Robert Fripp — Rig Network

Fripp's primary guitar through the early King Crimson recordings — a 1969 Les Paul used for the sustained, singing lead tones on In the Court of the Crimson King and Red. The Les Paul's warmth and sustain provide a contrast to Fripp's characteristically clean and analytical approach.

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Used during the Starless and Bible Black and Red era for a different tonal approach — the Stratocaster's single-coil clarity suits the more angular, harmonically austere music of this period.

After abandoning the Les Paul, Fripp used various Fernandes models for their reliability and sustain. The Fernandes sustainer pickup system allows infinite sustain without the volume requirements of a cranked amp.

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Fripp's primary live amp since the 1980s — the JC-120's solid-state clean response is fundamental to his "no valves" aesthetic. The built-in stereo chorus provides the spatial dimension that defines the New Wave-era King Crimson sound and his Soundscape performances.

Used during the early-to-mid King Crimson period for volume and power — the Hiwatt's clean headroom at very high volumes suited the loud, power-trio-based King Crimson of the Larks' Tongues in Aspic era.

Fripp's studio and live processing unit for real-time pitch shifting and the Soundscape system. The H3000 processes guitar signal in real-time and routes it into tape-loop-style delay systems for the ambient looping that defines Frippertronics and the Soundscape work.

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The Roland VG-8 converts guitar signal via a GK pickup to MIDI-controllable modelling — Fripp uses it for access to acoustic guitar, sitar, and orchestral voicings in a single instrument system. The VG-8 is central to his 21st Century Schizoid Man live reworkings with later King Crimson.

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