Song Rig
21st Century Schizoid Man
Robert Fripp · In the Court of the Crimson King · 1969
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The opening track of King Crimson's debut — Fripp's guitar through a fuzz pedal and Marshall produces the first truly heavy guitar tone in the progressive rock tradition. The tone is thick, distorted, and slightly feedbacking, with a treated-through-fuzz quality that transforms the Les Paul's warmth into something alien and aggressive.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Standard (1968 model)
- 2Marshall Super Lead 100W
- 3Fuzz pedal (unidentified, possibly Dallas Arbiter)
Amp Settings
Heavy fuzz into Marshall — the combination of a fuzz pedal and a cranked Marshall creates more saturation than either alone. The tone has an almost synthetic, thick quality appropriate to the science fiction dystopia of the lyrics.
Technique
How to Play It
Aggressive chord riffing combined with complex rhythmic unison — the 21st Century opening riff has the guitar, bass, and saxophone playing the same aggressive figure simultaneously, creating an unusual timbre that sounds like a single instrument of indeterminate type.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul → Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face or EHX Big Muff → Marshall JCM800 → the unison with bass and saxophone is the key compositional element; as a solo guitar the riff sounds powerful but not as distinctive as in ensemble.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
More from Fripp
Other Song Rigs
Starless
Red · 1974
King Crimson's most emotionally devastating piece — a 12-minute composition that…
View rig →Heroes
Heroes · 1977
One of the most innovative guitar recordings of the 1970s — Fripp created the st…
View rig →Red
Red · 1974
The most aggressive King Crimson tone — a biting, sustaining Les Paul through a …
View rig →Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part One)
Larks' Tongues in Aspic · 1973
The most textural and experimental of Fripp's early tones — this track incorpora…
View rig →Discipline
Discipline · 1981
Fripp's new wave King Crimson era — the interlocking guitar patterns between Fri…
View rig →