Matte Kudasai — King Crimson1 / 2
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Matte Kudasai Riff Guitar Tone Settings — King Crimson

King Crimson · 1980s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (early 1980s, likely Japanese or American Standard, Adrian Belew's main guitar for Discipline era)
Pickups
Single-coil (Fender stock Strat pickups, likely all three original single coils)
Amp
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus (studio recording, 1981)
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)

Studio recording, 1981, Discipline album. Adrian Belew used a Stratocaster into a Roland JC-120 for the main riff/clean parts. No evidence of pedals in the riff section; chorus effect is from the amp. No evidence of Fripp's guitar in the main riff section (his parts are ambient swells, not the riff).

Amp Settings

Mids
6
Bass
5.5
Gain
0
Reverb
3
Treble
6.5
Presence
5

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Tone Character

  • super-smooth and glassy
  • lush stereo chorus
  • bright and articulate
  • warm single-coil clarity
  • atmospheric and dreamy
  • soft, expressive dynamics
  • clean, undistorted signal
  • gentle amp reverb
  • shimmering modulation
  • no audible overdrive

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
  • ⚠️No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Roland JC-120 clean usage and genre/era.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedals used for the riff section; chorus effect is from the JC-120 amp.
  • ⚠️No source specifies pickup selector, but position 4 (neck + middle) is most likely for this tone based on audio and era.
  • ⚠️No evidence of Fripp's guitar in the main riff section; this profile is for Adrian Belew's main clean riff tone.
  • ⚠️Settings are estimated based on standard Roland JC-120 usage for clean, chorus-rich tones in early 80s new wave/prog rock.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Adrian Belew's 'Matte Kudasai' tone is clean, glassy, and slightly compressed, typical of early-80s Roland JC-120 amps or clean Fender-style settings, with moderate mids and treble for clarity and a touch of chorus and reverb for ambience. The gain is set just above clean for warmth, and the EQ is balanced to avoid harshness while retaining articulation.

Sources