[Saki Iwabuchi] How to Recreate the MOSHIMO Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings [Effects & Amps]

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Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Saki Iwabuchi, the guitarist and vocalist of MOSHIMO, has garnered attention for her unique playing style that blends refreshing and solid rock sounds. Her guitar work seamlessly transitions between powerful strumming and delicate arpeggios, playing a significant role in shaping the overall atmosphere of the band’s music.

In the iconic song “Aoi Cider,” she utilizes the acoustic sound of a Martin D-28, expanding the band’s sonic landscape with transparent arpeggios. Conversely, tracks like “Bakashi Ai no Uta” and “Danshari” showcase her use of delay and reverb to create a three-dimensional space, accentuating the guitar’s presence.

During live performances, she combines high-output amplifiers such as the Diezel Herbert and Hughes & Kettner, skillfully alternating between thick distortion and clear clean tones. Her choice of effects is distinctive, incorporating a wide range of both domestic handmade and international brands, reflecting her individuality in sound creation.

Saki’s approach to sound design is characterized by guitars that enhance the vocals while also sounding as if the guitar itself is singing. This captivating quality makes her sound both simple and profound, an essential element of MOSHIMO’s music.

For beginner to intermediate guitarists, her gear selection and playing style offer numerous points of reference, allowing them to elevate their own sound by incorporating similar elements.

In the following sections, we will thoroughly explore her choice of amplifiers, guitars, and effects.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of MOSHIMO

List of Amplifiers and Features

Saki Iwabuchi primarily uses amplifiers that can handle a wide range of tones, from high-gain to clean sounds, for both live performances and recordings. Her main amplifier is the Diezel Herbert Mk1, a high-power head amp with three channels. Paired with the Diezel V412RC cabinet featuring V30 speakers, this setup achieves a balance of clarity and thickness. This combination is particularly effective in highlighting the vocals within the band sound while ensuring the guitar remains prominent.

As a secondary option, she also utilizes the Hughes & Kettner Duo Tone, which is known for its mid-range characteristics and slightly softer drive sound. This amp is likely used in situations where a more manageable sound is needed, emphasizing the overall balance of the band. Additionally, the Bogner Alchemist is used as a supplementary amplifier, offering a versatile range from modern crunch to sparkling clean tones.

These amplifiers have been confirmed through media such as guitar magazines, with the Diezel Herbert being a symbol of the MOSHIMO sound. Its high headroom design ensures that the sound remains intact even at high volumes, which is highly valued for live performances.

In the studio, she selects amplifiers based on the direction of the song, opting for the Diezel when a thick distortion is desired, while choosing Hughes & Kettner or Bogner for warmer clean tones. All of these are professional-grade equipment that emphasizes reliability and sound quality, forming the backbone of Saki Iwabuchi’s sound.

From this, it can be inferred that the powerful guitar sound heard in MOSHIMO’s live performances is achieved through a strategic approach of using multiple amplifiers tailored to each scene.

Types of Guitars Used and Features

Saki Iwabuchi’s primary electric guitar is the FGN (FujiGen) OS-10TT. This model features a timeless timber maple neck, providing rich resonance and stable sustain. The pickup selector is typically set to the center position, allowing for a balanced sound that cuts through both clean and distorted settings. Live photos and interviews confirm that this FGN guitar is frequently used as her main rig.

Additionally, she is known to use the Martin D-28 as her primary acoustic guitar. In songs like “Aoi Cider,” her clear and deep acoustic sound shines through in her arpeggios and strumming, making it a staple in her recordings. The Martin D-28 adds warmth to the band sound with its classic tone, contributing to arrangements that leverage the contrast between electric and acoustic elements.

The selection of guitars is crucial, as MOSHIMO’s music spans a wide range of styles, from fast-paced rock numbers to poignant ballads. The versatility of the FGN OS-10TT and the depth of the Martin D-28 are essential for achieving the desired sound. In live settings, she provides a stable sound with the FGN while incorporating the acoustic guitar to broaden her expressive range.

