[Hisako Tabuchi] – How to Recreate the NUMBER GIRL Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings [Effects & Amps]

① Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Hisako Tabuchi, guitarist of NUMBER GIRL, is known as one of the sharpest and most distinctive sound creators in the Japanese alternative rock scene. Her guitar tone freely moves between intensity and delicacy, noise and melody, creating a unique texture. Even after NUMBER GIRL reunited, her presence has not faded, continuing to capture listeners’ attention in numerous live performances and recordings.

Songs such as “Toumei Shoujo,” “NUM-AMI-DABUTZ,” and “TATTOO Ari” showcase her trademark sound: a piercing short delay combined with the uniquely distorted front pickup of a Jazzmaster. The amp remains almost clean, with distortion added through the BOSS BD-2, while a booster like the Klon Centaur emphasizes clarity and projection. By using the RV-3’s Mode 1 for a feedback-like short delay, she creates a three-dimensional, one-of-a-kind sonic space.

Her playing style balances sonic perfection and experimentation, fitting perfectly with NUMBER GIRL’s polarity of “explosive noise” and “quiet lyrical immersion.” Beyond NUMBER GIRL, her projects like toddle and bloodthirsty butchers also showcase different aspects of her sound, rooted in her meticulous devotion to tone crafting.

On her @chacoboom Twitter account, she occasionally shares gear insights, which are often invaluable for guitarists. In this article, we’ll dig into her equipment, sound philosophy, and how to recreate her tone.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of NUMBER GIRL

② List of Amplifiers and Features [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Amplifiers in Hisako Tabuchi’s setup are consistently based on the principle of “loud clean tone.” During her NUMBER GIRL era, she mainly used a vintage Marshall head, the “Marshall Mark II (100W, 1974),” which delivered a classical tone forming the foundation of her sound. The amp itself was kept clean without increasing gain or presence, functioning purely as a tonal base upon which pedals layered distortion.

Her cabinet of choice was the “ORANGE OR412 (4×12),” which, combined with the Marshall, produced a tight sound with a sticky low end. Her typical settings—“Pre 4,” “Bass 10,” “Mid 10,” “Treble 4,” “Vol1 4,” “Vol2 4”—show her emphasis on strong Bass and Mid, blending smoothly with pedal-generated distortion.

On the official toddle site, she noted her approach: “Keep Treble low so Marshall’s highs don’t get harsh, and never let the amp itself distort—distortion comes from the BD-2.” This makes her live tone clear and well-separated, while maintaining warmth and strength when combined with the front pickup of her Jazzmaster.

Her amp choices are highly rational: pairing the Marshall with an ORANGE cab balances the harsh highs of pedals like the BD-2, taming risky treble frequencies. She consistently uses this Marshall + ORANGE setup in both live and studio contexts, underpinning the cutting yet solid tone that defines her sound.

Gear	Brand	Amazon Link	Band	Guitarist	Notes
Mark II (1974)	Marshall	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	1974 100W Marshall head. Used clean as the tonal base.
OR412	ORANGE	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	4×12 cab with thick lows and controlled highs.

③ Types of Guitars Used and Features [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Hisako Tabuchi’s main weapon has always been a vintage Fender USA Jazzmaster. Most notably, she frequently used a 1965 model (serial: L77xxx), which has been a consistent part of her arsenal since her NUMBER GIRL days and continued into her work with toddle. This Jazzmaster underwent modifications such as jumbo frets and a playing style focused on the front pickup. These tweaks emphasize midrange warmth while suppressing piercing highs, resulting in a sound that perfectly matches her delicate strumming and roaring solo passages.

In addition, she was also reported to use a 1964 Jazzmaster during the same period. These guitars were alternated between live performances and recordings depending on the context. Both instruments, despite being vintage, were adjusted for stability and clarity, aligning with Tabuchi’s focus on letting the natural resonance of the instrument shine through rather than relying heavily on onboard tone shaping.

Her tone signature heavily leans on the Jazzmaster’s unique characteristics. Using the front pickup almost exclusively gives her a warm yet cutting presence. The lower output of the Jazzmaster fits perfectly with her clean amp settings, providing a natural balance for distortion pedals such as the BOSS BD-2. This synergy between guitar and pedals is central to her sound philosophy.

On stage, Tabuchi often keeps the pickup selector locked to the neck position and leaves her volume at maximum. She does not fine-tune tone controls on the guitar itself—instead, she relies entirely on her pedals and amp for shaping the sound. This approach reflects her philosophy of keeping the guitar simple and letting external gear handle tonal variation.

Thus, her choice of Jazzmasters is not merely about vintage aesthetics or tradition. It is a deliberate strategy to achieve a tone that “just falls into place” when driven with pedals, forming an indispensable element of her wall-of-sound guitar work. Her guitars act as the canvas upon which her pedals and amps paint the sonic landscapes of NUMBER GIRL.

