[Katsuya] How to Recreate the UVERworld Sound + Guitar Gear and Tone Settings [Effects & Amps]

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Introduction (Overview of Tone)

Katsuya, the guitarist of UVERworld, plays a pivotal role in supporting the band’s rich and vibrant sound. His playing style is characterized by meticulously crafted riffs and a diverse range of tonal variations that adapt to the songs.

In iconic tracks like “Hakanakumo Eien no Kanashi” and “CORE PRIDE,” Katsuya alternates between thick chord strumming and sharp cutting, creating an ensemble that complements vocalist TAKUYA∞’s voice. By skillfully managing everything from clear sounds that aren’t overly distorted to modern, high-gain tones, he adds a unique dimensionality to UVERworld’s music.

Moreover, Katsuya transcends the traditional boundaries of rock guitarists by utilizing boutique amps and high-end guitars, such as PRS, to pursue the optimal tone for each song. His seamless transitions between clean and crunchy tones during live performances, particularly with spatial soundscapes created through delay and modulation, leave a lasting impression.

The reason Katsuya’s sound garners attention lies not merely in the luxury of his gear but in his unwavering approach of prioritizing the enhancement of the song. As a result, the guitar beautifully complements UVERworld’s grand and dramatic worldview.

In the following sections, we will delve into the amplifiers, guitars, and effects that Katsuya actually uses, exploring how he achieves his distinctive sound.

▶ Search official YouTube videos of UVERworld

List of Amplifiers and Features

When discussing Katsuya’s sound design, the choice of amplifiers is indispensable. He prefers boutique amps known for their resolution, dimensionality, and responsiveness, rather than just loudness. This preference supports the scale of UVERworld’s unique sound.

The foundation of his live sound is the “THE VALVE 3/100,” a model from an Italian boutique brand that is extremely rare in Japan. This tube amp combines the warmth typical of tube amplifiers with a modern wide range. It highlights the natural character of the guitar while emphasizing Katsuya’s tight picking style.

Additionally, he uses modern high-gain amps like the “Diezel Herbert MKⅡ” and “Diezel VH4.” The VH4, in particular, is a four-channel amp that can handle a wide range from clean to heavy high-gain, making it invaluable for UVERworld’s diverse setlists. It is essential for supporting heavy, sharp riffs.

For clean and crunch tones, Katsuya has been seen using the “Two-Rock Studio Pro 35” and “Two-Rock K&M Jade.” Two-Rock is a brand favored by artists like John Mayer, known for its rich harmonics and exceptional clarity. The performance of Katsuya’s clean parts, which do not get buried under the band’s synths or vocals, can largely be attributed to the capabilities of these amps.

As a result, Katsuya effectively combines boutique and high-gain amps to achieve both “clean tones that support the vocals” and “aggressive leads/riffs.” Depending on the song, he often switches amp channels or uses multiple amps simultaneously, suggesting a meticulous sound design process.

In this way, Katsuya uses amplifiers as a “canvas for tone,” crafting the band’s grand soundscape. Future live settings and changes in new songs will continue to be points of interest.

Types of Guitars Used and Features

Katsuya of UVERworld is uncompromising in his choice of guitars, pursuing tones that fit the band’s sound. In live performances and recordings, he primarily uses Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars, along with high-end models and custom designs from both domestic and international brands, creating different expressions for each song.

Notable among these is the “PRS Custom 24 / Custom 22.” PRS is known for combining the thickness of Gibson with the sharpness of Fender, making it a versatile model that can handle everything from clean to high-gain tones. Katsuya has long favored this guitar as his main instrument, which supports the foundation of his live performances. Its pickups feature unique designs that can produce transparent cleans and thick distortions.

Another model is the “PRS McCarty Soapbar,” equipped with P-90 type pickups, which emphasize a strong midrange sound. This guitar is valuable as a rhythm guitar, adding thickness to the band’s sound and shaping the tight riffs characteristic of UVERworld.

For acoustic parts during live performances, he uses the “PRS NAMM Custom Acoustic (Tonare Grand),” which, with its beautiful wood and high-precision construction, adds depth and dimension to the songs rather than just serving as a simple acoustic accompaniment. The presence of such acoustic guitars is essential to UVERworld’s dramatic soundscape.

Additionally, Katsuya incorporates high-gain models like the “Dean Hard Tail” and “David Thomas McNaught Vintage Double Cut” for louder tracks, delivering powerful sounds. The “dragonfly B6” features an ultra-long scale, maintaining stable tension even when down-tuned. This model is often chosen for songs that drop to B.

For clean tones, the “Godin A6” and “Gretsch White Falcon” are also significant. The Godin A6 is a thin-bodied electro-acoustic guitar that offers electric-like playability, making it convenient for quick changes. On the other hand, the Gretsch White Falcon, with its dazzling appearance and rich clean tone, adds a unique color to the songs.

