【Takuya Yamanaka】How to Recreate THE ORAL CIGARETTES Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings【Effects & Amps】

① Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Takuya Yamanaka, the frontman and guitarist of THE ORAL CIGARETTES, captivates countless fans with his unique sound and expressive power. His guitar playing fuses seamlessly with his emotional vocals, adding depth and dynamism to the band’s compositions.

Yamanaka’s sound is characterized by his ability to freely manipulate a wide range of tones from clean to distortion. In particular, his clear clean tones using Fender guitars and powerful distortion sounds utilizing high-gain amplifiers are emblematic of his playing style.

Representative songs include “Kyouran Hey Kids!!” and “BLACK MEMORY.” In these tracks, Yamanaka’s guitar playing elevates the energy of the songs and drives audiences into a frenzy during live performances.

His tone creation involves not only the selection of guitars, amplifiers, and effects, but also careful consideration of EQ and mixing techniques. The following sections will provide detailed explanations of Takuya Yamanaka’s gear and settings.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of THE ORAL CIGARETTES

② List of Amplifiers and Features【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

Takuya Yamanaka (Yamataku) has established a highly unique style as the frontman of THE ORAL CIGARETTES, serving as both vocalist and guitarist. The foundation of his guitar sound is supported by the amplifiers he uses. The quick response from clean to crunch, the natural extension of high frequencies that blend naturally into the space, and the compatibility between rhythm guitar and vocals—these elements are clearly reflected in his amplifier choices.

In live performances, Yamanaka favors Fender tube amplifiers. Specifically, models like the “Hot Rod Deluxe” and “Blues Junior” are notable choices. These models are attractive for their wide range in clean tones and natural distortion characteristics when paired with pedals. The combination with Telecaster or Jazzmaster creates simple yet punchy tones with excellent presence.

For recording and large-scale stages, high-gain head amplifiers such as the Marshall JCM900 and EVH 5150III are likely used. EVH amplifier cabinets can sometimes be confirmed in music videos and behind-the-scenes footage. These amplifiers can achieve sufficient gain without distortion pedals, contributing to simplified settings and stable tone creation.

Gear Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Search URL	Artist	Guitarist	Notes
Hot Rod Deluxe	Fender	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Confirmed usage in live footage. Excellent cutting tone especially with Telecaster combination.
Blues Junior	Fender	Amazon Search	THEORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Relatively compact with excellent crunch quality, ideal for home and small venue use.
EVH 5150III	EVH	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	No confirmed usage but inferred from MV cabinet shots. High-gain with tight low-end characteristics.
JCM900	Marshall	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	No confirmed usage. Suitable for post-90s rock sound with clear picking articulation.

With all these amplifiers, mid-range focused tone creation is possible, which enhances Yamanaka’s characteristic “speed-driven rhythm playing” and “space-conscious playing.” The key element of his sound lies in not relying excessively on amplifier distortion alone, but crafting tone through pedals and picking nuances. For this approach, the responsiveness of Fender-type amplifiers plays a crucial role, it is assumed.

③ Types of Guitars Used and Features【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

The core of Takuya Yamanaka’s (Yamataku) guitar sound lies in his beloved Fender guitars. His guitar selection philosophy is clear regarding attack response, picking nuance, chord clarity, and visual character. As confirmed in live performances and music videos, he primarily uses Telecaster and Jazzmaster, switching between them according to different musical contexts.

His most frequently appearing main guitar is the “Fender American Deluxe Telecaster.” The black body with gold pickguard custom specification catches the eye, but more noteworthy is its sound range. The alder body and maple neck construction achieves both snappy tone and clear mid-range, realizing a sound that cuts through band ensembles.

This Telecaster is heavily used in live staples like “Kyouran Hey Kids!!” for crisp cutting in intros and breaks, wide chord strokes in choruses, and accommodates a very broad range of playing styles. The single-coil characteristic high-frequency brilliance also harmonizes beautifully with Yamanaka’s vocals.