Gear	Brand	Amazon Link	Band	Guitarist	Type	Notes
Jazzmaster ’65	Fender USA	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Electric Guitar	1965 vintage. Modified with jumbo frets, primarily using the front pickup.
Jazzmaster ’64	Fender USA	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Electric Guitar	1964 vintage. Used alongside the main ’65 model as a secondary guitar.

④ Effects and Pedalboard Setup [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Hisako Tabuchi’s pedalboard is deceptively simple yet carefully crafted to balance “roaring noise,” “cutting sharpness,” and “spatial depth” at a high level. For live shows, her signal chain begins with the KORG PB-01 tuner, followed by multiple overdrives chained in series. The core of her drive section is built around the BOSS BD-2W and the idea sound product IDEA-TSX ver.2, both of which are often kept “always on” and serve as the backbone of her tone.

The BOSS BD-2W functions as her main source of distortion. By keeping her amp clean and letting the BD-2W shape the core of her sound, Tabuchi achieves a tone that responds dynamically without relying on guitar volume adjustments. This setup allows her to maintain consistent output while varying feel and articulation through picking strength alone.

For boost duties, she has used pedals such as the EarthQuaker Devices Arrows and the Klon Centaur Silver. These pedals serve very specific purposes—either to lift her solos above the mix or to add extra harmonic richness. This clarity of purpose in assigning each pedal is a hallmark of her setup. To preserve signal quality, she also incorporates a true-bypass switcher, the PROVIDENCE P-4TB, ensuring minimal tonal degradation when routing multiple pedals.

In terms of modulation and ambience, her setup includes the BOSS CE-2W (chorus) along with the RV-3 and RV-6 (reverb/delay). The RV-3, in particular, is crucial for songs like “TATTOO Ari” and “NUM-AMI-DABUTZ,” where she employs Mode 1 for short delay, creating sharp, feedback-like textures that define the atmosphere. The CE-2W adds a spatial shimmer, while the RV-6 provides more expansive reverb in later performances.

Powering this entire setup is the Free The Tone PT-3D power supply, which ensures stable voltage and suppresses unwanted noise, enabling her complex effects layering to remain clear and consistent on stage.

Tabuchi’s pedalboard reflects her overall philosophy: no wasted elements, only carefully chosen tools that maximize the expressive impact of her playing. Each pedal plays a strategic role in shaping the sonic landscapes that make NUMBER GIRL’s sound both explosive and hauntingly beautiful.

Gear	Brand	Amazon Link	Band	Guitarist	Effect Type	Notes
PB-01	KORG	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Tuner	Signal starting point. Ensures live stability.
BD-2W	BOSS	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Overdrive	Main distortion pedal, kept on at all times.
Arrows	EarthQuaker Devices	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Booster	Used for solos, adding natural harmonics.
IDEA-TSX ver.2	idea sound product	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Overdrive	Works in tandem with BD-2W to expand tonal palette.
Centaur (Silver)	Klon	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Overdrive	Used during the SAPPUKEI tour. Enhances solo projection.
P-4TB True Bypass	PROVIDENCE	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Switching System	Prevents signal loss across multiple pedals.
CE-2W	BOSS	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Chorus	Used in “TATTOO Ari” for spatial depth.
RV-3	BOSS	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Reverb / Delay	Mode 1 short delay for sharp, feedback-like tones.
RV-6	BOSS	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Reverb	Later performances. Adds wider ambient space.
PT-3D	Free The Tone	Search on Amazon	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Power Supply	Stable power supply ensures noiseless operation.

⑤ Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Hisako Tabuchi’s guitar sound is instantly recognizable for its “razor-sharp edge” and “airy depth.” These qualities are not accidental but the result of deliberate EQ settings, amp configurations, and careful mixing decisions. Her tone is built around keeping the amp relatively flat while strategically boosting the high mids, ensuring that her guitar cuts through the dense textures of NUMBER GIRL without losing warmth or body.

For example, in the iconic track “TATTOO Ari,” she pushes the amp’s treble and presence higher while engaging the BOSS RV-3 in short delay mode. This setup creates an aggressive clarity where each chord stroke hits with impact but simultaneously spreads into the surrounding air, almost like a controlled feedback loop. By contrast, on songs such as “URBAN GUITAR SAYONARA,” she leans on deeper reverb settings and avoids compressors entirely. This choice allows the natural dynamics of her playing to come through, giving the music an unsettling, machine-like chill layered with human emotion.

