Active Band Man Chats - SUN ＆ MOON Edition

So, what is it this time?

Grrrr...

Hm?

Grrrrr rrrrrrrr...

What's wrong...? Are you groaning? Is your stomach hurting or something?

Grrrr rrrrr...

kizuhiko-san? kizuhiko-san? Are you okay?

San...? Grrr...?

How long are you going to drag this out?

This is it! Sun & Moon!!r />

So what’s the theme this time?

That’s it!

I knew it... This pattern is getting kind of old now (lol)

Then, off to the galaxy in a flash!

You said that last time too (lol). Have a safe trip.

…I'm back!

That was fast.

I came back at faster than the speed of light! Even Einstein would be shocked!

Welcome back. It felt like about 2 seconds over here.

You can call me Lightning Kids if you want...

Yeah, yeah. What was that from again?

Or you could call me Mr. Moonlight...

Yeah, yeah. The Beatles, right? So, what did you find?

I found it! First, the guitar!

SCHECTER / Sun Valley Super Shredder PT FR Metalllic White

Sun Valley? Like, "Valley of the Sun"?

Maybe! Despite the heavy-duty parts, it's reasonably priced! There’s even a Strat shape version!

SCHECTER / Sun Valley Super Shredder FR-S B. GRN

Oh, that neon color gives it a nice retro vibe. It’s got a Sustainiac and is equipped with a Floyd Rose too. Personally, it reminds me of Fernandes. There’s a bit of nostalgia to it. I always had the impression that Floyd Rose is popular with people who use the tremolo arm a lot... but changing strings and tuning is a pain, right? Have you used one?

Yeah! The idea of locking the strings is pretty revolutionary! But yeah, I think there’s that extra step where you have to cut off the ball end when changing strings?

I see. The fact that it's still being used today must mean the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. It’s not necessarily because of the Floyd Rose, but I get the impression that Schecter is used a lot by hard rock or metal guitarists. I don’t see many people around me using them... I don’t mean that in a bad way though. If anything, I think they’re solidly built.

Right? By the way, that classic guitar finish sunburst means something like "scorched by the sun", doesn’t it?

PLAYTECH / JM250 Sunburst Electric Guitar

Playtech is always budget-friendly, no matter when you look. Sunburst is definitely related to the sun, but... if we go by that, we’ll end up with a lot of instruments on this list (chuckle). There’s two-tone, and even three-tone versions.

Right. It’s a classic color, after all. What about the sun in the world of effects pedals...?

Keeley / Keeley Memphis Sun

Keeley’s reverb/echo? I guess it’s inspired by the sound of that era? Just going by the name... Memphis and Sun together definitely reminds me of Sun Studio.

Yeah. Even the logo kind of gives off that vibe.

Yeah, it does. Watching demo videos, it really does have a warm tone. Reverb can work with a colder sound too depending on the band, but this seems pretty nice.

Right? And here’s another one!

STRYMON / SUNSET

A bright red Sunset... is this one finally distortion!?

Correct!

Ohh. So it’s got six types of distortion that are split into two channels with three each. You can even change the signal chain order... It seems like it offers a lot of tonal flexibility.

Those are super detailed SPECs!

It’s packed with features, and it probably sounds great to begin with. As expected from Strymon.

Next up...

MayFly / Sunset (Bass amp simulator)

It’s got the same model name, “Sunset”, but this one’s a bass preamp sim?

The paint job totally looks like a setting sun. It looks like it means business!

Yeah, definitely. The knobs are simple but seem to cover all the essentials. Judging from the demo videos, it seems more like a corrective-type pedal. It might feel a bit lacking for people who want heavy distortion, so maybe it’s best for players who want to preserve the natural bass tone.

EARTHQUAKER DEVICES / Life Pedal V3

Wait... this one...? Does it even seem sun-related at all?

Look closely! That’s the SUNN O))) logo!

You're right!

Safe!

"Safe," huh? (lol) This one’s a pretty heavy distortion. It also seems like the key is in how you use the center octave section… In the demo, they connect an external EXP pedal and control the blend with their foot. That looks like a cool way to use it too.

I also love that it has the kanji “初心” (beginner’s mind) painted on it. Here’s one more effects pedal!

LEHLE / Sunday Driver II

I’ve used a looper from Lehle before… I didn’t know that they had something this niche. It might be interesting to try it out as a DI.

It’s a bit rare, yeah. I want to step on that unique switch of theirs someday. Now, next up…

GET'M GET'M STRAPS / Chrome Sun

Whoa! So flashy! It feels more like an iridescent beetle shell than a sun, right? I couldn’t pull this off… I’d get upstaged by the strap (chuckle). But you, Prince, you could totally rock it.

LEVY'S / MPJG-SUN-BLK
It looks like a sun straight out of a tarot card!

