Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto; December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as Hide, was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan from 1987 to 1997 and rose to prominence in Asia as a solo artist from 1993 to 1998, until his death. He also formed the United States–based rock supergroup Zilch in 1996. Hide sold millions of records, both solo and as a member of X Japan. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. When they disbanded in 1997, he focused on his solo career which started four years prior and went on to enjoy significant popularity. At the height of his fame, while recording his third studio album and about to launch an international career with the newly formed Zilch, he died in 1998 of what was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was seen as an icon for Japanese youth rebelling against their country's conformist society, and his death was labeled "the end of an era".
Bands
- X Japan - former member
Credited On
- X Japan - Blue Blood Tour Bakuhatsu Sunzen GIG - X Japan, released September 5, 2001 (
KSB5-5734). Guitar.
Biography
Translated from the ja.wikipedia article Hide (CC BY-SA 4.0), revision 110390669.
Early Life to Junior High School Years
HIDE was born on December 13, 1964 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. In April 1968, he entered Seika Kindergarten, where he received English-language education for three years. In April 1971, he entered Yokosuka Municipal Tado Elementary School. Due to an inferiority complex stemming from his obesity, he was a shy and quiet child during his boyhood. At his elementary school, overweight pupils, including HIDE, were made to run around the schoolyard during recess as a form of disciplinarian corporal punishment.
Several years later, he became interested in rock after listening to a KISS record borrowed from a friend. He was busy attending cram school and extracurricular lessons, including abacus calculation, kendo, and karate. He practiced kendo throughout his six years of elementary school. At the instruction of his grandfather, who said, “Produce a doctor from the Matsumoto family,” he wrote in his graduation yearbook that he wanted to become a doctor and help patients who had been abandoned. In his fourth year of elementary school, he also took part in a group homestay program in the United States. Toshiaki Megumi of Honjamaka also participated in it. He was a childhood friend of Akihiro Yokoyama of UNITED, and they remained in contact after both became professionals.
While attending Yokosuka Municipal Tokiwa Junior High School, he became interested in rock through a friend. His grandmother bought him a Gibson electric guitar, and although he formed a band, it did not engage in any activities.
The first guitar HIDE owned was a nearly new Gibson Les Paul, a natural-finish Les Paul Deluxe model. He had asked his grandmother for one despite believing it was impossible, but she was able to enter the Yokosuka base of the U.S. military and bought it at a flea market. At the time, it was an even more expensive item than it is today and an object of admiration among rock fans, resulting in people from neighboring schools and even “friends of friends” coming to his home to see the guitar. Although it was fitted with P-90-sized mini-humbuckers, HIDE modified it himself, including using a carving knife to enlarge the pickup cavities so that standard-sized humbuckers could be installed, and used it extensively. However, according to PATA, he may have sold it “when he had no money,” and the whereabouts of HIDE’s first guitar are unknown.
He was also subjected to harassment by his art teacher, who would always call him “Hey, you fat one.” Although he was poor at physical education, his grades in subjects other than physical education ranked near the top of his class. Before examinations, he would secretly study intensely. As he was too absorbed in the guitar to study for high school entrance examinations, he went on to Zushi Kaisei High School, where he could enter by recommendation.
From Entering High School to the Saver Tiger Era
Because electric guitars were prohibited at his high school, hide was unable to form a band. He began frequenting Dobuita Street (どぶ板通り) in Yokosuka, which at the time was a gathering place for delinquent youths. Dobuita Street was a place where anything went, including alcohol, drugs, and fighting. With friends he met there, he formed Saver Tiger, the only band in which he was active before joining X. He spent his lunch money on buying records and entertainment on Dobuita Street, lost weight as a result, and then began restricting his diet, rapidly developing the rock-star physique he considered ideal. He was wild on stage in his outlandish clothes, but despite his dangerous performances, he was said to be considerate and kind once he stepped offstage.
The Zushi Kaisei High School (逗子開成高校) that he entered was located in Zushi, adjacent to hide's hometown of Yokosuka. It was Kanagawa Prefecture's oldest boys' school, founded as a branch school of the highly elite Kaisei school, and was one of the schools involved in the popular Taisho-era Japanese song “Mashiroki Fuji no Ne” (“The Elegy of Shichirigahama”). It was widely known throughout Japan. However, hide did not know until the day of the recommendation entrance examination that Zushi Kaisei High School prohibited electric guitars; he did not even know that it was a boys' school.