As a secondary guitar, the “Fender Classic Player Jazzmaster Special” has been confirmed. This guitar features thicker mids and richer, slightly lower-oriented settled tones when playing chords. The Jazzmaster’s expressiveness particularly shines in arpeggios with spatial effects and ambient parts utilizing the tremolo unit. It’s considered optimal for use in songs like “Kantan na Koto.”

Additionally noteworthy is the use of the semi-acoustic “Gibson ES-335.” While usage frequency is relatively low, its warm tone fits perfectly in ballads and mid-tempo heavy compositions. It’s considered to be introduced as recording-oriented equipment, maintaining core presence even when distorted, contributing to single-note lead playing and chord separation.

Gear Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Search URL	Artist	Guitarist	Guitar Type	Notes
American Deluxe Telecaster	Fender	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Electric Guitar	Highest usage frequency in both live and MV settings. Excellent cutting ability and backing suitability.
Classic Player Jazzmaster Special	Fender	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Electric Guitar	Rich mid-range, suitable sub-guitar for ambient and arpeggio work.
ES-335	Gibson	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Semi-Acoustic Guitar	No confirmed usage. Inferred for recording use. Suitable for ballads and solo parts.
G5135 Electromatic Corvette	Gretsch	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Electric Guitar	No confirmed usage. Sonically recommended for heavy yet crisp songs like “Searchlight.”

These guitar choices reflect not just enjoying different tones, but careful selection considering their role within band arrangements and ensemble harmony. The professional tone crafting by Takuya Yamanaka is evidenced by the fine adjustments of amplifier and effects usage according to each guitar’s characteristics, it is assumed.

④ Effects and Pedalboard Setup【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

Takuya Yamanaka’s effects pedalboard is presumed to be constructed as simply as possible while maximizing dynamics and expression for each song. While the equipment confirmed from live footage and studio videos isn’t extensive, each piece is carefully selected and directly connects to his sound style—specifically “tone creation that doesn’t rely excessively on distortion but maximizes the guitar’s natural sound and picking nuances.”

The most well-known representative pedal is the BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver. This overdrive naturally varies expression based on picking strength, excelling at sounds that naturally fluctuate between clean and crunch. Its compatibility with Fender Telecaster is exceptional, highlighting the characteristics in Yamanaka’s chord cutting and lightly distorted arpeggios.

For spatial effects, the Line6 DL4 was used during certain periods, serving for solos in live performances and delay/looper functions in ballad compositions, proving invaluable for expansive sound production. Currently, there’s high possibility of using similar BOSS DD series (particularly DD-7, DD-200), with their presence suspected from snapshot photographs of effects pedalboards.

Furthermore, usage of BOSS RV-6 and recent multi-effects systems is considered. Rather than using multi-effects for comprehensive control, they’re likely used supplementarily for spatial effects (reverb and modulation) and amp simulation. This approach works because his sound style is based on “guitar and amplifier fundamentals with fine adjustments.”

Gear Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Search URL	Artist	Guitarist	Effect Type	Notes
BD-2 Blues Driver	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	オーバードライブ	Confirmed actual usage. High usage frequency in live settings with excellent Telecaster compatibility.
DL4 Delay Modeler	Line6	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	ディレイ	No confirmed usage. Confirmed in past live photos. Features abundant delay modes and looper.
RV-6 Digital Reverb	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	リバーブ	No confirmed usage. Standard spatial pedal used by many rock guitarists. High actual usage possibility.
DD-7 Digital Delay	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	ディレイ	No confirmed usage. High versatility, ideal as DL4 alternative or supplement. Tempo sync capable.
MS-3	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	マルチエフェクター	No confirmed usage. Many recent pedalboard configurations add compact multi-effects, making it anticipated.

Yamanaka’s style of “drawing out guitar and amplifier potential with minimal necessary effects” is extremely rational in contemporary band sound contexts. This approach is the primary reason for establishing his signature sound—in other words, convincing guitar tone without increasing note density. Future stage performances, music videos, and personal interviews revealing more detailed configurations would enable deeper analysis, it is assumed.