On the guitar itself, Tabuchi rarely touches tone controls. The volume knob stays maxed, and the selector remains on the neck pickup. All tonal sculpting is done externally with pedals and the amp. Her BD-2W is typically set with Gain around 6–7 and Tone rolled slightly back, with the final polish handled by amp EQ. This balance means her picking attack and muting directly shape the sound’s character, giving her playing an expressive range from delicate whispers to volcanic eruptions without switching gear mid-song.

Her EQ approach at the amp stage avoids the typical “scooped” settings common in modern rock. Instead, she emphasizes the midrange (particularly 800 Hz–1.2 kHz), ensuring her guitar occupies a sonic space distinct from bass and vocals. Bass is never cut too aggressively—she allows enough low end for fullness—but avoids boominess by cutting slightly around 120 Hz. The treble is kept controlled to avoid harsh spikes, letting the Jazzmaster’s natural chime remain smooth and balanced.

From a live sound engineering perspective, her guitar is often panned slightly to one side of the stereo field rather than centered. This positioning allows Kenataro Nakao’s bass and Shutoku Mukai’s guitar to sit in complementary positions, creating a layered wall of sound without collapsing into mud. Engineers typically notch out 250–400 Hz in her channel to reduce muddiness, which makes her upper midrange presence shine even more.

Another hallmark of her tone design is the way she changes pedal combinations depending on song density. In heavy, fast-paced tracks, she stacks BD-2W with the Klon Centaur for a tighter, more cutting drive. For ballads or atmospheric songs, she switches to the IDEA-TSX alone, which softens the edges and highlights harmonic bloom. These are not mere gain adjustments but deliberate sculpting choices, designed to match each song’s narrative arc and emotional temperature.

Reverb and delay settings are also highly intentional. The RV-3’s short delay (Mode 1) is often dialed in with a mix around 30–40% and feedback just enough to simulate a metallic slapback. This adds sharpness and unpredictability to her sound, especially during breakdowns and feedback sections. Meanwhile, the RV-6 is set with longer, plate-like reverbs for ballads, enhancing spaciousness while avoiding washiness. Tabuchi’s spatial effects are less about “filling space” and more about “cutting into space”—her delays are not background washes but forward, piercing textures that interact aggressively with the rhythm section.

Even in mixing for studio recordings, engineers tend to respect her “raw” pedalboard-driven sound. Unlike guitarists who rely heavily on post-production EQ and compression, Tabuchi prefers her pedal-driven tone to remain intact, only enhanced with slight EQ carving to fit the band. This authenticity preserves the sense of danger and unpredictability central to NUMBER GIRL’s identity. Her sound sits somewhere between noise rock chaos and precise tone engineering, a paradox that gives her playing its magnetic pull.

In short, Tabuchi’s tone is less about textbook EQ diagrams and more about sculpting presence, attack, and emotional impact. By keeping the amp clean, letting overdrive pedals do the shaping, and using delay/reverb as weapons rather than background effects, she achieves a sound that is at once abrasive and beautiful. Her methods demonstrate that tone is not just about gear—it is about the philosophy of how sound occupies space and emotion in music. This holistic approach, combining EQ, pedal stacking, and live mixing strategies, is what defines the unmistakable NUMBER GIRL guitar sound—at least, that is the most likely explanation based on evidence from her live setups and interviews.

⑥ Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Hisako Tabuchi’s sound is highly distinctive, built around her Fender Jazzmaster, the BOSS BD-2, and the RV-3 short-delay textures. Reproducing her exact rig can be expensive and challenging, especially since some of her gear—such as vintage Jazzmasters or the Klon Centaur—has become rare or overpriced. However, beginners and intermediate players can approximate her tone using more affordable alternatives that capture the essence of her sound philosophy: clean amp foundation, pedal-driven distortion, and sharp, spatially active delay.

For distortion, the BOSS BD-2W is still widely available, though its price has risen. A more budget-friendly option is the JHS Pedals 3 Series Overdrive or the NUX Horseman. The Horseman, in particular, is a Klon-style pedal, ideal for mimicking Tabuchi’s use of the Centaur for boosting solos and adding upper harmonics. These pedals preserve dynamics while adding that midrange push her sound relies on.

For delay and reverb, the classic BOSS RV-3 is now expensive on the used market. More accessible substitutes include the BOSS DD-3T or NUX Atlantic. The DD-3T offers a simple, crisp delay with fast attack, capable of simulating Tabuchi’s sharp slapback-style textures. The Atlantic, on the other hand, combines delay and reverb in one compact pedal, making it a versatile and budget-friendly option for guitarists aiming to explore her spatial soundscapes.

As for modulation, Tabuchi’s use of the BOSS CE-2W chorus can be substituted with the TC Electronic Corona Chorus or Hotone CHOIR. The Corona’s switchable vintage/modern modes make it adaptable, able to recreate the subtle, floating textures she uses in songs like “TATTOO Ari.”

