Bands like Tricot , Ling tosite sigure , and the new wave of “post-Visual Kei” acts are ditching pristine cleans for what engineers call “aggressive transparency.” They are running high-output humbuckers into cranked solid-state preamps (think Boss Katana or the elusive Yamaha RA-series) to achieve a squishy attack that compresses just before it breaks.
The used market in Japan is flooded with late-90s Fernandes Monterey guitars. They feature stock pickups that are hotter than a Kentucky Derby horse and necks designed for the humid climate (i.e., they don't warp). You can snag one for under $500, swap the pots for CTS, and you have a J-Rock machine that rivals any American custom shop. Here is the paradox of modern J-Rock: the production is pristine, but the playing is violent. jiorocker.com
What is your favorite hidden gem J-Rock guitar tone? Drop it in the comments below. Bands like Tricot , Ling tosite sigure ,
Bands like Tricot , Ling tosite sigure , and the new wave of “post-Visual Kei” acts are ditching pristine cleans for what engineers call “aggressive transparency.” They are running high-output humbuckers into cranked solid-state preamps (think Boss Katana or the elusive Yamaha RA-series) to achieve a squishy attack that compresses just before it breaks.
The used market in Japan is flooded with late-90s Fernandes Monterey guitars. They feature stock pickups that are hotter than a Kentucky Derby horse and necks designed for the humid climate (i.e., they don't warp). You can snag one for under $500, swap the pots for CTS, and you have a J-Rock machine that rivals any American custom shop. Here is the paradox of modern J-Rock: the production is pristine, but the playing is violent.
What is your favorite hidden gem J-Rock guitar tone? Drop it in the comments below.