⑤ Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

The greatest characteristic of Takuya Yamanaka’s guitar sound is being “information-rich yet not overwhelming.” While delivering the robust energy expected of a rock band, exquisite tone crafting enables the coexistence of vocals and guitar. This craftsmanship extends beyond effects and amplifiers to EQ settings and PA mixing.

Regarding amplifier tone settings, when using amplifiers like Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Junior, Treble (high-frequency) is presumed to be set slightly conservative (around 4-5), Mid (mid-range) at 5-6, and Bass (low-frequency) around 4. This balance prioritizes crisp cutting and chord separation, with clear intent to enhance the band’s overall presence.

Mid-range adjustment is particularly crucial for ensuring “vocals and guitar don’t clash.” Since Yamanaka serves as vocalist, he likely consciously prevents guitar frequencies from overlapping with vocal ranges. If mids are too scooped, the rock-like backbone disappears; if boosted excessively, it becomes harsh and conflicts with vocals—this delicate balance sense is essential to the “Yamataku sound.”

The handling of spatial effects like delay and reverb also deserves attention. His guitar frequently employs spatial effects, but rather than “filling gaps,” the approach focuses on “utilizing resonance for expansive presence.” In live settings, using BOSS DD series and RV-6, delay time is synchronized to song BPM, creating thicker sound images without compromising performance tempo.

Sound attack is another crucial point. Yamanaka’s playing features many phrases with impressive attack sharpness, with overdrive typically set to moderate gain levels. This approach ensures proper expression of picking nuances and rhythm feel. By avoiding excessive gain, individual notes within chords remain audible, and groove naturally intertwines with the rhythm section.

Amplifier channel switching isn’t performed frequently, with basic reliance on clean channels adjusted via overdrive pedals showing high probability. This practical configuration considers live stability and reproducibility, with frequent scenes of real-time distortion nuance control through guitar volume knob operation.

In mixing contexts, collaboration with PA and recording engineers becomes extremely important. A key characteristic of Yamanaka’s guitar is “never sounding thin,” achieved not only through performance but also through mixing positioning, frequency organization, and compression balance. The background supporting the highly challenging mission of vocal-guitar coexistence includes meticulous mixing processing that shouldn’t be overlooked.

For example, in driving songs like “BLACK MEMORY” and “ENEMY,” guitars panned left-right sound percussive, with EQing that’s mid-boosted to maintain tonal core while smoothing frequencies above 4kHz. This treatment suppresses harsh frequencies common in distorted tones.

In summary, Takuya Yamanaka’s tone creation is based on a “maximizing player skill and sensitivity” setting philosophy. Without relying on complex settings, constructing tone through pickup selection, hand volume control, and picking strength variations creates the unique “Yamataku sound,” it is assumed.

⑥ Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

Takuya Yamanaka’s tone creation centers on Fender-type guitars with relatively traditional choices for amplifiers and pedals. This provides significant advantages in “reproducibility”—meaning even entry to intermediate-level equipment can effectively recreate “Yamataku-like qualities.”

Here we introduce equipment categories ranging from ¥10,000-50,000 that are easily accessible and can relatively faithfully reproduce Yamanaka’s sound. All items are commercially available through Amazon and similar retailers, easily manageable for beginners to intermediate players, and applicable to live performance, recording, and studio practice.

Type	Gear Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Search URL	Artist	Guitarist	Notes
Electric Guitar	Player Telecaster	Squier by Fender	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	While Fender’s budget brand, sound character closely resembles genuine Telecaster, optimal for cutting and backing.
Overdrive	SD-1 Super OverDrive	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Mid-focused tuning allows adding thickness without killing Telecaster/Jazzmaster crispness.
Multi-Effects	G1X FOUR	Zoom	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Single unit capable of reproducing amp modeling, spatial, and distortion effects. Ideal for initial tone practice.
Delay	DD-3T Digital Delay	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Easy time adjustment, creates expansive presence without disrupting rhythm in band ensembles.
Reverb	RV-6 Reverb	BOSS	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Multiple reverb modes equipped. Plate and Hall settings closely match Yamanaka’s spatial processing style.
Amplifier	Champion 40	Fender	Amazon Search	THE ORAL CIGARETTES	Takuya Yamanaka	Ideal for home to studio practice. Clean tones reminiscent of Hot Rod Deluxe character.

