Robert Fripp

This page lists Robert Fripp’s gear.

This page lists Robert Fripp’s gear.

URSA MAJOR Echo unit used on the mixing of The Great Deceiver: KC Live 1973-74 (just re-released).

EMS Synthi briefcase synth c. 1972. This is the same model as used by Eno on Discreet Music & treatments on various albums, including Heroes.

Part of the Lunar Module Soundscapes System used on all work between 1994 to 2005 (RF Soundscapes, RFSQ, KC, Sylvian & Fripp, Eno's Nerve Net, etc)

Part of the Lunar Module Soundscapes System used on all work between 1994 to 2005 (RF Soundscapes, RFSQ, KC, Sylvian & Fripp, Eno's Nerve Net, etc)

Seen in this rig rundown video at 5:46.

This mixer is seen next to the laptop. Photo taken from Robert Fripp's Rig Rundown by Music Radar.

Mentioned in this January 1986 Guitar Player interview, transcribed on the website of interviewer Tom Mulhern. The version is unspecified, but an eyewitness account of the V4 is given in this January 5, 2014 The Gear Page forum post by user Jumblefingers.

Guitar Player January 1981

I generally use a small pedalboard with a volume, wah-wah and fuzz. It never really mattered what types they were, except the volume pedal I used was the cheapest one, the first one I ever bought, in 1967. And until Roland out volume pedals in 1981, which are now the best I've found, I had to use the original one, which had a good on/off sweep. The Roland volume pedals let you adjust the on and off range. All of my electronic equipment is built into rack mounted modules by Tony Arnold of Arny's Shack. It's all custom equipment. He takes a small effect, builds it into a rack-mounting module, and slots it in. Besides the Roland Space Echo, I also have am Ibanez digital delay. The specific kinds of fuzz boxes I've used are Electro-Harmonix Big Muffs and Foxey Ladys, which were good – the old ones. You can't get fuzz boxes like that anymore; I've tried. All you can come up with, if you're lucky, are the old ones. Tony Arnold is planning to take a number of old buzz box circuits and put them all in one module with a switching rank, so you can switch around to any one of five or six traditional, old circuits. You can then go to Big Muff to Foxey Lady to Burns Buzzaround to Color-Sound and so on.

The Gear Page, January 25, 2014

I saw Fripp and Crimson many times in the early 70's and his small pedal board consisted of a Wah, Three Knob Guild Foxey Lady and a Volume Pedal. I had an original Foxey Lady back in the day and would like to try to get as close as possible to the original Triangle Muff/Foxey Lady sound with a new clone.

Used live with King Crimson, as can be seen on page 16 of the March 1982 issue of Guitar World and as specified on page 17.

ROBERT FRIPP—

Clockwise from left

a—Roland GR-300 control panel

b—Foxx Tone Machine

c—Pete Cornish pedalboard with vintage Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, volume, and Cry Baby Wah

d—A/DA Harmony Synthesizer

e—Proprietary pedalboard with Roland FX (SP-1, DS-1, CE-1)

"The 8000s [only one pictured, due to repairs] are generally what Robert uses to create those massive loops that go on for days."

"He'll play things and forty seconds later they'll appear in the surround speakers. The 3000s are used for other effects, like the tap delay."

"This is the heart of the whole system. Everything's got a MIDI address, so Robert can tell the MIDI Raider all the parameters that he wants –which units in, which units out, which presets on the Axe-FX -and program it so that when he clicks on that patch, the whole system will go into the mode required."

"The bottom ten switches on the right [numbers 1-10] are all assigned to certain songs. On the top row, 11 is what we call the 'lead' channel or Scene 2 on the Axe-FX and 12 has got Scene 3. Number 13 switches the Eclipse in and out and 14 and 15, labelled bottom and top, are the Eventide H8000 and 3000s."

In this Music Radar article, Fripp's rig is seen to include a Sound Sculpture Switchblade GL System.

This image from Pinterest shows Robert Fripp’s stage setup from 1999.

This image from Pinterest shows Robert Fripp’s stage setup from 1999.

Pedals: Big Muff (Russian), Pro Co The Rat, Fender Blender (vintage), Robotalk (envelope follower/filter), MXR Dynacomp & Dunlop Crybaby.

Pedals: Big Muff (Russian), Pro Co The Rat, Fender Blender (vintage), Robotalk (envelope follower/filter), MXR Dynacomp & Dunlop Crybaby.

Part of the Lunar Module Soundscapes System used on all work between 1994 to 2005 (RF Soundscapes, RFSQ, KC, Sylvian & Fripp, Eno's Nerve Net, etc)

Part of the Lunar Module Soundscapes System used on all work between 1994 to 2005 (RF Soundscapes, RFSQ, KC, Sylvian & Fripp, Eno's Nerve Net, etc)

Part of the Lunar Module Soundscapes System used on all work between 1994 to 2005 (RF Soundscapes, RFSQ, KC, Sylvian & Fripp, Eno's Nerve Net, etc)

For "Easter Sunday, " which was recorded on Easter Sunday, 1983, in Toronto, Fripp improvised with a Roland GR-700 synthesizer, and soloed on top of that with a Takamine acoustic, followed by a Les Paul with a fuzz box played through a Fender Princeton amp.

Used live with King Crimson, as can be seen on page 16 of the March 1982 issue of Guitar World and as specified on page 17.

ROBERT FRIPP—

Clockwise from left

a—Roland GR-300 control panel

b—Foxx Tone Machine

c—Pete Cornish pedalboard with vintage Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, volume, and Cry Baby Wah

d—A/DA Harmony Synthesizer

e—Proprietary pedalboard with Roland FX (SP-1, DS-1, CE-1)

In the YouTube series "Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch," at the 3:05 mark, Robert Fripp can be seen using a Yamaha THR11 Modeling Combo Amp. During this moment, he plays "Smoke On The Water" while Toyah performs on the lawn.

In this YouTube Episode of Toyah & Robert's Sunday Lunch, after 2:55 Mr Fripp briefly flashes us his Yamaha before launching into a blistering rendition of Smoke On The Water as Toyah sings and dances provocatively in front of us on their river-side lawn.

In this collage of photos from the wake of poseidon recording sessions in 1970, robert fripp can be seen in the top right playing what looks to be an ES 345 due to the stereo varitone switch seen near the control knobs.

His Tokai LP-type guitar has Kahler vibrato system according this article.