Overall, Katsuya has established a style of using versatile PRS guitars at the core while selectively employing high-end guitars for each song. This results in a consistently high level of sound reproduction in both live and recording settings.

In this way, Katsuya consistently produces tones optimized for each song by utilizing high-end guitars according to the situation. His dedication is strongly reflected in live footage and interviews.

Effects and Pedalboard Setup

One of the key elements defining Katsuya’s sound is his simple yet meticulously constructed effects board. Unlike many professional guitarists who build complex systems, he carefully selects a minimal set of effects to create a wide variety of sounds.

The core of his distortion is the “FREE THE TONE Red Jasper RJ1V.” This pedal features a low-gain, vintage-style natural drive that enhances the amp’s inherent character while adding punch to the midrange. The reason Katsuya’s guitar does not overshadow the vocals while still maintaining presence is largely due to the characteristics of this pedal.

For boosting, he uses the “Suhr Booster.” This pedal not only increases volume but also adds drive without compromising tone, making it ideal for emphasizing solo parts and riff clarity. During clean sections, he incorporates the “Empress Effects Compressor,” which helps even out attack and enhances the definition of chord strumming and arpeggios.

In terms of spatial effects, he employs multifunctional delays like the “Eventide TimeFactor” and “BOSS DD-20 Giga Delay.” The TimeFactor is appealing for its vast number of presets and precise tempo synchronization, contributing to the grand spatial effects essential to UVERworld’s music. The BOSS DD-20 is used as a supplementary tool for clean short delays, emphasizing the guitar’s outline.

For modulation effects, the “Eventide ModFactor” and “BOSS HF-2 Hi Band Flanger” play significant roles. The HF-2, in particular, is a high-frequency flanger that creates a brilliant tone that does not get buried in the thick band ensemble. In UVERworld’s grand soundscape, this modulation is crucial.

Additionally, the “DigiTech Whammy” is also part of his setup, serving as a pitch shifter that can accommodate chords. During live performances, Katsuya often adds bold pitch shifts and tonal changes, allowing the guitar to take on a synthesizer-like role. This enables UVERworld’s music to achieve a more futuristic and dramatic expression.

Thus, Katsuya’s effects board embodies the characteristic of being “simple yet diverse.” By centering on distortion and spatial effects while adding boosts or pitch shifts only when necessary, he achieves complex sound design with a minimal number of pedals.

Tone Settings, EQ, and Mixing Approaches

Katsuya’s sound design is not simply about “distorting or cleaning” but is supported by delicate settings and EQ processing tailored to each song. Whether in live or recording contexts, his guitar never overshadows the vocals while maintaining its presence. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons behind this.

Starting with amp settings, for the Diezel Herbert and VH4, the EQ for the clean channel is often set with a low bass (4-5), slightly elevated mids (6-7), and treble around 5-6. This allows the band’s low frequencies to be handled by the bass and drums while ensuring the guitar’s presence in the midrange. For the high-gain channel, the gain is kept moderate (around 5-6), with compression or boost used to enhance the attack.

For Two-Rock amps, the settings typically leverage their rich harmonics and wide range, often dialing back the highs (4-5) while boosting the mids. This provides a clear outline that does not get buried even in clean tones. Particularly in UVERworld’s songs, which frequently utilize “clean + delay + modulation,” this EQ is essential.

In terms of effects, Katsuya likely keeps the Red Jasper RJ1V engaged most of the time. This overdrive is ideal for providing light compression to the amp’s clean tone, adding thickness. When necessary, he pushes it further with the Suhr Booster for solos and riffs.

For delay settings, when using the Eventide TimeFactor for leads or arpeggios, he often sets the delay time between 400-600ms, keeping the mix around 20-25%. Conversely, the BOSS DD-20 is set for short delays (approximately 80-120ms), used almost like reverb to create space. This dual structure further emphasizes the dimensionality of the music.

In modulation, Katsuya carefully sets the HF-2 Hi Band Flanger to avoid overdoing it, ensuring it only colors the brilliant high frequencies without burying the overall sound. The ModFactor is switched between chorus-like expansion and phaser-like movement for each song, contributing to a cohesive sound with the synthesizers.

From a mixing perspective, it is likely that the engineer boosts the midrange (2-4kHz) slightly while cutting the low end when processing Katsuya’s guitar. This adjustment allows the guitar to function as a “supporting sound” behind TAKUYA∞’s vocals in UVERworld. If the low frequencies overlap, the sound becomes muddy, so the guitar emphasizes a slightly high-mid presence.