After graduating from high school, he entered Hollywood Beauty College (ハリウッドビューティ専門学校) and graduated in March 1984. His graduation project, a highly performative work using kimono and mannequins, received an Excellence Award. In April 1984, he entered the school's advanced course and graduated the following March, in 1985. He obtained a cosmetology license and actually worked at his grandmother's beauty salon. As hide was very close to his grandmother, who operated a beauty salon, she had no small influence on him. At the beginning of X's career, he borrowed his grandmother's sari and used it as stage clothing. Because she dressed fashionably and made herself look young, she became a foundation for his later fashion. His grandmother died the year after hide's death. When Saver Tiger disbanded, he resolved to give up all musical activities and live as a hairdresser.
During the Saver Tiger era, hide telephoned TETSU, the drummer of Dead Wire, a band led by TAIJI, whom he would later join in X, in order to invite him to join. TETSU was away, and his mother answered the telephone, so hide asked her to pass on a message. However, because he gave his real name, TETSU received only the message, “A Mr. Matsumoto asked whether you would like to play in a band together,” and ignored it. Nevertheless, a rumor that TETSU would join Saver Tiger spread through Dead Wire, and TETSU and TAIJI had a major quarrel. As a result, TETSU, who could no longer back out, joined Saver Tiger, but this temporarily made relations between hide and TAIJI awkward. When hide next attempted to add kyo to Saver Tiger, kyo appeared at their meeting place dressed as though he were going to perform live. According to hide, people avoided him “as if before Moses' Ten Commandments,” and hide said that he thought of pretending not to know him and running away. In response, kyo said, “You were no one to talk.”
Around this time, hide worked at a sign factory operated by the heavy metal rocker JAGUAR. When asked, “Is it true that Mr. hide worked at the beauty salon operated by Mr. JAGUAR?”, JAGUAR himself replied, “hide was at our sign factory.” In October 1986, TV Tokyo broadcast JAGUAR's documentary program Seishun ING: Hana no Shacho wa Hebi Meta Rocker. The program showed hide working in blue coveralls at Art Bijutsu, JAGUAR's sign factory in Onigoe, Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. Even after joining X, hide called JAGUAR “President.” A regular customer at the beauty salon where hide worked, which was operated by JAGUAR, was the daughter of a yakuza member. When the customer disappeared, “Matsumoto Hideto, Saver Tiger” was written in the final entry of her diary, and hide was suspected of having a connection to the case and forced into a car. He was taken to the Aokigahara Forest and pressured to confess, but continued to insist that he did not know anything and was released.
Saver Tiger disbanded after REM failed to appear at a live performance for personal reasons, while a roadie played guitar behind the scenes to cover for him. TETSU, who questioned the incident, announced his withdrawal. Upon hearing this, hide, kyo, and TOKI also decided to disband, saying that there could be no members other than the current ones.
Even after the disbandment, hide, kyo, and TETSU referred to themselves as “formerly of Saver Tiger,” despite each having their own band.
Telling YOSHIKI of His Decision to Leave the Band Life
When hide decided to disband Saber Tiger and quit being a musician, he telephoned musicians with whom he was acquainted to tell them. hide's achievements had been well known since his Saber Tiger days, and some invited him to join their bands, but he declined them all. Finally, he called YOSHIKI and told him that he was quitting. He said, “I have a hairdresser’s license, right? I’ve decided to return to Yokosuka, where my family home is, and become a hairdresser. I’m throwing away the guitar for good.”
YOSHIKI then invited him, saying, “Would you like to give it another try with X?” Although he had turned down invitations from every other band, hide deferred his answer to YOSHIKI’s offer, replying, “Let me think about it.”
Later, after hearing from YOSHIKI that X had a rehearsal, hide watched the band’s performance intently at a studio in Ikebukuro. After the rehearsal, at an izakaya in Ikebukuro, hide told YOSHIKI that he would join X. YOSHIKI and the other members of X erupted with emotion, uttering cries of excitement, and, overcome with joy, performed the “fan” formation of group gymnastics.
X and Solo Activities
His first job after joining X was a live performance at Yashiro Shokudo, held as part of a segment for Tensai! Takeshi no Genki ga Deru Terebi!!. In April 1989, he made his major-label debut as X's guitarist on the album BLUE BLOOD. In addition to guitar, he was responsible for the band's overall visual presentation, including styling the members' hair. Although YOSHIKI mainly wrote X's lyrics and music, hide also wrote lyrics and composed songs including the seventh single, "Joker".
