[Tomoru] How to Recreate the Cider Girl Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings [Effects & Amps]

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Introduction (Overview of Tone)

The guitarist of Cider Girl, Tomoru, is a pivotal figure in the band’s transparent sound, delivering powerful and edgy guitar tones. His playing style is characterized by refreshing pop-rock elements infused with heavy rock riffs and ethereal phrases enhanced by spatial effects.

Iconic songs such as “Melancholy,” “Palette,” and “Clover” showcase his ability to switch tonal expressions seamlessly during live performances. Particularly in lead guitar sections, he utilizes the clean tones of a Fender Jazzmaster for rich backing, while in heavier tracks, he employs a Gibson Les Paul Standard to produce thick distortion sounds.

His amplifier setup primarily revolves around a classic British stack sound, combining a Marshall head with an Orange cabinet. Tomoru openly cites the influence of Hisako Tabuchi (ex-NUMBER GIRL), indicating a focus on alternative dynamics and sharp distortion. Additionally, he emphasizes the “youthfulness” and “freshness” of Cider Girl’s sound by employing modulation effects like chorus and vibrato.

As a result, Tomoru’s sound embodies a duality of “robust yet brilliant,” playing a crucial role in expanding the band’s musical landscape. The fusion of pop-rock clarity with alternative depth is the essence of his tone creation.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of Cider Girl

List of Amplifiers and Features

Tomoru’s amplifier setup is characterized by a powerful and robust sound based on British stack principles. The main combination he uses is the Marshall 1959 Head and Orange Cabinet. The Marshall 1959 is a traditional tube amplifier that can handle a wide range of genres from classic rock to alternative, producing a sound that is both brilliant and raw. Pairing it with the Orange cabinet adds a thicker, warmer low end and a robust midrange, ensuring he stands out even in live settings.

This choice reflects the strong influence of Hisako Tabuchi, a key figure in the 90s alternative scene, known for her dynamic and aggressive tones. Tomoru himself has acknowledged her impact on his sound, integrating her dynamics and aggressive tone into his band’s music. Consequently, the fusion of Marshall’s brightness with Orange’s powerful resonance adds depth to Cider Girl’s pop and refreshing tracks.

In the past, he has also been confirmed to use the Fender Vibro-King. The Vibro-King is known for its sparkling clean tones and deep spring reverb, making it a great match for the early transparent tracks of Cider Girl. His transition to the Marshall/Orange stack suggests a shift in the desired sound direction over time.

Overall, Tomoru’s amplifier setup emphasizes “drawing out the character of each song,” utilizing the explosive qualities of the Marshall/Orange combination while also leveraging the clean transparency of Fender amps as needed.

Types of Guitars Used and Features

Tomoru’s guitar choices are clearly defined based on the direction of the songs and his playing style. The two main guitars he frequently uses are the Fender Custom Shop Jazzmaster and the Gibson Les Paul Standard (1993 model). Both are iconic rock models, but their characters are vastly different, creating a contrast in Tomoru’s sound design.

The Fender Custom Shop Jazzmaster often serves as his primary lead guitar. The Jazzmaster is known for its single-coil pickups, which provide a transparent and shimmering high end, along with rich overtones and soft mid-low frequencies. This guitar shines particularly in arpeggios and clean tone phrases, producing a sound that symbolizes Cider Girl’s refreshing and vibrant music. Tomoru utilizes this Jazzmaster extensively in live settings, covering a wide range from clean to lightly distorted tones, playing a crucial role in conveying the band’s “refreshing feel.”

On the other hand, the Gibson Les Paul Standard (1993 model) excels in heavier, more robust tracks. With its humbucker pickups, it delivers thick mid-low frequencies and sustain, lending authority to power chords and riffs. Being a vintage model from 1993, it is believed to have a more substantial sound compared to modern models. In Cider Girl’s more aggressive songs, Tomoru’s Les Paul serves as a powerful backbone.

Additionally, past photos and interviews suggest that he has used other Fender models (such as Telecaster variants), but confirmed usage primarily centers around the Jazzmaster and Les Paul. Thus, it is assumed that he may have utilized other guitars for sessions or recordings as needed.

In summary, Tomoru’s guitar selection aims to balance “clean and transparent sound (Jazzmaster)” with “powerful and heavy sound (Les Paul),” allowing him to adapt to the necessary tones for each song. This duality supports the “freshness and strength” of Cider Girl’s music.