(while reading reviews) Ohh. So John McLaughlin uses this, right? I used to love Mahavishnu Orchestra’s album Birds of Fire. That mystical vibe definitely fits.

Oh, I found a bass!

KILLER GUITARS / KB-DUBIOUS Black Sun

This already showed up in our “Tarot Card: Bass Edition” column, didn’t it? Under “The Sun” card. Yep. It still gives off strong Jap-metal vibes, even now. That paint job.

Alright, next!

DR / NMR-45 SUNBEAM Nickel Plated Medium 45-105

Bass strings?

“Sunbeam” — like sunlight!? Maybe they have a bright sound?

I see. Maybe it’s part of a series. I don’t think I’ve ever used DR strings... it might be worth trying them out.

Staring at the sun too long has made my eyes a bit tired, so let’s switch to some moon-gazing!

You really just do whatever you want, don’t you? (lol)

I am the Prince, after all.

Meris / POLYMOON

The moon~ has risen, risen.

The moon has risen~ ♫

So this is... a delay pedal. I’m not really familiar with delays, honestly…

That makes sense, especially for bassists.

And the brand is Meris. I’m afraid I’m not familiar with them either… There really are so many boutique brands nowadays. But it’s great that even those are carried by Sound House. I really appreciate that. So we’re starting from a pedal this time? That means... you didn’t find a guitar, did you?

Ack! You got me! But when it comes to moon-themed guitars, the one that immediately comes to mind is the KAWAI Moonsault!

Ah, that’s the one the protagonist plays in Harold Sakuishi-sensei’s new manga series.

That’s it! That’s such a distinctive choice! Thank you so much for featuring such a niche guitar! I’m thrilled—applause!

Yeah, right? I actually did a double take at the comic cover. That guitar looks pretty hard to play. Sitting down and playing it is basically impossible, right? If the moon’s orientation were flipped, maybe it’d be playable... but nope, it’s probably still really tough (lol).

Exactly! I hope Tesco shows up someday too.

Hmm, I’m not so sure about that... I can’t say it’s impossible, though.

The reissue of the Tesco Spectrum 5 came from KAWAI Instruments, so why not!

Is that a good thing?

Yep, you just gave the okay!

Did I...?

Alright, let’s move on to moon gear!

MR.BLACK / Super Moon

A reverb that creates a feeling of weightlessness... I see. That Meris delay earlier was also a spatial effect, so the moon probably brings that kind of vibe to mind.

All floaty and dreamy! And there’s more!

MR.BLACK / BloodMoon

Wait, another moon-themed reverb from the same maker?

Yeah, it’s a customized version of the REVERB control from their popular SuperMoon

Ah, it’s an improved model. Looks like this brand focuses mostly on spatial effects, but no distortion pedals. They really have their niche.

Next up~

PIGTRONIX / MOON POOL Phaser

Pigtronix!

Moonlit pool — sounds kinda romantic.

The name’s romantic, but it can be used as a tremolo, a phaser, or both combined. It sounds pretty versatile and convenient.

ELECTRO-HARMONIX / Andy Summers Walking On The Moon

What’s this? A flanger?

This looks like it’s a model inspired by Andy Summers from The Police. Like walking on the moon?

I see. So, it can recreate that sound from back in the day. That’s pretty cool.

Here’s a budget-friendly moon pedal!

TC ELECTRONIC / Blood Moon Phaser

Oh, that’s definitely affordable. Or rather, it’s way too cheap. This series is from TC Electronic? They really price them reasonably. And, the quality inside is solid. It’s definitely recommendable for beginners.

The last of the moon-themed pedals!

FENDER / FULL MOON DISTORTION

Finally, some distortion showing up here.

This series has pretty high functionality, but it’s still reasonably priced!

LUNA GUITARS / Uke Kauwela Summer Concert w/Gigbag

Ukulele is totally outside my zone, but… since it’s Luna, it has to be moon-themed.

Yeah! Can’t deny that! The sound of a ukulele on a Hawaiian night… not bad at all! Now, here’s something unexpected!

HIP SHOT / Guitar Tuner Button HALF MOON D02 Chrome

Hip Shot? That’s the maker of those one-touch tuning devices, right?

Yup! Half Moon — like a crescent moon!

The peg handle part does kind of look like that... hmm…

Nice one! horry, give him a zabuton for that.

So embarrassing (lol)

I still have some small gear.

DR / UFSC MOONBEAM Soprano & Concert Ukulele

Uh, ukulele strings?

They probably sound as gentle as moonlight.

We saw DR Strings before for bass, right? That was the “SUNBEAM” series. Are you running out of material soon?

Nope!

Nope (lol)

This is the last one!

So, you’re finally out of ideas (lol). What is it?

This!

PLAYTECH / PTB20YE Tambourine

Another tambourine! Last time it was star-shaped, but this time it’s crescent

That’s all for the gear related to the sun and moon! So, in the end, everything is

For love!