Looking at specific songs, “Hakanakumo Eien no Kanashi” features clean tones with delay for transparency, “CORE PRIDE” showcases powerful riffs with high gain, and “Hitotsubu no Eikyou” incorporates acoustic guitar for a spacious ensemble. All of these are achieved through the combination of gear, EQ, and effects.

Overall, Katsuya’s sound design is fundamentally about “always supporting the song,” adjusting the necessary spatiality, thickness, and drive for each track. Rather than aiming for flashiness in the guitar alone, his sound design focuses on the overall balance of the band.

Affordable Alternatives to Recreate the Tone

Katsuya’s gear, including PRS, Two-Rock, and Diezel, often falls into a high-end price range that can be challenging for beginners and amateurs. However, it is possible to get close to the tonal direction and character using relatively affordable gear available on the market. Here, we introduce “Katsuya-style sound recreation items” that can be obtained for around $100-$500.

For overdrive, a classic choice that captures the character similar to Katsuya’s main distortion, the “BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver” is a staple. Its ability to enhance cleans while providing light compression aligns closely with Katsuya’s sound design, and further modifications (like Keeley Mods) can yield a more natural low-gain sound.

For clean + boost, the “BOSS GE-7 Equalizer” serves effectively as a substitute for the Suhr Booster. While it is primarily an equalizer, raising the level can turn it into a booster, allowing specific frequencies to be highlighted to bring the guitar forward. Boosting the midrange (800Hz-1.6kHz) can help achieve Katsuya’s characteristic tone.

In terms of spatial effects, the “BOSS DD-8 Digital Delay” is versatile. This multifunctional delay can handle a wide range of delay times from around 400ms for long delays to about 100ms for short delays, making it a suitable alternative to the TimeFactor or DD-20. Additionally, using the Mod Delay mode can create a modulated sense of expansion.

For modulation effects, the “BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus” and “BOSS BF-3 Flanger” are practical choices. The BF-3, in particular, can be set to focus on high frequencies, allowing for the recreation of Katsuya’s HF-2-like brilliant flanger sound. These options are also budget-friendly and ideal for live or studio practice.

Regarding amplifiers, while Two-Rock and Diezel are costly, alternatives like the “Roland JC-40” (Jazz Chorus series) and “BOSS KATANA” series are viable options. The JC-40 excels in clean resolution and dimensionality, and when combined with delay and chorus, it can replicate Katsuya’s spatial sound. The KATANA series offers diverse amp modeling and built-in effects, allowing beginners to easily switch between “clean to high-gain,” making it perfect for recreating UVERworld’s music.

For guitars, the “PRS SE Custom 24” series serves as an accessible alternative to the PRS Custom 24. Priced around $500, it closely follows the tonal tendencies of the higher-end models. Its rich midrange and versatile character align well with Katsuya’s playing style.

In this way, even with affordable gear, understanding the essence of Katsuya’s sound—such as “midrange-focused EQ,” “spatial delay combinations,” and “clean-enhanced low-gain drive”—can lead to achieving a similar tone. The key is not simply to gather high-end gear but to replicate the thought processes and combinations he employs.

Summary and Conclusion

Looking at Katsuya’s sound design comprehensively, its essence lies in “sound design that prioritizes enhancing the song.” Rather than simply emphasizing distortion, he optimizes the guitar’s role to support the dimensionality and scale of the entire band’s sound.

Regarding guitars, Katsuya primarily uses the PRS Custom 24/22 while also diversifying with various high-end models to provide tones tailored to each song’s individuality. The incorporation of acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars adds depth and expression to the music, reflecting his approach of “finding the optimal solution for each song.”

In terms of amplifiers, he employs boutique models like Two-Rock and Diezel, known for their resolution and power, balancing clean transparency with riff intensity. The EQ is designed to suppress low frequencies while emphasizing midrange, ensuring that the guitar maintains its presence within UVERworld’s unique heavy sound. This philosophy is consistent not only in live settings but also in recordings.

His effects setup is simple yet sufficient. By centering around the Red Jasper RJ1V and combining it with a compressor, booster, and delay, he constructs a “sound without waste.” The use of spatial effects is also exquisite, ensuring that the guitar does not dominate but rather plays a role in creating space within the band.

Moreover, the fact that Katsuya’s sound can be recreated with relatively affordable gear indicates that his sound design does not rely on the luxury of equipment. Instead, the core elements are the “use of EQ,” “enhancing cleans,” and “balancing spatial effects.”

In summary, when attempting to emulate Katsuya’s sound, it is crucial to maintain an awareness of the entire song and accurately add the necessary sounds. UVERworld’s grand and dramatic worldview is not established by the flashiness of the guitar alone but through meticulous design. It is this “philosophy of enhancing the ensemble” that is the most important perspective for recreating Katsuya’s sound.