Other notable models have not been publicly confirmed based on current searches and social media, but it cannot be ruled out that she has experimented with different electric or acoustic guitars at various times. Currently, the FGN OS-10TT and Martin D-28 are assumed to be her core guitar setup.

Effects and Pedalboard Setup

Effects play a crucial role in Saki Iwabuchi’s sound design. By expertly combining simple chord work and riffs with spatial and distortion effects, she adds depth and power to MOSHIMO’s pop-rock tracks.

For distortion, she primarily employs the OKKO Dominator MKII Red. This pedal is known for its ability to cover a wide range from British-style crunch to high gain, serving as a central element supporting MOSHIMO’s powerful band sound. Additionally, she uses the Sunfish Audio Skyscraper, a handmade Japanese drive pedal, allowing her to switch between various distortion characteristics to highlight the unique character of each song.

In terms of spatial effects, the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man is frequently used, confirmed in tracks like “Bakashi Ai no Uta” and “Danshari,” where the warm sound of analog delay and modulation effects are utilized. The BOSS DD-20 Giga Delay is also incorporated as a digital delay, providing precise repeats and a variety of presets for live and recording settings.

For reverb, she opts for the Animals Pedal Bath Time Reverb, which adds depth to her sound, particularly in acoustic guitar accompaniments and ballads. This balanced combination of domestic brands and internationally recognized models reflects her commitment to sound creation.

These effects have been featured in guitar magazines and gear review articles, with live photos confirming their use. The combination of distortion and spatial effects allows her to control the dynamics of the songs effectively.

Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches

Saki Iwabuchi’s sound design is characterized not only by her equipment but also by her careful EQ and mixing techniques. Since it is essential to balance the guitar and vocals within the band, she seeks settings that do not overly assert the guitar tone while ensuring it does not get buried in the mix. Here, we will discuss her amplifier channel settings, EQ balance, song-specific adjustments, and mixing techniques for both studio and live scenarios.

When using the Diezel Herbert Mk1 as her main amplifier, the clean channel tends to slightly suppress high frequencies while emphasizing the midrange. This approach allows the guitar to blend naturally within the overall band sound, minimizing interference with the vocal range. For the distortion channel, she avoids excessive gain, instead slightly boosting the mids to maintain clarity even during chord playing.

When using the Hughes & Kettner Duo Tone or Bogner Alchemist, she likely aims for a crunch or modern clean tone, setting them to provide thickness during backing. Particularly in live performances, she sometimes uses both amplifiers simultaneously to create a sense of spaciousness, with one amp set slightly dry and the other incorporating spatial effects for depth.

Her use of effects is also meticulously crafted. The OKKO Dominator MKII Red enhances high gain while combining with the amp’s distortion to add thickness, especially during choruses. The Sunfish Audio Skyscraper handles light crunch to overdrive, utilized for nuances in backing and arpeggios. When using the Deluxe Memory Man, she sets the repeat time short to create depth in the space, while the BOSS DD-20 is tempo-synced to envelop the entire song.

EQ processing varies slightly between live and studio settings; during live shows, she adjusts primarily in the midrange, while in recordings, she tends to emphasize low and high ends for presence. In songs like “Aoi Cider,” which are predominantly acoustic, she minimizes compression and EQ to preserve the natural resonance of the Martin D-28.

During the mixing stage, it is likely that she employs EQ to cut the 2-4kHz range to avoid interference with the vocals. Instead, she retains a thicker presence in the 200Hz-800Hz range, ensuring a warm rock sound. The use of reverb is differentiated by song, with the Animals Pedal Bath Time Reverb primarily featuring short reverb to create a natural sense of space.

As a result of these careful adjustments, Saki Iwabuchi’s guitar sound successfully embodies both “a guitar that enhances the song” and “a guitar that sings.” The delicate tuning of EQ and mixing contributes to the essential transparency and power of MOSHIMO’s music.

Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone

While Saki Iwabuchi’s use of the Diezel Herbert and high-end guitars, along with handmade effects, is professional-grade and costly, there are ways for beginners and intermediate players to approximate her sound within a more accessible price range. Here, we will introduce alternative gear that can be purchased for under $1,000, discussing their features and how they can recreate similar tones.

For distortion, alternatives to the OKKO Dominator MKII include the BOSS DS-1W Waza Craft and BOSS DS-2, both available for around $100. These pedals can handle the British-style crunch and high gain necessary for MOSHIMO’s music. The DS-1W, in particular, has a solid midrange that can effectively replicate her rhythm guitar’s core sound.

For overdrive, the BOSS SD-1 Super OverDrive is a strong alternative to the Sunfish Audio Skyscraper. Priced under $100, it shares a midrange-focused sound that is sufficient for expressing nuances in backing.

In terms of spatial effects, the TC Electronic Flashback 2 Delay and BOSS DD-7 are recommended as alternatives to the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man. Both are priced around $200-300 and offer warm analog-like tones and tap tempo functionality, making them suitable for live and home recording. For reverb, the BOSS RV-6 can serve as a substitute for the Animals Pedal Bath Time Reverb, providing deep reverb at a lower cost.

Regarding amplifiers, the Diezel Herbert is quite expensive, so the Roland JC-40 and BOSS Katana-100 MkII are excellent alternatives. Both can be found for around $500-700 and provide stable clean tones that work well with spatial effects, making it easier to recreate MOSHIMO’s transparent guitar sound. The Katana, in particular, features a wealth of built-in effects, making it versatile for practice and live performances.

For acoustic guitars, since the Martin D-28 costs over $5,000, models like the YAMAHA FGX5 and FG830, priced between $300-1,000, are recommended. The YAMAHA FGX series, especially, comes equipped with a preamp suitable for live settings, making it a fitting alternative for performing Saki Iwabuchi’s acoustic tracks.

By combining these alternative pieces of gear, beginners and intermediate players can effectively recreate the spacious sound characteristic of MOSHIMO. The key lies in balancing distortion and spatial effects, along with selecting clean amplifiers that provide thickness. This lineup allows for a faithful reproduction of the core sound character while keeping costs manageable.

Summary and Conclusion

Saki Iwabuchi’s sound design may appear simple at first glance, yet it is built upon meticulous gear selection and settings. The combination of the FGN OS-10TT and Diezel Herbert Mk1 achieves a sound that is both hard-edged and warm, creating a relationship where the vocals and guitar enhance each other. Furthermore, her use of the Martin D-28 for acoustic approaches adds depth and transparency to the overall music.

The effects configuration is not merely “decorative” but serves as a tool to shape the expression of the songs. Distortion pedals like the OKKO Dominator MKII Red and Sunfish Audio Skyscraper add power to choruses and riffs while allowing for subtlety in backing. Additionally, the differentiation in the use of delays like the Deluxe Memory Man and BOSS DD-20 enables her to control the spatial depth and expansiveness of each song.

Overall, the essence of Saki Iwabuchi’s sound design can be summarized as “guitars that sing.” The guitar does not overpower but supports the overall band sound, while also being capable of conveying melody as if it has a voice. This is achieved through her playing style, gear selection, and careful adjustments in EQ and mixing.

For readers wishing to approximate her sound, it is not necessary to acquire all her gear. The key is to incorporate the concepts of “settings that enhance the midrange,” “balance between distortion and spatial effects,” and “tone adjustments tailored to the songs.” Many aspects can be recreated with affordable alternative gear, allowing for personalized interpretations that draw out similar nuances.

When covering MOSHIMO’s songs, it is essential to focus not only on replicating the sound but also on understanding the “soul” embedded in the sound design. By doing so, you can get closer to her sound while also discovering your unique expression based on her approach.

Ultimately, the key to recreating her sound lies not just in “technical gear manipulation” but in having a clear intention of “how you want the sound to be perceived.” Recognizing this will deepen your understanding of MOSHIMO’s music and enhance your own guitar playing.