What Amp Does David Gilmour Use?
David Gilmour's primary amplifier is the Hiwatt DR103 — a 100-watt hand-wired British amplifier that has been his foundation since approximately 1970. The choice is deliberate: the Hiwatt's extraordinary clean headroom allows him to run his Big Muff and other pedals into a completely clean, uncoloured foundation.
Primary Amp: Hiwatt DR103 (1970–Present)
Wattage: 100W
Output tubes: EL34 (4)
Channels: Normal and Brilliant (separate volume controls, shared EQ)
Country: UK (hand-wired)
The Hiwatt DR103 was designed by Dave Reeves and built to exceptionally high standards — point-to-point hand wiring, premium components, solid build quality. It remains one of the loudest and cleanest 100W amplifiers ever produced.
Why the Hiwatt? Gilmour runs his signal chain dirty (Big Muff, compression) into a clean amp. If the amp adds its own character or begins to saturate, the interaction with the Big Muff becomes muddy and undefined. The Hiwatt's exceptional clean headroom ensures the amp remains transparent while the pedals provide all the texture.
Settings: Normal Volume 7–8, Treble 7, Bass 5, Middle 5, Presence 5, Brilliant Volume off.
Era-by-Era Amp History
Meddle / Dark Side of the Moon (1971–1973)
Hiwatt DR103 established as primary amp. WEM (Watkins Electric Music) Superstar also used in studio configurations.
Wish You Were Here / Animals (1975–1977)
Hiwatt DR103 consistently. During this period, Gilmour paired it with WEM 4×12 cabinets loaded with Fane Crescendo speakers — one of the most efficient, clear-sounding cabinet configurations in British rock.
The Wall (1979)
Multiple Hiwatt DR103 units plus additional rack amplification. The scale of The Wall live production required significantly larger rig.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason / PULSE (1987–1994)
Hiwatt DR103 maintained as primary. Additional amps (Fender, others) added for specific tones. Pete Cornish custom pedalboards integrated into the rig.
On an Island / Rattle That Lock (2006–2015)
Updated rig maintaining Hiwatt DR103 as primary. TC Electronic rack units for delay, Eventide for specific effects.
Secondary Amps
WEM Superstar
Also used in recording contexts — a simpler British amp with a different character to the Hiwatt.
Fender Bassman
Used in certain studio sessions for a different, American-voiced clean foundation.
Yamaha RA-200 / Leslie Speaker
Used for rotary speaker simulation in live performance contexts — not a guitar amp per se, but processes guitar signal.
Speaker Cabinets
WEM (Watkins Electric Music) 4×12 cabinets with Fane Crescendo speakers — the primary live cabinet configuration.
Why WEM/Fane?
Fane Crescendo speakers are efficient British drivers with a clear, present character. Combined with the WEM cabinet's specific internal volume and design, they produce the open, clear response that suits Gilmour's clean Hiwatt signal.
Modern alternatives:
- Celestion G12H-30 — closest Fane-adjacent speaker in current production
- Marshall 1960A with Celestion G12M Greenbacks
Modern Hiwatt Alternatives
The Hiwatt DR103 is still manufactured by the current Hiwatt company:
- Hiwatt DR103 (current production): Direct equivalent, hand-wired. Approximately $3,000–$4,000.
- Reeves Custom 50: Boutique amp using Hiwatt-circuit topology. High quality, slightly different voice.
- WEM (Westminster Electronics Music): Some vintage WEM units appear on the used market.
Recording vs. Live Rigs
Live: Multiple Hiwatt DR103 units, some through WEM 4×12 cabs, some through Hi-Watt PA cabinets (used as speaker columns). The scale of Pink Floyd and solo Gilmour live production required significant rig infrastructure.
Studio: Often a single Hiwatt DR103 miked with an SM57 plus room microphone. The studio tone (which many players try to replicate) is the same amp at a more controlled level than the live setup.
