Captivated by Hisako Tabuchi’s Guitar - Part2

Hisako Tabuchi is a guitarist who is a member of the alternative Japanese rock legends Number Girl and the bloodthirsty butchers, and is currently active in a variety of bands. I started playing guitar because I admired her style and sound.
Of course, my aim is to play the kind of sound she makes. It's not easy to get there. I decided to start by studying her effect pedals. In my previous blog, I shared some of the things I've been learning!

⇒ Related blog: Captivated by Hisako Tabuchi’s Guitar

So, continuing on from the previous article, let's take a look at the effect pedals she uses to create a wide sound.
The reference material I will be using is the effect pedal board that she actually uses on stage with PEDRO, toddle, and Number Girl, which she has published on her social media. Let's set off on a journey to explore the sound of Hisako Tabuchi!

BOSS / RV-6 Reverb

First, let's introduce a reverb pedal. This is often found on the effect pedal boards used by Number Girl and Pedro. It's a reliable BOSS pedal, a classic pedal, so it may be the right pedal to use to support that thunderous sound. With just this one pedal, you can create the sound you want to a certain extent, so it's also perfect for beginners to learn what a reverb pedal is.
You can enjoy the majestic reverb sound in the guitar solo of the famous song U-Rei.

■ U-Rei

TC ELECTRONIC / Hall of Fame 2 Reverb

Let's introduce another reverb pedal! This reverb also appears relatively frequently. It seems to be used a lot on the effect pedal board of toddle. Since the band has a lot of gentle-sounding songs, it may be that the RV-6 is used to create a different sound character. TC ELECTRONIC is a brand that is particularly well-regarded for its spatial and digital effects, and I imagine that Hisako-san also approves of its quality.
With features like the MASH function, which controls parameters according to the degree of footswitch depression, and the TonePrint function, which allows you to download sound settings from professional guitarists, it's a high-functionality reverb pedal that's one step ahead of the rest.
Please experience the soulful guitar solos with reverb from toddle!

■ toddle "Disillusion" live (2024.7.1 Shimokitazawa SHELTER)

Earthquaker Devices / Dispatch Master

Next, I'll introduce the delay pedal. Earthquaker Devices releases unique, high-quality pedals that are popular with guitarists and bassists. Hisako-san mainly uses pedals from this brand with her toddle. The Dispatch Master pedal is a delay pedal that also has a reverb function. You can easily create spatial sounds with this one pedal. The sound quality is also perfect. Among the unique lineup of Earthquaker Devices products, this is one of the brand's representative products, being relatively simple and easy to use.
Please enjoy the EQD session, where the Dispatch Master is also used to perfection!

■ Toddle EarthQuaker Sessions- "Illuminate" & "Vacantly"

BOSS / CE-2W

This is a chorus pedal. It was used on the Number Girl effecter board. Incidentally, Hisako also has a CE-2, which she used as a former model, and basically used that during the Number Girl days before the reunion. However, it seems that she uses the CE-2W more often these days.
In addition to the standard mode, which reproduces the sound of the CE-2, this unit also has a total of three modes: the CE-1 Chorus, which reproduces the legendary CE-1 chorus vibrato, and the CE-1 Vibrato mode. The fact that it has two knobs means you can intuitively tweak the sound, which is also a big plus. From the reassuring sound of a classic chorus to the slightly quirky vibrato sound, you can enjoy a high-quality chorus pedal that you can rely on.
Please enjoy this song that lets you enjoy Hisako's chorus sound!

■ NUMBER GIRL - with TATTOO @ “THE MATSURI SESSION”

Electro-Harmonix / MICRO POG

This is a little bit of an extra, but it's one of the classic effect pedal brands, Electro-Harmonix, or Electro-Harmonix, commonly known as ELE-HARMO, and it's one of the famous POG series pedals. As a polyphonic octave generator, this effect pedal allows you to layer the original sound with an octave higher or lower. It can be used for a variety of purposes, depending on your ideas, such as for organ sounds or 12-string guitar sounds! I confirmed that this effect pedal is installed on PEDRO's effect pedal board. It seems to be used as a special effect. Please check out the actual sound in the video!

■ Electro-Harmonix Micro POG Polyphonic Octave Generator (EHX Pedal Demo by Dave Weiner)

I have explored the world of Hisako Tabuchi's effects pedals, focusing on the reverb-related effects. I hope this will be of help to you in your search for new effect pedals!