Active Band Man Chats - Going to See the Stars Edition

So, what are we talking about this time?

Star!

Huh?

Staaaarrr!

I’m well aware that you are a star, Kizuhiko… but what’s going on?

It’s "Starrrr!", right?

Yes yes, you’re a star. Is that the theme this time?

Bingo!

That’s it? (laughs)

Stars!

I see. I feel like we already did constellations though…

This time the topic is the stars themselves! There’s actually a lot of gear related to stars.

I see.

Then let’s head to the edge of the galaxy—BRB!

Safe travels, take care out there.

...I'm back!

That was fast.

I returned at the speed of light!

Welcome back. It felt like about 5 seconds here… well, they say time moves differently during space travel, so I’ll let it slide.

You may call me Starman now, if you’d like...

Okay, David Bowie.

Or Kizu Stardust, perhaps...

Yes yes, stardust indeed. So, what did you bring back?

As many as the stars in the sky! Let’s start with guitars!

ESP / RANDOM STAR

There it is! The Random Star — synonymous with Akira Takasaki from LOUDNESS. At first I thought it was Takkan’s signature model, but it’s actually an original ESP design, isn’t it? I admire it so much… even though I’m a bassist.

I knew it! I figured this would be right up your alley, Horry. But maybe for anime fans, this one hits harder?

ESP / ESP RANDOM STAR Kasumi

Totally. Nowadays, it’s probably more associated with BanG Dream! When I first saw it, I thought, “I’m so glad they brought that guitar into the spotlight.” Honestly, outside of the Japanese metal crowd, it was a pretty niche model. Great taste though. (laughs)

ESP also has an acoustic “star”!

ESP / Hoshinosuke

Produced by Kōnosuke Sakazaki of THE ALFEE! I didn’t know this even existed. Just judging from the look of it, the build seems solid. With the short scale, it should be easy to play.

Definitely trustworthy quality!

ESP / ANCHANG STAR -KAMIKAZE-

Signature model of ANCHANG from SEX MACHINEGUNS! That Kamikaze paint job definitely reminds me of George Lynch.

No doubt that’s the inspiration — all for the love of it!

Yeah, they basically took the exact paint design from George Lynch’s model. But since it’s all under ESP, it makes sense they could pull it off. Still… they actually named the paint “Kamikaze”? I mean, yeah, that’s accurate… but still. (laughs)

EVH / Limited Edition Star Ebony FB Matte Army Drab

Van Halen! Huh, Eddie used a Random Star too? I never really associated him with that shape. Now that you mention it, that ANCHANG model earlier was also a Random Star. Everyone loves the Random Star.

It’s basically a classic now.

But this one’s from EVH, huh. It says here it’s a brand Eddie co-founded with Fender… so it’s not ESP? I always thought the Random Star was an ESP original model.

I wonder about that too. Either way, it seems like everyone in the hard rock scene loves stars.

I always associated them more with skulls or something, but yeah, maybe there are more out there than I realized. A lot of players use star motifs in subtle ways too.

Drawn in by the gravity of the stars…

Was that Gundam? (laughs)

Here's one from my beloved Squier!

SQUIER / Affinity Starcaster Deluxe Sienna Sunburst

Huh...? Oh, it's called Starcaster, or it’s a play on Stratocaster, I guess. And it’s a semi-hollow body. Personally... and this is just my opinion… that big body paired with a Strat-style headstock feels a bit off to me (laughs). But you like that mismatch, don’t you, Your Highness?

I do (laughs). I really want a semi-hollow guitar. Now, let’s move on to basses!

ESP / STAR BIRD-III Black

Like a Thunderbird, but a Star Bird? Another Machineguns signature model! The bassist SHINGO☆ has a star in his name too. That kind of subtle star motif looks really cool and simple.

Bet it pumps out some powerful sound.

WARWICK / Star Bass 4st Solid Daphne Blue High Polish

A bright poppy color with F-holes? I didn’t know Warwick made something like this. I think they’ve used F-holes on past models too, but this one's body looks a bit big—though being a medium scale makes it seem pretty playable.

Right? Here’s another one with a similar vibe!

GUILD / Starfire Bass II NAT

Guild, huh… That’s been around forever, but to be honest, I’ve never really been familiar with them. Though they do have a strong reputation. Oh hey—there’s a related article with us in it! We featured this in the tarot episode too, apparently. Maybe we’re cosmically linked? (laughs) Gotta try it out someday.

