No their fine thanks alot.

The pic of Bob and the computer is actually on the Nine Miles site, but it's probably to small to discern the logo. So for now I'll take your word for it.

And I still want to know what guitars Manabe used on My Foot...

I was watching the swanky street pv and i just noticed somethin after the solo when manabe lifts up his blonde/maple Strat (2:23) on the head stock i think it says "Seymour Duncan" in cursive writing. Because i remember seeing the same signature [url=http://www.j-guitar.jp/sea/data/1011/r/2785_4.jpg]before[/url].

[quote="CARNVAL372"]I was watching the swanky street pv and i just noticed somethin after the solo when manabe lifts up his blonde/maple Strat (2:23) on the head stock i think it says "Seymour Duncan" in cursive writing. Because i remember seeing the same signature [url=http://www.j-guitar.jp/sea/data/1011/r/2785_4.jpg]before[/url].[/quote]

Hmm...I believe that he has another one of these but in blue. I saw a picture of it. At the time, I was under the impression that it was a Fender Strat (after trying to discern it from the ROSS PV).

Wow... I watched the Swanky Street PV yesterday and noticed that... I couldn't discern what it said ("laguna beach" was my best guess), but yeah, that and the green Strat he uses in ROSS must both be Seymour Duncan. I had no idea they ever made guitars. Since the headstock design would be infringing on the Fender trademark, obviously they were only sold in Japan.

I have been listening to Penalty life and My Foot that sound very simliar manabe solo's sounds too familiar to PL. Nonfiction and Phantom Pain, Mighty lover's buzzing sound and Moletown Prisoner's buzzing sound. here's my guess for My Foot:

My Foot - Manabe's guitar sounds too familiar to ROSS so i'm assuming
he's using one of his Seymour Duncan Strats or Telecasters i'm
not quite sure if this is correct but I guess i'm close.


I have just noticed in the Swanky Street PV manabe had 2 Peavey speakers and Sawao had an old Fender amp that's what i'm guessing at so far. When the pillows were performing Hybrid Rainbow in 1999 on Walkin on the spiral dvd Special i have just noticed that sawao was using manabe's old white ESP thinline telecaster!

[quote="CARNVAL372"]When the pillows were performing Hybrid Rainbow in 1999 on Walkin on the spiral dvd Special i have just noticed that sawao was using manabe's old white ESP thinline telecaster![/quote]

Now THAT'S interesting. Video plz

I wonder if Manabe even has that thing? His awesomeness would automatically increase 300% if he went back to playing it.

What gear is used on My Foot and that album's songs?

[quote="MyFoot"]What gear is used on My Foot and that album's songs?[/quote]

all you needed to do was scroll down

[url]http://pirouzu.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1761[/url]

[quote="thejedipunk"][quote="CARNVAL372"]I was watching the swanky street pv and i just noticed somethin after the solo when manabe lifts up his blonde/maple Strat (2:23) on the head stock i think it says "Seymour Duncan" in cursive writing. Because i remember seeing the same signature [url=http://www.j-guitar.jp/sea/data/1011/r/2785_4.jpg]before[/url].[/quote]

Hmm...I believe that he has another one of these but in blue. I saw a picture of it. At the time, I was under the impression that it was a Fender Strat (after trying to discern it from the ROSS PV).[/quote]

I've got it. The Swanky Street blonde Strat and ROSS green Strat are both ESP Seymour Duncans. This is a specific line ESP sells, like Navigator, Grassroots, Lakland, etc. They don't have much on the Japanese website about it right now, only "coming soon" or something like that. They seem to be pretty normal Fender copies, but with SD pickups.

More stuff: The ES-335 and Les Paul Custom that Yoshiaki plays 1993-1996 are almost certainly ESPs. Most likely, they are simply discontinued models. I've looked on their website, and you can't find any Strat or Tele copies with the bold headstock logo anymore. I suspect Yoshiaki bought the Gibson copies after they signed with King Records, and, I suspect, had a larger budget at their disposal. Regardless, the 335 seems to have been Manabe's main guitar for most of Kool Spice/ Living Field. From listening to both albums, it sure sounds like it.

