Solo Tone

Frame By Frame

King Crimson

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (late 1970s/early 1980s, black, likely stock electronics)

AmpHiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (modded to allow channel blending, studio recording, early 1980s)

PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, late 1970s/early 1980s)

Amp Settings

gain2.5

bass5.5

mid7

treble7.5

reverb2

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusUnknown Chorus pedal (model unknown, possibly Boss CE-1 or studio rack chorus)

compressionUnknown Compressor pedal (model unknown, possibly studio rack or Boss CS-2/CS-3)

Notes

Studio recording, 1981 (Discipline album). Fripp used his black Les Paul Custom with stock humbuckers. Amp was a Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100, reportedly modded for channel blending. No evidence of fuzz or heavy gain for the clean solo section. Effects are subtle and focused on chorus and compression. No evidence of delay or reverb pedals in the clean solo section. Pickup selector likely in middle or bridge position for clarity and articulation.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulatetight, percussive attackminimal sustainvery clean, almost hi-fisubtle chorus shimmerprecise note separationslightly compressedlow reverb, dry feelclear, glassy highsfocused midrange

Difficulty

The solo requires extremely accurate alternate picking at a fast tempo, with precise note separation and synchronization with complex polyrhythms. The clean tone exposes any mistakes, making it technically demanding even for advanced players.