Effects and Pedalboard Setup

Tomoru skillfully controls the expressions of his songs by utilizing a well-thought-out pedalboard setup in addition to the direct power of his amplifiers. Given the wide range of styles in their live performances, he incorporates a variety of pedals from distortion to spatial effects.

The core of his distortion setup is the Diezel Herbert Pedal. This pedal emulates the preamp section of the German high-gain amp Diezel Herbert, producing a powerful distortion sound. In heavier tracks, it combines with the Marshall/Orange stack to create an overwhelming presence. This pedal is directly linked to the robust riffs and heavy sound characteristic of Cider Girl.

For natural drive, he employs the Studio Daydream LDM OD. This overdrive pedal, built by a domestic maker, enhances the amp’s character while adding clean boost and mid-range distortion. Tomoru frequently uses this during live performances to adjust the sound pressure and presence when switching between rhythm and lead guitar.

Another crucial element is the kaba’s custom effects Klon Centaur Clone. This is a clone of the legendary overdrive “Klon Centaur,” which Tomoru primarily uses as a booster. It helps maintain clarity during solo parts and enhances the brightness characteristic of Marshall amps.

For spatial effects, he integrates the Strymon Ola. This high-end chorus/vibrato pedal transforms the guitar sound into a three-dimensional experience based on the song’s mood. In transparent tracks, he uses the chorus mode, while in ethereal moments, he adds vibrato to create a dreamy sound. This element supports the unique “youthful transparency” of Cider Girl’s music.

Additionally, to add thickness to the live sound, he incorporates an octaver. This helps reinforce the low end, ensuring that even when playing single notes on lead guitar, the overall band sound remains full. While specific details about the type of octaver are limited, it is highly likely that he uses reliable equipment from the Electro-Harmonix POG series.

In summary, Tomoru’s effects setup consists of a “multi-layered distortion” + “spatial effects for depth” + “low-end reinforcement”. This simple yet optimized configuration allows him to switch seamlessly according to Cider Girl’s songs, creating an engaging live sound that captivates the audience.

Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches

Tomoru’s sound design goes beyond just the combination of guitar and amplifier; it features significant EQ and setup innovations. Since the band values transparency and a sense of speed, it is essential for the guitar to have “presence while not overshadowing the vocals.” Therefore, it is assumed that Tomoru focuses on an EQ balance that emphasizes midrange and presence during live performances and recordings.

For example, with the main setup of Marshall 1959 + Orange Cabinet, the amp tends to emphasize high frequencies, so the EQ settings likely involve slightly cutting treble and boosting mids. This adjustment helps bring riffs and chord work to the forefront while ensuring they do not clash with the vocal range. The low end is sufficiently reinforced by the Orange cabinet, so there is no need to overly emphasize bass frequencies, maintaining balance within the band.

Innovations can also be seen in his use of effects. With the Studio Daydream LDM OD, it is assumed that he keeps the gain settings low, raising the sound pressure while preserving the nuances of the original tone. This creates a “distortion close to clean,” ensuring that the driving and arpeggio parts remain clear. Conversely, when using the Diezel Herbert Pedal, he likely tightens the low end while utilizing deep distortion to prevent the overall mix from becoming muddy.

Moreover, modulation effects like the Strymon Ola are often used during choruses and bridges, where EQ adjustments are crucial. If the chorus is set too deep, the high frequencies can become overwhelming, so he likely adjusts the guitar’s range slightly towards the mid frequencies to allow it to color the space without interfering with synths or vocals. Given that Cider Girl’s songs emphasize “freshness” and “speed,” the effects are likely set to blend naturally into the music without being overly pronounced.

In recording, mic placement and EQ processing are also essential. For the Marshall/Orange stack, it is common to place a Shure SM57 on the cabinet while using an ambient condenser mic to create a sense of space. In mixing, it is assumed that he spreads two guitar tracks across the stereo field, recording one with the Jazzmaster and the other with the Les Paul to achieve clarity and thickness. Tomoru’s playing style particularly emphasizes “maintaining the atmosphere of the song,” leading to a tendency for natural corrections rather than drastic cuts in EQ processing.

During live EQ adjustments, variations in low-end resonance can occur depending on the venue, so it is assumed that he makes adjustments to cut or reinforce lows while considering the interplay with bass and drums. Especially when using the octaver, it is crucial to maintain balance to avoid excessive low frequencies, which is reflected in Tomoru’s effects setup.

