Guitar tone · rock, metal
X JAPAN guitar tone: gear & amp settings
The gear and amp settings behind 3 X JAPAN songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: ESP Eclipse Custom (hide signature, likely with sustainiac system, as used by hide in early-mid 1990s X JAPAN studio recordings) into Marshall JCM900 (common for X JAPAN studio in 1990s, no direct source for 'Tears' but consistent with era and genre).
Guitars X JAPAN used
- ESP Eclipse Custom (hide signature, likely with sustainiac system, as used by hide in early-mid 1990s X JAPAN studio recordings)1 song
- Fernandes MG-120X (HIDE signature model, 1980s spec)1 song
- ESP LTD EC-10001 song
- Fernandes MG-120X (hide signature model, likely used in studio for solo)1 song
Amps X JAPAN used
- Marshall JCM900 (common for X JAPAN studio in 1990s, no direct source for 'Tears' but consistent with era and genre)1 song
- Marshall JCM800 2203 (1980s studio recording typical for X JAPAN)1 song
- Marshall JCM800 22031 song
- Marshall JCM800 (studio recording, late 80s/early 90s era, confirmed by multiple sources and genre conventions)1 song
4 X JAPAN tones
| Song | Gain |
|---|---|
| Endless Rain · riff | 7 |
| Endless Rain · solo | 7.5 |
| Endless Rain (2007 Remaster) · riff | 7 |
| Tears · solo | 7 |
Get X JAPAN's tone on your gear
Pick any X JAPAN song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.
Frequently asked questions
What amp did X JAPAN use?
Across 3 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Marshall JCM900 (common for X JAPAN studio in 1990s, no direct source for 'Tears' but consistent with era and genre) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 (1980s studio recording typical for X JAPAN) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 (1 song), Marshall JCM800 (studio recording, late 80s/early 90s era, confirmed by multiple sources and genre conventions) (1 song).
What guitar did X JAPAN use?
Most often: ESP Eclipse Custom (hide signature, likely with sustainiac system, as used by hide in early-mid 1990s X JAPAN studio recordings) (1 song), Fernandes MG-120X (HIDE signature model, 1980s spec) (1 song), ESP LTD EC-1000 (1 song), Fernandes MG-120X (hide signature model, likely used in studio for solo) (1 song).
How do I get X JAPAN's tone on my amp?
Open any X JAPAN song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.