Song Rig
Dogs
David Gilmour · Animals · 1977
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Gilmour's most tonally adventurous performance — the 17-minute Animals centrepiece cycles through three distinct sounds: a compressed clean Strat tone for the opening, a Heil Talk Box for the central solo section that gives the guitar a literally human voice, and the Big Muff sustain marathon across the outro.
Signal Chain
- 1Fender Stratocaster (neck pickup)
- 2Hiwatt DR103
- 3Heil Talk Box
- 4Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi
- 5Binson Echorec
Amp Settings
The talk box section routes the guitar signal through a driver into a tube held in the mouth — the actual guitar tone is clean, and the mouth reshapes the sound. The Big Muff outro section uses the same high-sustain setting as Shine On. Multiple EQ positions across the track; set for the section you're approximating.
Technique
How to Play It
The talk box technique routes speaker output through a plastic tube to the player's mouth — the mouth vowel shapes modulate the tone while the guitar provides pitch. Physically demanding and difficult to replicate without the hardware. The outro sustain section requires controlled feedback management: let notes bloom without pushing into uncontrolled squeal.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Dunlop HT-1 Heil Talk Box for the talk box section (requires a 1W amp or power attenuator to feed safely). An auto-wah such as Boss AW-3 approximates the vocal quality without the hardware. Big Muff for the outro sustain.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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