In essence, the core of Tomoru’s sound design lies in “overseeing the overall band sound and positioning his sound optimally.” By controlling the explosive qualities of the Marshall/Orange setup, the transparency of the Jazzmaster, and the thickness of the Les Paul through EQ and effects, he achieves the unique “refreshing yet robust pop-rock” sound characteristic of Cider Girl.

Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone

Tomoru’s sound is supported by high-end gear such as the Marshall/Orange stack, Fender Custom Shop, and Gibson Les Paul. However, many players may find it impractical to acquire all of this equipment. Therefore, here are some relatively affordable commercial gear options to help recreate Tomoru’s sound.

For amplifiers, instead of acquiring a genuine Marshall 1959 or Orange cabinet, the BOSS Katana series modeling amps are ideal. These amps can handle a wide range from clean to high-gain and can replicate Marshall and Fender sounds through EQ settings. Their cost-effectiveness makes them suitable for everything from home practice to live performances.

Regarding guitars, while switching between a Jazzmaster and Les Paul is ideal, if you are looking for versatility in one instrument, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard or Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster are excellent options. Both can be obtained for around $500 and can produce clean transparency in the front position and thick distortion in the rear, making it easier to replicate Tomoru’s “freshness and strength.”

For effects, the BOSS SD-1 Super OverDrive is highly effective. While the Studio Daydream LDM OD and Klon Clone used by Tomoru are difficult to find and expensive, the SD-1 can recreate an amp-like drive at an affordable price. For distortion, the BOSS DS-1X or JHS Angry Charlie V3 can produce a modern high-gain nuance similar to the Diezel Herbert Pedal.

For spatial effects, affordable alternatives to the Strymon Ola include the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone or BOSS CE-5 Chorus Ensemble. Priced around $100 to $200, they can effectively recreate the chorus’s depth. Additionally, a multi-effect pedal (like the ZOOM MS-70CDR) that can also produce vibrato effects will help recreate the ethereal sound Tomoru expresses.

For octavers, the Electro-Harmonix Nano POG or BOSS OC-5 Octave are affordable and stable choices. The OC-5, in particular, is polyphonic and can naturally enhance the low end during live performances.

In summary, by combining “Marshall-like modeling amps,” “affordable Squier or Epiphone guitars,” and “BOSS or Electro-Harmonix standard effects,” beginners can get closer to Tomoru’s sound. The significant advantage is securing quality that can be used in actual live performances and recordings while keeping costs down.

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, Tomoru’s sound design as the guitarist of Cider Girl embodies the essence of “balancing freshness and strength.” The transparent clean tones from the Fender Jazzmaster and the heavy, powerful distortion from the Gibson Les Paul Standard allow him to switch between different sonic characters as needed for each song.

His amplifier setup, centered around the Marshall 1959 and Orange cabinet, incorporates aggressive British sounds influenced by Hisako Tabuchi while blending seamlessly into pop tracks. Additionally, options like the Fender Vibro-King, which he used in the past, highlight his ability to adapt to different sound trends over time.

His effects setup is characterized by a multi-layered distortion approach, with the Diezel Herbert Pedal providing explosive power, the Studio Daydream LDM OD offering natural drive, and the Klon Clone enhancing clarity. Furthermore, the Strymon Ola and octaver contribute to creating depth and thickness, enriching the overall musical experience.

From an EQ and mixing perspective, Tomoru’s sound design emphasizes “thoughtful placement within the overall mix.” By avoiding excessive emphasis on high or low frequencies and focusing on midrange settings that do not clash with vocals or other instruments, he supports the unique sound of Cider Girl.

For beginners looking to recreate this sound, it is not necessary to acquire the same high-end gear. By utilizing models from Squier or Epiphone, standard BOSS pedals, and the Katana series modeling amps, one can experience both “fresh and transparent sounds” and “robust and powerful distortion.” The key lies not in the equipment itself but in the thought and innovation behind how sounds are arranged within the music.

Overall, Tomoru’s sound design can be described as simple yet “understanding one’s role in sound creation.” The flexibility to navigate between pop and loudness is what makes Cider Girl’s music unique. When fans and guitarists reference this style, it is crucial to incorporate the perspective of “how to resonate the sound for each song,” which serves as the greatest hint for getting closer to Tomoru’s sound.