Why the Hiwatt Stayed Constant Across 50 Years
What's striking about Gilmour's amp history isn't experimentation — it's how little the core choice changed. Across Meddle, The Wall, PULSE, and his 2010s solo work, the Hiwatt DR103 remained the constant foundation while pedals, rack effects, and secondary amps evolved considerably around it. This consistency reflects the same underlying principle covered in the companion amp-settings guide: once you've found an amp with genuinely transparent clean headroom, there's little reason to change it, since the pedals in front of it are what actually define each era's specific character.
This is useful context for anyone assembling a rig — the amp doesn't need to be reinvented every few years to keep a signature sound evolving; the pedalboard in front of a stable, transparent amp can carry that evolution instead.
Common Mistakes
Assuming the secondary amps (WEM Superstar, Fender Bassman) were equally central to the sound. As the guide notes, these appeared in specific studio contexts rather than as the primary live and recording foundation — the Hiwatt DR103 is overwhelmingly the more important amp to replicate first.
Overlooking that Gilmour uses outboard rack reverb, not the amp's built-in reverb. As the FAQ below states, the Hiwatt's own reverb circuit is bypassed in favor of dedicated units like the Yamaha SPX90 — relying on an amp's built-in reverb to chase this tone misses a genuine, if often overlooked, detail of the actual signal path.
Buying WEM/Fane speakers expecting a dramatically different result from quality alternatives. As the speaker section notes, Celestion G12H-30 speakers are a reasonably close modern substitute — the speaker choice matters, but far less than getting the amp's clean-headroom role and the pedalboard in front of it right.
Running the Hiwatt (or a substitute) at a volume where it starts to break up. The entire point of this amp choice, as the companion settings guide explains, is that it stays clean under a driven signal — pushing it into its own saturation defeats the purpose and muddies the Big Muff's character rather than complementing it.
ToneStakr's Take
For players without access to a genuine Hiwatt, the priority is finding any amp — a Fender Twin Reverb is the most practical substitute — with substantial clean headroom at real playing volume, since that quality matters more than the specific circuit topology. Don't over-invest in sourcing exact WEM/Fane speaker cabinets before getting the fundamental clean-platform-plus-pedals relationship right; that relationship is doing the majority of the recognizable tonal work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What wattage is the Hiwatt DR103?
100 watts, providing enormous clean headroom even at high volume. Gilmour typically runs the volume control around 6-7, well below its true maximum, while still maintaining substantial clean output.
What speakers does Gilmour use with the Hiwatt?
WEM (Watkins Electric Music) 4x12 cabinets loaded with Fane Crescendo speakers — an efficient, clear, distinctly British-voiced combination. Celestion G12H-30 speakers are the closest widely available modern substitute.
Does he use the amp's built-in reverb?
No — Gilmour relies on outboard rack reverb units (historically the Yamaha SPX90 and Alesis MidiVerb) rather than the Hiwatt's onboard reverb circuit, which is typically bypassed entirely in his rig.
What is the clean channel setting?
Bass 5, Treble 7, Presence 5, with Normal Volume around 7-8 and the Brilliant channel volume off. This produces a bright, present, but genuinely clean foundation — all the perceived "dirt" in the tone comes from the pedals ahead of it, particularly the Big Muff Pi.
Is it worth buying a current-production Hiwatt DR103, or are boutique alternatives better value?
Both are reasonable paths — the current Hiwatt company produces a direct circuit equivalent at roughly $3,000-4,000, while boutique options like the Reeves Custom 50 use similar circuit topology at a different price and power point. Neither is a compromise; the choice depends on budget and how closely you want to match the original wattage and headroom.
Why does Gilmour use multiple Hiwatt units live instead of just one?
Scale and reliability — large Pink Floyd and solo productions require enough amplification to fill big venues, and running multiple units also provides backup redundancy during high-stakes live performances where an amp failure mid-show isn't an acceptable risk.