Guitar tone · rock, other

King Crimson guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 13 King Crimson songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Roland G-303 Guitar Controller into Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus.

Guitars King Crimson used

Roland G-303 Guitar Controller3 songs
Gibson Les Paul Custom2 songs
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1969, black, likely with PAF humbuckers)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1959, black finish, likely PAF humbuckers)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (late 1970s/early 1980s, black, likely stock electronics)1 song
Roland G-808 Guitar Controller (used to drive Roland GR-300 Synth)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (early 1980s, likely vintage or 1970s model)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Custom (1970s, 'Black Beauty')1 song

Amps King Crimson used

Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus5 songs
Hiwatt DR1032 songs
Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet1 song
Hiwatt DR103 stack1 song
Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (modded to allow channel blending, studio recording, early 1980s)1 song
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (early '70s model)1 song
Marshall Super Bass 100 (model 1992, early 1970s, likely with EL34s)1 song
Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head into Marshall-style 4x12 cab (studio recording, 1974)1 song

20 King Crimson tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Matte Kudasai · solo	Solo · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 1980s, likely vintage or 1970s model)	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	0
21st Century Schizoid Man (Including "Mirrors") · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1957, black, 'Black Beauty')	Marshall 100-watt Super Lead (Plexi, late 1960s)	6.5
Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Pt. 2 · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom	Hiwatt DR103	7
21st Century Schizoid Man (Including "Mirrors") · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1959, black finish, likely PAF humbuckers)	Hiwatt DR103 stack	6.5
21st Century Schizoid Man (Including "Mirrors") · distorted	Distorted · distorted	1964 Fender Precision Bass	Marshall 100W Super Bass (Plexi, likely model 1992 or 1987, era-appropriate for 1969 UK studios)	6
Easy Money · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, black, likely 1957-1959 model)	Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1972-1973)	5.5
Elephant Talk · solo	Solo · distorted	Custom Fender Stratocaster (Adrian Belew, early 1980s, likely with DiMarzio pickups)	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	3.5
Epitaph (Including "March for No Reason" and "Tomorrow and Tomorrow") · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1969, black, likely with PAF humbuckers)	Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet	4.5
Fallen Angel · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1970s, 'Black Beauty')	Marshall Super Bass 100 (model 1992, early 1970s, likely with EL34s)	6
Frame By Frame · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom	Hiwatt DR103	5.5
Frame By Frame · solo	Solo · clean	Gibson Les Paul Custom (late 1970s/early 1980s, black, likely stock electronics)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (modded to allow channel blending, studio recording, early 1980s)	2.5
Matte Kudasai · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (early 1980s, likely Japanese or American Standard, Adrian Belew's main guitar for Discipline era)	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (studio recording, 1981)	0
Moonchild (Including "The Dream" and "The Illusion") · riff	Riff · clean	Gibson Les Paul Custom (late 1950s, likely 1957-1959, black finish)	Marshall Super Lead 100 (Plexi, late 1960s, likely 1968-1969, non-master volume head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet	0
Red · riff	Riff · distorted	1970s Gibson Les Paul Custom	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (modded for extra gain, studio recording)	6.5
Starless · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1970s, likely black finish)	Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103) head into Marshall-style 4x12 cab (studio recording, 1974)	6.5
Starless · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom 'Black Beauty' (likely 3-pickup, 1970s model)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (modded, 1970s studio version)	6.5
The Sheltering Sky · solo	Solo · distorted	Roland G-303 Guitar Controller	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	3
The Sheltering Sky · riff	Riff · clean	Roland G-303 Guitar Controller	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	0
The Sheltering Sky · riff	Riff · distorted	Roland G-303 Guitar Controller	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus	5
Three of a Perfect Pair · riff	Riff · clean	Roland G-808 Guitar Controller (used to drive Roland GR-300 Synth)	Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (early '70s model)	0

King Crimson songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did King Crimson use?

Across 13 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (5 songs), Hiwatt DR103 (2 songs), Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (1 song), Hiwatt DR103 stack (1 song).

What guitar did King Crimson use?

Most often: Roland G-303 Guitar Controller (3 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (2 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (1969, black, likely with PAF humbuckers) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Custom (1959, black finish, likely PAF humbuckers) (1 song).

How do I get King Crimson's tone on my amp?

Open any King Crimson song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.