When he joined X, he had no experience playing the fast-tempo, intense songs in which the band specialized, and was initially unable to play them at all, so he practiced desperately. During the recording of Vanishing Vision, he developed tendinitis and, unable to endure the pain in his arm, had PATA play some parts that he had originally been supposed to perform. At the time, he entered the studio around noon every day and returned home at dawn, and his excessive practice appears to have taken its toll. According to PATA, "I think the other members probably did not know that he had tendinitis."
While continuing his activities with X, he participated in the omnibus album DANCE 2 NOISE 004 under the name MxAxSxS with J and INORAN of LUNA SEA on January 21, 1993. He made his solo debut on August 5 of the same year with the simultaneous release of the two singles "EYES LOVE YOU" and "50%&50%". Both songs had lyrics written by Yukinojo Mori. Having been impressed by Mori's lyrics for BOWWOW in the early 1980s and Tomoyasu Hotei's GUITARHYTHM II (1991), hide had decided to ask Mori to write lyrics for his solo debut. hide regarded Mori as his mentor and developed a close relationship with him; thereafter, he wrote the lyrics to his own works. On September 29, he released the video work Seth et Holth with TUSK of ZI:KILL.
In February 1994, he released his first solo album, HIDE YOUR FACE. The mask object on its cover was designed by H. R. Giger, known for films such as Alien. From March to April of that year, he held his first solo tour.
In 1996, motivated by a desire to make the music and existence of the Shimokitazawa-based indie band ZEPPET STORE known to the public, he established the LEMONed (レモネード) label. The label was publicly launched through the release of an omnibus album and video of the same title on May 22. He also began producing a solo album in June and released his second album, PSYENCE, on September 2.
He devoted considerable effort to discovering indie bands. At Extasy Records, he was responsible for band research and discovered LUNA SEA, GLAY, ZI:KILL, and DEEP; through his own LEMONed label, he also discovered bands including ZEPPET STORE, VINYL, and trees of life.
In September 1997, X JAPAN announced its dissolution following TOSHI's departure, and X disbanded after THE LAST LIVE on December 31 of the same year. On January 1, 1998, the following day, hide with Spread Beaver placed a full-page advertisement in newspapers. On January 28 of that year, he released the single "ROCKET DIVE".
Final Years
On May 1, 1998, hide, together with the members of Spread Beaver, took part in the recording of the Fuji Television music program Rocket Punch! MUSIC DELIVERY. The songs recorded on this occasion were “ROCKET DIVE”, “Pink Spider”, “ever free”, and “DOUBT ’97”. This was the last footage of him recorded during his lifetime. After the wrap party, he continued drinking past midnight at Rally, a rock bar in Nishi-Azabu which he frequented daily. According to the bar’s owner, Hisashi Kadono, hide, who was heavily intoxicated, argued with his staff about music and the direction of his activities; everyone gradually went home, and hide was drinking alone by early morning. He was subsequently driven back to his apartment by his younger brother Hiroshi, who was also his manager.
At around 7:30 a.m. on May 2, hide was reportedly found hanging by the neck with a towel hung from the doorknob of his apartment bedroom. He was taken to hospital, where his death was confirmed at 8:52 a.m. He died at the age of 33 (35 by traditional Japanese age reckoning). He was reportedly already in cardiopulmonary arrest upon arrival at the hospital. From around 3:00 p.m. that day, news bulletins reported that “hide, former guitarist of X JAPAN, has died; the Metropolitan Police Department has determined it to be suicide.” A private funeral attended by 300 people connected with him was held on May 5. A wake was held on May 6 and a funeral service on May 7; floral tributes from fans were accepted on both days, and large numbers of fans gathered each day. Members of X JAPAN, including TOSHI and TAIJI, as well as musical associates, industry figures, and fans attended the funeral service. The service was broadcast live on television.
There have been various views regarding the cause of death, including the view that the lyrics of “HURRY GO ROUND” and statements made on the radio program All Night Nippon R were significant and might be related to suicide, as well as people who have asserted that it was an accident rather than suicide. Police responded to magazine interviews and similar enquiries by stating: “For it to have been ‘traction’, the loop around the neck was too small; rather, it appeared to have been intended to cause death. We had also heard that he had been troubled by the band and his musical activities and had been drinking more, and believe that he suddenly decided to die.” It is unknown whether the death was an “intentional suicide” or an “accidental death.” There is a theory that it was an accident, since no suicide note or statements suggesting that he wanted to die were found, and suicide using a soft towel attached to a doorknob is unusual. YOSHIKI stated, “He was not the kind of person who would commit suicide.”