Additionally, BOSS’s GT-1000CORE and other advanced models in compact multi-effects could be candidates, but are excluded due to exceeding ¥100,000 price range.

In budget configurations, understanding “what each component reproduces” becomes crucial. For instance, combining Telecaster-type guitars with SD-1 through Fender clean amplifiers can achieve considerable Yamanaka-like attack feel and mid-range thickness. Adding DD-3T and RV-6 incorporates expansive presence and resonance, further recreating “THE ORAL CIGARETTES-like qualities.”

These configurations are relatively easy for beginners to introduce and operate while building fundamental tone-crafting skills. Most importantly, they’re optimal for learning to “create sound with simple configurations” like Yamanaka, it is assumed.

⑦ Summary and Conclusion【THE ORAL CIGARETTES・Takuya Yamanaka】

THE ORAL CIGARETTES frontman Takuya Yamanaka’s (Yamataku) guitar sound consists of precise construction that maximizes song atmospheres and live performances while maintaining simple yet practical tone creation. Rather than relying on “gimmicky” effects, his approach of expertly balancing the traditional trinity of guitar, amplifier, and effects represents the ideal approach for contemporary guitar vocalists.

At its core lies the “aesthetics of attack and release.” Even in fast passages, sounds don’t get crushed; in chord strokes, every individual note remains audible. This results from settings that utilize picking nuances and guitars’ natural characteristics, plus clean equipment selection that avoids excessive processing. This enables audiences and listeners to clearly perceive “the contours of Takuya Yamanaka as an individual.”

Additionally, his unique position as guitar vocalist means constantly considering balance with “his own voice” in tone creation. Guitar that doesn’t interfere with vocals yet maintains presence—achieving this delicate balance requires meticulous judgment in frequency design, spatial effects quantity, amplifier tone settings, and even mixing-stage EQ processing. His playing style represents the culmination of these accumulated decisions.

Particularly noteworthy is the “selectivity” of his equipment. His pedalboard and amplifiers aren’t exclusively high-end pieces, but demonstrate clear selection of only “sounds that suit him” and “necessary sounds.” The “matured sound” achieved by deliberately choosing and thoroughly utilizing standard effects like BOSS BD-2 teaches us that versatile equipment can realize its true value.

Also worth observing is his “simplicity and consistency as a player.” While he may switch between multiple guitars, he doesn’t excessively change equipment per song, maintaining consistent tone so that “any song sounds like him.” This proves “Yamataku-ness” always remains at the core, regardless of musical genre, tempo, or spatial changes.

Furthermore, recent evolution includes coordination with vocal effects and synchronized production, where guitar functions not only as “sound itself” but as “one element for designing space.” Approaching guitar with this perspective is extremely important for developing abilities to envision complete musical pictures.

Beginners might feel “Takuya Yamanaka’s sound seems difficult.” However, in reality, many configurations are logical with high reproducibility, containing many easily imitable elements. Guitar: Telecaster-type, Amplifier: Fender-type, Distortion: mid-range focused OD, Spatial effects: moderate—this combination alone can achieve considerably “similar” sounds. Therefore, developing playing nuances and hand expression becomes the shortest route to approaching his sound.

THE ORAL CIGARETTES represents an extremely tight and sophisticated rock band ensemble, with Takuya Yamanaka’s guitar supporting its backbone. Guitar sound that supports songs’ energy and emotion—please incorporate the logic and aesthetics behind this tone creation into your own playing, it is assumed.