History of David Gilmour's Pete Cornish Effects Boards 1976-1988
I would be remiss if I didn't discuss Pete Cornish's contributions to David Gilmour's Tone From Heaven through the years. I've tried to detail as best I could the effects boards made by Pete Cornish for David Gilmour since he started in 1976. I don't currently have pictures of all these boards, so If anyone has any good quality photos, please feel free to contact me. I have gone through interviews with Pete Cornish and referenced the Pink Floyd Encycopedia for the information on this site. It is as accurate as humanly possible without actually seeing each of these boards in person.
Prior to Pete Cornish:
It must be noted that the following effects were used by David Gilmour most likely up to and including the Dark Side of the Moon Album and subsequent live tours.
EFFECTS USED
Colorsound Treble and Bass Boost
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Univox Wah Pedal
Volume Pedal
Binson Echo Rec
Univibe
PETE CORNISH:
1976
EFFECTS ON BOARD:
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Pete Cornish Custom Fuzz
MXR Phase
100
MXR Dynacomp
MXR Noise Gate
Univibe
Colorsound Treble and Bass Boost
Cry Baby Wah Wah modified by Pete Cornish
with a reverse switch built into it to reverse the signal)
Pete Cornish Custom Tone Pedal (Cry Baby chassis with a Fender Telecaster tone
circuit)
Pete Cornish Custom Volume Pedal
Also included were 2 Send Returns and Three outputs for Amplifiers
ANIMALS - 1977
EFFECTS ON BOARD (This is
the 1976 board modified)
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Pete Cornish Custom Fuzz
Colorsound Treble and Bass Boost
MXR Phase 90*
EH Small Stone Phaser*
MXR Dynacomp
MXR Noise Gate
Univibe
MXR Digital Delay
Cry Baby Wah Wah modified by Pete Cornish
with a reverse switch built into it to reverse the signal)
Pete Cornish Custom Tone Pedal (Cry Baby chassis with a Fender Telecaster tone
circuit)
Pete Cornish Custom Volume Pedal
EH Big Muff (on one send return) Placed on top of board
EH Electric Mistress (on another Send Return) Placed on top of board
*A toggle switch was later placed on the board to switch between either the Phase 90 or the Small Stone with the footswitch activated
Also included were 3 outputs for Amplifiers
THE WALL - 1979/1981
EFFECTS ON BOARD (Studio)
Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
Electro- Harmonix Big Muff
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress Flanger
MXR Dynacomp
MXR Phase 90
Pete Cornish Treble and Bass Boost
Pete Cornish Custom Vibrato
Volume Pedal
LIVE BOARDS (Modified 1977 board)
Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
Pete Cornish Custom Fuzz (Predecessor to the P-2)
MXR Dynacomp
EH Big Muff
EH Deluxe Electric Mistress
MXR Phase 90*
EH Small Stone Phaser*
MXR Digital Delay (S/R Button to the unit)
Univibe
Colorsound Treble and Bass Boost
MXR Noise Gate
Cry Baby Wah Wah modified by Pete Cornish
with a reverse switch built into it to reverse the signal)
Pete Cornish Custom Tone Pedal (Cry Baby chassis with a Fender Telecaster tone
circuit)
Pete Cornish Custom Volume Pedal
* Phaser is selected using the footswitch and the toggle switch activates which Phaser is used
FRONT OF STAGE BOARD(S) FOR THE WALL LIVE
EFFECTS ON BOARD
Electro- Harmonix Big Muff
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger
Send Returns for Delay Controls
Pete Cornish Custom
Volume pedal
2
Outputs for Amplifiers
In 1982, probably for THE FINAL CUT, a BOSS CE-2 was added to this board as was
a tone circuit for the Fuzz Face by Pete Cornish
A BOSS DS-1 Distortion Pedal was added, date unknown. Modification
done by Pete Cornish
MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON ERA- 1987/1988
EFFECTS ON BOARD
MXR Dynacomp
Pete Cornish SS-2
EH Big Muff
EH Electric Mistress
BOSS CE-2
BOSS DD-2
3 X Send Returns
2 X Amp Feeds
This has been used by Phil Manzanara for the On an Island Tour with a BK Butler Tube Driver Added in 2006
David Gilmour Studio Board
This boad has been linked to recordings of Division Bell (1992), The Endless River (2015) and seen in photos of rehearsals for Rattle That Lock (2015)
The Following information was graciously supplied by Pete Cornish:
The board appears to be S/N 120/2 which I completely re-built and re-wired in October 1988. This is an old board built originally in 1984 so the carcass is 31 year old !!
The original S/N was 120 and it was built for Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet and was mainly a remote control for his MXR Omni system.
See attachments - One shows the original date of September 1984 and serial number 120.
In 1988 this board was sold on and given a new serial number 120/2 and with the date October 1988.
The new owner had it modified to include the following effects:
3 X Guitar Inputs all with variable gain ±15dB with 10 segment level display
Built in Boss TU-2 Tuner
MXR Dynacomp
PC SS-2 or Big Muff with A/B selector
Electric Mistress
Send/Return #1
Boss CE-2
Send/Return #2
Boss DD-2
Send/Return #3
Boss SP-1
PC NB-2 Boost
Output to Amp #1
Output to D.I.
All footswitches now fitted with my custom caps and all indicators are 28vdc filament bulbs.
We have no picture of the board at this stage.
Subsequently the board was purchased by Pink Floyd but I have no definite date when the sale occurred.
In March 1993 the following modifications were made for David Gilmour Music:
Input #3 removed and becomes Amp Output #2
Removed Boss SP-1 and replaced with Boss GE-7
In July 1993 further modifications as follows:
AC Voltage Selector replaced with IEC AC output connector
NB-2 Boost footswitch replaced with toggle switch
Send/Return #4 added using the now unused Boost footswitch
Addition of Amp Output #2 Mute footswitch labelled "ROVER"
I did a few more mods in March 1994 - adding a Wireless balanced input, a dedicated external tuner feed and Output #2 now re-labelled "DOPPOLA".
The new routing order in 1994 was (in order from guitar input) :
Variable Gain Guitar input with 10 segment level display
Built in TU-12 Tuner
MXR Dyna Comp
S/R 1 to Whammy (IPS33B Rack Mount)
PC SS-2 or Big Muff with A/B selector
S/R 2 to Tube Driver
Electric Mistress
CE-2 Chorus
GE-7 EQ
S/R 3 to Volume pedal
DD-2 Delay
S/R 4 to MXR DDL
PC NB-2 Boost
Output 1 to Hiwatt
Output 2 to Doppola
Please see the All Tube Effects Board and the On an Island pages for information on David Gilmour's latest Pete Cornish Boards!