotating Speaker Cabinets to create a swirling, ethereal guitar tone. Throughout the recording of The Dark Side Of The Moon, Waters modified the bass by adding a Charvel neck with a maple fretboard, as well as adding a set of Kluson tuners to the new neck for extra stability. Purchased in 1970 after his previous instrument was stolen on tour, Roger Waters’ Precision Bass almost matches Gilmour’s black Strat at the time, although both instruments would be extensively reworked later. Tuned to an open G ( D G D G B E ) in the studio, Gilmour employed this twin neck pedal steel to record the slide guitar on ‘Breathe’ and the incredible ‘The Great Gig In The Sky.’ Key modifications to the guitar included the addition of a ’63 neck, as well as a custom switch which allowed Gilmour to blend the tones of all three pickups at once, an effect which can be heard at various points across the record.Īcquired in California while on the Atom Heart Mother Tour in 1970, Gilmour used a custom made guitar by renowned luthier Bill Lewis for various solos on The Dark Side Of The Moon, most notably employing the full 24 frets of the instrument in the latter section of ‘Money’.įeaturing a Honduran Mahogany body, dual humbuckers, and an ebony fretboard, Gilmour still owns the instrument to this day. The instrument also had the original stock pickups during recording, although at one point Gilmour had a Gibson PAF wired into the middle pickup position. While it’s now famously decked out with a black pickguard, during the recording of The Dark Side Of The Moon, Gilmour still had the original white pickguard installed on the guitar. Known by fans and music lovers as ‘The Black Strat‘, guitarist David Gilmour’s modified Fender is undoubtedly one of the most iconic Stratocasters of the ’70s, and its role across The Dark Side Of The Moon revolutionised the electric guitar as a studio instrument.
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