I strongly doubt that the Les Paul he plays in the Tiny Boat video is the guitar he actually used in that song. That guitar isn't a custom, by the way- in a few shots, you can see it's actually a dark red stained quilted maple. Note how the pickup covers are removed on the LP and 335- I suspect Manabe thought they sounded better without covers, which is sometimes true with HB guitars.

But anyway, just listen to his leads in it- his tone sounds very semihollow, and not like the harder, cutting sound of a Les Paul, even on the neck pickup with the tone turned down. He probably used this guitar in the PV because his 335 looks (to the untrained eye) very similar to Sawao's.

Speaking of Sawao's guitar, it looks like, from the old-style headstock logo, it's much older guitar than their others. Also, unlike Manabe's, it has a vari-tone switch (a feature found on 345s) and block inlays reminiscent of early-60s 335s. But because of that switch, I don't think this guitar is a copy of any particular 335 model. Sawao seemed to play this guitar quite often in the earlier days, but if you compare it to the Kimi ga Iru video on Youtube, Sawao has changed a lot of crap on it by 1995. The pickguard is removed, and he some stickers and what appear to be fake control knobs on it.

More Youtube lunacy: On the "Walkin' on the Spiral clips" video, Manabe is shown playing a Strat on Liberty. YEAH RIGHT. It's pretty clear he's playing the 335 in that song and that the video was made later, after Sawao and Yoshiaki switched to Fender-style guitars.

Didn't Sawao use a real Gibson ES-335/345 in that one live of "Energy"?

[quote="thejedipunk"]Didn't Sawao use a real Gibson ES-335/345 in that one live of "Energy"?[/quote]

WOW... I just checked that vid and the Kimi ga Iru one again, and I can tell from the Kimi ga Iru video (where you actually get quite a clear look at the headstock) that's DEFINITELY a Gibson. In the early 90's Gibson hadn't reissued any block inlay 335s, so it may be possible that it's actually an early sixties guitar. The Sawao guitar doesn't have a vari-tone switch or split inlays, so it's definitely a 335, not a 345. It begs the question: where did Sawao get the cash for that, and more importantly, why wouldn't he still be playing such a sweet axe?

So I was wrong. The Tiny Boat 335 is a completely different guitar, and might be a 333 copy like Culen originally suggested. I should have watched those Youtube videos again before making my last post.

But Manabe's guitar is not a real Gibson. You can tell pretty easily be the headstock logo shape in the Daydream Wonder vid.

Well...this topic doesn't really have anything to do with technique, but involves guitars, so here goes.

Does anyone else feel that having your guitar strap so long (like Sawao and Manabe) makes it a bit hard? Maybe its not very long compared to other musicians...but it makes open chords sort of awkward for my hands. And I have long arms, too. It seems more natural to have it shorter and have the guitar further up from your waist.

Wearing the guitar low can make things difficult for some people. In my opinion, anyway, Sawao and Manabe sling 'em a bit too low. This could possibly be related to Manabe's live sloppiness.

I have my guitar where the center of the body (when the guitar neck is parallel with the ground) is just slighty below the waist. That's the most comfortable position for me, anyway, but I'm very tall (6'4") and have long arms. It's pretty easy for me to play open chords at any height; only advanced lead stuff can get tough sometimes. Many metal players play really high, which looks really stupid, but helps their "technique." Bottom line, just put the guitar at whatever height is comfortable for you.

I actually think it's easier to play with the guitar a bit lower... it makes wide strumming much easier, and I'm WAY more relaxed playing it at my level (and standing up) that having to raise up my arms to play high. I find that very uncomfortable. Of course, everyone is built differently, so your mileage may vary.

ive been playing for several years.


..sitting down.

i still suck standing up because i cannot find ANY hieght at which the guitar is comfortable.