In hide: The True Story, published in September 1998, author Tsuyoshi Nakajo wrote that, according to the information he had obtained, the next concert was to include a scene staging a death by hanging, and that hide had practiced it while drunk and “died as a result.”
At a press conference held before the October 24, 1998 performance of hide with Spread Beaver TOUR appear!! “1998 TRIBAL Ja,Zoo”, which took place without hide, his manager and younger brother Hiroshi again stated that hide had suffered from severe stiff shoulders and migraines during his lifetime and had undergone stretching through neck traction administered by an osteopathic practitioner. He stated that hide had been performing traction as usual, but that the death was an accident caused by jet lag immediately after returning to Japan and his state of heavy intoxication, and was not suicide.
On August 22, 2014, Toshl, appearing on Masahiro Nakai no Kinyoubi no Sumatachi e, expressed remorse concerning hide’s death, saying, “If only I had not been brainwashed.”
The Five Days Until the Funeral
hide's body was placed at Tsukiji Hongwanji (築地本願寺) in Tsukiji, Chuo, Tokyo, on May 3. That evening, YOSHIKI returned from Los Angeles and went directly from Narita Airport to Tsukiji Hongwanji. Although YOSHIKI initially thought it might be “a bad joke,” he reportedly accepted that it was real and broke down in tears the moment he saw the official reports while on the plane.
On May 4, as the week began, the incident was extensively covered by television variety and news programs. Fans began gathering at Tsukiji Hongwanji, eventually numbering around 50,000. In the evening, YOSHIKI appeared in front of the temple and delivered a message to the press.
On May 5, a private funeral was held for 300 people, including bereaved family members, relatives, music-industry figures, and the members of X JAPAN. Fans continued to arrive throughout the service, swelling to several thousand. Fans overcome by accumulated fatigue and emotional distress collapsed one after another and were transported to hospitals by ambulance. Furthermore, because reports had described hide as having died by suicide, copycat suicides and suicide attempts by fans occurred in succession both on the grounds of Tsukiji Hongwanji and throughout Japan. The following day, at the request of the Metropolitan Police Department, the members of X JAPAN held a press conference appealing for people not to take their own lives.
Flowers from fans were accepted on both May 6, the night of the wake, and May 7, the day of the farewell ceremony, and large numbers of fans gathered on each day. Although some were said to have been ordinary passers-by or onlookers, nearly 50,000 people reportedly attended the wake and farewell ceremony, and it was reported that a line of fans 2–3 km long formed along the Sumida River. Songs by hide and X JAPAN were played outside Hongwanji.
The farewell ceremony on May 7 was broadcast live on television. Attendees included former X JAPAN members TOSHI and TAIJI, who had left the group, as well as musicians and industry figures who had been close to hide. Accompanied by YOSHIKI on a grand piano—the first time a grand piano had been brought into Tsukiji Hongwanji since its founding—TOSHI sang X JAPAN's “Forever Love.” As hide's “GOOD BYE” played, the coffin was carried out at 3:40 p.m. The coffin was borne by X JAPAN members, bodyguards, and others. Although traffic restrictions had been imposed and all ordinary vehicles had been stopped, fans spread across the road in large numbers and some pursued the hearse, causing confusion in the surrounding area.
hide was subsequently cremated at Yoyohata Funeral Hall (代々幡斎場) in Shibuya. As at Tsukiji Hongwanji, fans gathered in large numbers around Yoyohata Funeral Hall, spreading across the roads and obstructing traffic. When the hearse arrived at the funeral hall, fans attempted to follow it, causing further temporary confusion. His Buddhist posthumous name was Shuutokuin Shakujion (秀徳院釋慈音). His ashes were interred at Miura Cemetery in Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture, following the forty-ninth-day memorial service, while some were scattered in the sea off Los Angeles by the members of zilch at the time and his younger brother, Yuuji.
On May 2, 2010, the thirteenth anniversary of his death, a memorial service was held at Tsukiji Hongwanji. Approximately 35,000 associates and fans attended.
