【Yoshiaki Manabe】How to Recreate THE PILLOWS Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings Summary【Effects & Amps】

Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Yoshiaki Manabe, guitarist of THE PILLOWS, has been a profound influence on the Japanese rock scene with his unique melodic sensibilities and edgy guitar sound. From the early 1990s to the present, his style has remained consistent, and his sound using Jazzmaster-style shapes and Mustangs emits a distinctive color that can truly be called the “Manabe Tone.”

Manabe’s sound features an exquisite balance between clean and distorted tones, maintaining an old-school texture while possessing the flexibility to adapt to modern rock sounds. His energetic guitar playing at live performances has become the aspiration of guitar enthusiasts. In representative songs like “Ride on shooting star,” “Funny Bunny,” and “LITTLE BUSTERS,” you can enjoy impressive riffs and drive sounds that showcase his picking nuances.

In terms of equipment, he primarily uses the Fender Mustang, along with original models like the Sago Rutile and CAOS. His amplifier setup is based on the Orange OR120, and he employs effects like the BOSS BD-2 and Big Muff to enable diverse expressions for each song. The BOSS BD-2 is particularly indispensable when discussing his tone.

This article comprehensively covers the guitars, amplifiers, and effects that Yoshiaki Manabe has used throughout his career, delving into the secrets of his tone creation. It also includes gear suggestions for beginners to easily recreate his sound, along with explanations of EQ and settings to provide a guide for getting closer to THE PILLOWS’ sound. Additionally, we’ve included a list of actual equipment used, referenced from social media, live photos, and various interviews, making this content recommended for those prioritizing reproduction accuracy. For those who want to imitate his sound or play those riffs with their own tone, we hope this article serves as a helpful reference.

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List of Amplifiers and Features【THE PILLOWS・Yoshiaki Manabe】

The foundation of Yoshiaki Manabe’s sound is supported by Orange’s powerful amplifier lineup, which exudes vintage character. The most representative is the “ORANGE OR120,” whose presence has been frequently confirmed in live footage and interviews from the 1990s. Manabe has been using this OR120 for many years, creating a unique drive sound that is trebly yet has a solid core in the midrange.

This amplifier excels in the intermediate range between clean and crunch, and has excellent compatibility with the single coil/humbucker configuration of the Fender Mustang and Jagmaster. Additionally, he uses the Orange “OR412” cabinet, and the combination of the 120W amp head and 4-speaker setup provides sufficient sound pressure and deep sound even in live settings.

As a backup, he has also introduced the “Marshall JCM800,” ensuring that he can produce tones close to Manabe’s sound even in case of unexpected troubles. The JCM800 has more rock-oriented distortion and midrange characteristics, with strengths in crisp riffs and lead playing.

Manabe’s amplifier configuration is characterized by emphasizing powerful output for live performances and wide dynamic range that can faithfully reproduce picking nuances. Most of the distortion is created by effects pedals, and the amplifier side is set up to maintain natural drive and clean beauty while enhancing the effects.

Below is a list of confirmed amplifiers used, as it is assumed based on available information.

Equipment Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Best Price URL	Artist	Guitarist	Notes
OR120	ORANGE	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Used since the 1990s. Standard amp head for live performances.
OR412	ORANGE	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	4-speaker cabinet used in combination with OR120.
JCM800	Marshall	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	For backup use. Strong midrange with good cut-through tone.

Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches【THE PILLOWS・Yoshiaki Manabe】

Yoshiaki Manabe’s guitar sound is characterized by a clear yet deep sound image, and the fundamental settings and EQ techniques are extremely important points. His tone features distortion components based on high-mid frequencies and natural compression that changes expression based on picking dynamics, which can be understood from his equipment and settings.

First, regarding amplifier settings, when using the Orange OR120, he often sets the 3-band EQ of treble, middle, and bass to flat or slightly mid-emphasized. Particularly, the midrange output creates the core of Manabe’s sound, so a midrange setting around 12-2 o’clock is recommended. By keeping the bass somewhat restrained, the sound outline becomes clearer, maintaining good cut-through even in high-output stage environments.

Additionally, overdrive pedals like the BOSS BD-2 are basically used to add “push” to the crunch created by the amplifier. The gain isn’t turned up too much, the tone is kept somewhat restrained (10-11 o’clock), and the level is at unity to slightly raised (12-1 o’clock). This creates a sensation where the sound pushes forward according to guitar playing style, resulting in very rich dynamics.

When using fuzz-type pedals like Big Muff or Baltic Blue Fuzz, they’re often switched from regular drive sounds to make riffs or solos stand out, and in mixing, it’s important to ensure the midrange doesn’t get buried by managing frequency separation from other instruments. The “boomy frequency range” characteristic of fuzz is slightly cut, and mixing adjustments are required to bring the presence forward.

For spatial effects settings with LINE6 DL4 and M13, delay times synchronized to tempo (such as 8th note delay or slapback) are utilized to ensure spatial expansion. The DL4 is particularly used for loops and ambient production between songs, and repeat count and feedback settings greatly contribute to creating the song’s atmosphere. These can be combined with volume techniques and clean tones to create more floating sounds.

EQ adjustments using the BOSS GE-7 involve slightly raising the midrange and boosting around 3.2kHz to ensure the guitar cuts through clearly in the ensemble. In live settings, fine frequency adjustments are made according to each venue’s acoustics to achieve consistently stable tone creation.