Next up… amps!

Amps? With stars? That’s a thing?

Yep!

BLACKSTAR / DEBUT 50R CREAM OXBLOOD – Analog Combo Amp

Ah, Blackstar. I used to think of them as a newer brand, but at this point, they’ve pretty much earned their place as a mainstay.

Right? Though in Japan, “black star” (kuroboshi) might sound unlucky.

True… if you literally translate it, “black star” means a loss in sumo matches. But hey, Bowie had an album titled Blackstar, so in the rock world, it’s kind of iconic.

So maybe it’s not such a bad meaning after all.

Yeah, maybe not.

When an amp clearly says “analog!” like this, it’s kind of reassuring.

Analog has its own charms. And, it looks like it's got all the essential features, too.

Right? And, they’ve got a bass amp, too!

BLACKSTAR / UNITY250

Oh, nice! It’s just a subtle star reference. At 250W, this could definitely work in live houses.

They’ve even got a practice amp for home use!

BLACKSTAR / FLY 3 Charge Bluetooth

What a well-rounded lineup. This must be their FLY series, right? It was pretty popular, wasn’t it? That was... maybe seven years ago now? Remember that “1000-person ROCK” event in Gunma? We played in that together. I played bass, and you—Prince—were on vocals.

Oh yeah. The event where 1,000 people performed a BOØWY song together.

And the vocalists alone were like... 500 people? You totally stood out though, Prince.

I stand out whether I mean to or not. After all, I am a star.

Yes yes, of course you are. So anyway, for that event, one of the conditions was that guitarists and bassists had to use amps powered by batteries. I was looking for a small battery-powered amp, and the BLACKSTAR FLY series was one of the candidates. I ended up going with a different one, though. But I think there were quite a few people using the FLYs at the time.

Probably. By the way, Tomoaking (guitarist of The Captains) used to use a head-and-cabinet separate type for a while, so that’s the image I had of the brand. But before I knew it, they had all kinds of variations.

BLACKSTAR / amPlug2 FLY BASS Headphone Bass Amp

Oh, even a headphone amp. Gotta respect that kind of effort.

They even have one for acoustic guitars!

BLACKSTAR / Fly Stereo Pack Acoustic

Oh yeah, the FLY series from BLACKSTAR has this "Stereo Pack" setup. It’s a pretty clever idea.

Totally. Alright, next up: let’s head into the nebula of effects pedals!

Old Blood Noise Endeavors / Dark Star V3 (Black)

I wasn’t familiar with this brand... Dark Star? Is it a reverb? The features and specs are impressive. And the design really has that modern boutique pedal vibe that’s very colorful.

Right? I wanna hear what it sounds like!

PIGTRONIX / STAR EATER FUZZ

Pigtronix? It’s not a brand I know too well.

Star Eater... as in… one who eats stars?

I guess? I wonder what they were going for with that name.

Oh! Remember that snack Hoshi Tabeyo! (“Let’s Eat Stars!”)?

(ignores that) It’s kind of nice that even boutique brands like this are available through Sound House.

Totally! I still have more stars coming!

ERNIE BALL / 5631 Premium Guitar Strap Stars and Stripes

A strap, huh? That design is about as American as it gets... A Brit couldn’t get away with wearing that one. (laughs)

MOODY STRAPS / 2.5" 3 STAR LEATHER BACKED STRAP - BK/BK & 3 PLATINUM STARS

Now this one’s a sleek leather type. Even a Brit could pull this off. (laughs)

Yep!

GROVER / GP630G Gold

Strap pins! If you wanna get picky, the sky's the limit...

Right?

PLAYTECH / PTB30YE Tambourine

Ah, I figured this one would show up. (laughs)

You caught me!

Are we running out of material here?

Nay!

Nay. (laughs)

We've covered a galaxy of gear, but next one’s the last!

Last one again? (laughs) What is it?

This here!

Kirby of the Stars (Hoshino Kirby) / Heel Embroidered Sneaker Socks 23-25cm Kirby

Even socks, huh? (laughs) That’s a video game character, right?

Yep, Kirby of the Stars! A character who fights by gaining the abilities of the enemies he eats. He’s kinda like a modern capture-style multi-effect pedal!

I see… I’m not really into video games. But, Sound House’s selection surprises me every time.

So, now you want gear related to stars too, right? And everything is?

For love!