On the guitar side, while an original Fender Jazzmaster may be out of reach, the Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster is an outstanding cost-effective alternative. Its pickups and scale length provide a close approximation of the warmth and clarity Tabuchi achieves with her vintage Jazzmasters, particularly in the neck pickup position.

For amps, her Marshall Mark II and ORANGE OR412 rig is not realistically affordable for most players. Instead, the Marshall DSL20CR provides a similar British clean platform with the flexibility of added gain channels, while the ORANGE Crush 35RT offers the low-end thickness and rounded highs reminiscent of her ORANGE cabinet pairing. Both models are within a price range accessible to enthusiasts and work well for home or studio practice.

Altogether, focusing on distortion, space effects, and a Jazzmaster-style guitar allows players to get surprisingly close to Tabuchi’s core tone for under $600–$800 USD. By prioritizing pedals that emphasize midrange, short-delay effects, and warm Jazzmaster-like guitars, one can experience a faithful approximation of the “NUMBER GIRL wall-of-sound” without breaking the bank.

Category	Gear	Brand	Amazon Link	Band	Guitarist	Notes
Overdrive	Horseman	NUX	Link	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Klon Centaur-inspired booster. Excellent for solo lift and harmonic richness.
Delay	DD-3T	BOSS	Link	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Ideal replacement for RV-3’s short delay applications.
Chorus	Corona Chorus	TC Electronic	Link	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Flexible chorus pedal with vintage and modern modes; great CE-2W substitute.
Guitar	J Mascis Jazzmaster	Squier	Link	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Affordable Jazzmaster model. Pickups and scale closely match vintage Fender Jazzmasters.
Amp	DSL20CR	Marshall	Link	NUMBER GIRL	Hisako Tabuchi	Compact Marshall amp with cleans and gain shaping. Strong tonal similarity to vintage rigs.

⑦ Summary and Conclusion [NUMBER GIRL・Hisako Tabuchi]

Hisako Tabuchi’s guitar sound is unique in its ability to merge raw noise-rock power with delicacy and precision. Her tone is not simply about distortion or volume—it is about crafting an emotional landscape where subtle warmth coexists with piercing edges. The essential elements of her approach are a clean foundation, overdrive pedals layered with intent, and the creative use of short-delay effects to sculpt dimension. These choices form the backbone of NUMBER GIRL’s intense live sound and give the songs their lasting impact.

The most distinctive aspect of her setup is her decision to keep the amp clean while relying on pedals such as the BOSS BD-2 to provide consistent drive. This allows her to play dynamically without losing clarity. By intentionally setting the amp at lower volume, she creates more headroom so that stepping on a booster or overdrive introduces a dramatic lift in volume and presence. The clarity and sudden explosiveness of her solos and feedback sections come directly from this strategy.

Equally important is her use of the BOSS RV-3 in short-delay mode, which adds a razor-like resonance to her sound. This is not delay in the conventional ambient sense—it is delay as a weapon, an element that cuts and destabilizes the sonic field. Combined with her Jazzmaster’s warm neck pickup and pedal-driven distortion, this technique gives her sound an otherworldly presence, constantly on the border between chaos and control.

When we examine her gear list, it becomes clear that her sound is not the product of boutique or luxurious equipment. Instead, it is about trust in reliable, time-tested tools: vintage Fender Jazzmasters, a Marshall head, an ORANGE cab, and staple BOSS pedals. By combining these in a deliberate way, Tabuchi demonstrates that unique tones emerge not from expensive collections but from strategic use of familiar gear. Her board looks orthodox, but the nuance in settings and combinations reveals her artistry.

For guitarists aiming to recreate her sound, the most important lesson is that it is less about copying her exact gear and more about understanding her approach. Keep the amp clean. Use pedals to shape the core tone. Employ delay and reverb aggressively, not passively. Carve space with EQ so that the guitar sits alongside bass and vocals without clashing. These philosophies matter more than owning the exact same Jazzmaster or Klon.

Finally, following her social media and interviews can give deeper insight into her evolving sound. For instance, Hisako Tabuchi’s official Twitter occasionally features comments about gear and setup. These glimpses reveal her ongoing experimentation and reinforce the idea that sound-making is never static—it is an ever-evolving dialogue between musician, instrument, and environment.

For readers struggling with their own tone, Tabuchi’s example highlights that sound creation is not only about selecting pedals or guitars—it is about defining what kind of sonic image you want to project. NUMBER GIRL’s music thrives on contrast: explosive noise and intimate subtlety, precision and chaos. By adopting her mindset and rethinking how gear interacts with intention, you can move closer to crafting your own signature sound while still honoring the essence of her work. That, ultimately, is the true legacy of Hisako Tabuchi’s tone.