In mixing, Manabe’s guitar rarely pans hard left or right, often positioned center to slightly right, maintaining unity within the band’s ensemble sound. Guitar lead tones are mixed to retain amp-like naturalness, and not over-compressing is also one of the characteristics.

Overall, in Yoshiaki Manabe’s tone creation, the important balance is “utilizing the character of the amplifier and guitar body while using effects only for flavoring.” This natural tone design philosophy is the core of THE PILLOWS’ unchanging sound over the years and supports “that sound” that resonates with listeners, as it is assumed based on available information.

Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone【THE PILLOWS・Yoshiaki Manabe】

To recreate the deep guitar sound like Yoshiaki Manabe’s, you might think you need expensive equipment like original guitars and vintage amplifiers, but it’s actually possible to get quite close to the atmosphere even with beginner to intermediate level gear. This section introduces equipment that can affordably and practically approach the “Manabe Tone.”

First, for guitars, as a model close to Manabe’s representative Fender Mustang, the “Classic Vibe ’60s Mustang” series released by Squier is recommended. Available for around 50,000 yen, this model features the rounded tone quality characteristic of short scale and a neck that’s easy to handle for players with smaller hands. Simply replacing the rear pickup with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. will bring you significantly closer to Manabe’s punchy drive sound.

Regarding amplifiers, while vintage amplifiers like the Orange OR120 are expensive, transistor amplifiers like the Orange Crush Pro series can achieve sounds that emulate their character. Particularly, the “Crush Pro CR60C” is available for around 50,000-70,000 yen and can reproduce Orange’s characteristic midrange thickness along with clean and drive switching, making it an excellent choice.

For effects, pedals known as BOSS BD-2 clones like Joyo’s “Sweet Baby Overdrive” and Mooer’s “Blues Mood” are popular. These are available for around 10,000 yen and offer natural distortion with high responsiveness to picking, easily recreating the nuances of Manabe’s overdrive sound. For Big Muff-type fuzz, the Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff and Behringer SF300 are also recommended.

For spatial effects, since the LINE6 DL4 is somewhat expensive even used, more affordable options with similar functions include NUX “Tape Echo” and Donner “Echo Square.” If you need looper or modulation effects, multi-effects units like ZOOM’s “G1X FOUR” are effective and can compactly recreate the multi-functionality of the LINE6 M9/M13 that Manabe uses.

For equalizers, affordable yet multi-functional options include “Caline CP-24 10-band EQ” and “JOYO JF-11 6-band EQ,” which can create guitar presence through midrange boost and frequency shaping. Their compact size and durability make them practical for live use.

Below is a comprehensive table of recommended equipment for getting closer to the “Manabe Sound” by category, as it is assumed based on available information.

Type	Equipment Name	Manufacturer	Amazon Best Price URL	Artist	Guitarist	Notes
Guitar	Classic Vibe ’60s Mustang	Squier	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Affordably recreates Mustang atmosphere with short scale.
Pickup	JB Jr.	Seymour Duncan	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Install in Mustang rear for punchy sound.
Amplifier	Crush Pro CR60C	Orange	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Practical amp with drive character similar to OR120.
Overdrive	Sweet Baby Overdrive	Joyo	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Responsiveness and warm drive similar to BD-2.
Fuzz	Nano Big Muff	Electro-Harmonix	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Compact recreation of classic Big Muff.
Delay	Tape Echo	NUX	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	Analog-like delay close to DL4’s texture quality.
Multi-Effects	G1X FOUR	ZOOM	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	For M9/M13-like usage. Also handles modulation and spatial effects.
Equalizer	CP-24	Caline	Link	THE PILLOWS	Yoshiaki Manabe	10-band EQ. Boosts midrange for enhanced presence.

Summary and Conclusion【THE PILLOWS・Yoshiaki Manabe】

The endeavor to recreate THE PILLOWS guitarist Yoshiaki Manabe’s sound is not merely about copying equipment, but can be said to be work that deepens understanding of his philosophy toward sound and playing style. His tone, while appearing simple at first glance, is extremely deep, with sharpness and warmth coexisting within a core sound image based on midrange frequencies.

The foundation consists of distinctive guitars like the Fender Mustang and Sago CAOS, natural drive from the Orange OR120, and a rich variety of flavorful effects centered around the BOSS BD-2 and Big Muff. His equipment selection consistently maintains the perspective of “does it feel comfortable in my hands” and “does the sound sing,” giving the impression that rather than jumping on the latest equipment, he carefully selects tools that resonate with his music.

Additionally, rather than layering equipment in complex ways, the “subtractive” aesthetic of spatial effects that utilize sound cut-through and expansion, along with minimal EQ processing, is also an important element. The distortion doesn’t simply pursue heaviness but cherishes “breathing feel” that allows performance nuances to be properly expressed, which can be said to be a delicate approach unique to a simple rock band.

When imitating his tone creation, please also pay attention to picking position and angle, as well as right-hand nuances. Manabe plays guitar with rich expression while maintaining a simple style that doesn’t deliberately exaggerate subtle touches. In other words, studying not only “what equipment he uses” but also “how he uses it” becomes the key to ultimately improving reproduction accuracy.

Through this article, we hope it serves as a reference for those who have become interested in THE PILLOWS’ guitar sound and those who want to incorporate Yoshiaki Manabe’s tone creation into their own playing to approach “that sound” in their own way. Even without expensive equipment, anyone can challenge the Manabe Tone depending on how they choose and use their gear.