In March 2013, it was discovered that hide's gravestone had been scratched by someone using an object resembling a blade. An investigation was therefore launched on suspicion of property damage.
Musical Style and Influence
In junior high school, hide was deeply impressed by the first Kiss record he heard, which awakened his interest in rock music. Thereafter, he listened extensively to a variety of rock music and was influenced by Kiss—especially Ace Frehley—The Clash, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Van Halen, The Damned, Led Zeppelin—particularly Jimmy Page—and Japan, among others. Although he was a fan of Kyoji Yamamoto of BOWWOW, he said that his interest in the “Mockingbird,” which became synonymous with hide, began when he noticed that Mitsuhiro Saito of BOWWOW also used one.
He coined X's phrase, “PSYCHEDELIC VIOLENCE CRIME OF VISUAL SHOCK.”
At the time, it was fashionable among young people to classify genres using labels ending in “-kei,” such as Shibuya-kei and Harajuku-kei. In response, hide jokingly said, “Then aren’t we visual kei?” This became the impetus for the creation of the term “visual kei.” Hide's visual and musical influence on the music industry was also considerable, and music writer Tetsushi Ichikawa stated that visual kei began with hide and ended with hide. Marilyn Manson, who later became famous, was reportedly a major fan of hide while still unknown. On one occasion, Marilyn Manson telephoned hide himself, but hide mistakenly believed that he had received a call from a strange foreigner.
Hide was not the type of guitarist known for extreme virtuosity, but rather a producer-type musician who designed sound comprehensively. His extraordinary curiosity and desire for new and unknown things in order to create works were hide's greatest driving force.
Relationship With Kazuya Yoshii
hide had known Kazuya Yoshii (吉井和哉) of THE YELLOW MONKEY since Yoshii's time in the heavy metal band Agh Police, which was known as the “Motley Crue of Shizuoka.” According to Yoshii, he and hide had similar interests and shared points of mutual understanding. hide liked THE YELLOW MONKEY and praised Yoshii's songs. He was also interested in THE YELLOW MONKEY's live performances, and on June 19, 1993, he sent Yuichi Hirayama, a member involved in his recordings, to see THE YELLOW MONKEY's legendary concert at Nippon Seinenkan. At this concert, Yoshii appeared on stage together with a naked woman. On September 10, 1996, hide appeared on Yoshii's radio program, Kazuya Yoshii's All Night Nippon, while “SPARK” was a major hit. In his later years, hide particularly praised “Kyuukon.”
On May 2, 1998, when hide died, THE YELLOW MONKEY were in the midst of the largest concert tour in their history, the PUNCH DRUNKARD TOUR, and were performing the second of two shows at Kanagawa Kenmin Hall. THE YELLOW MONKEY dedicated their performance of “Kyuukon” to hide. Regarding hide's death, Yoshii wrote in his autobiography, “What if he had the same kind of worries?” and “I became frightened and lonely.” In the same autobiography, Yoshii praised hide's outstanding sense of entertainment.
According to Yuichi Hirayama, Yoshii's composition “Chouzetsu☆Dynamic!” (2015) calls “ROCKET DIVE” to mind because its lyrics were written by Yukinojo Mori and because of the mutually respectful relationship between Yoshii and hide. Appearing in an NHK SONGS special on hide broadcast on December 8, 2018, Yoshii explained that hide had worked to make rock universal and that, in his choice of words for lyrics, he was particular about rhyming and their compatibility with the melody. Yoshii praised hide, saying that “the fact that he does not seem intoxicated by his own songs is incredibly cool,” and that his humble personality, which could not be discerned from his extreme appearance, was also appealing.
MG-X
Since his amateur days before joining X, hide had long favored Mockingbird models made by Fernandes (Burny). By the time hide signed with Fernandes, production of Mockingbird models had already ceased. However, after hide requested a Mockingbird model when signing the contract, the Mockingbird shape was revived and reproduced as a hide signature model.
Models existed in a variety of constructions, woods, and color schemes, but only representative instruments, including the main guitars used over the years, are introduced here. With some exceptions, such as acrylic-bodied instruments, all of hide's personally used models had through-neck construction. Replica models of the guitars used by hide, priced from ¥80,000 to ¥450,000, were released by Fernandes, although production of most has ended. As artist models, they achieved unprecedentedly remarkable sales both during and after his lifetime, demonstrating hide's great popularity and influence as a guitarist.
FERNANDES FMG-175 "Army Panther"
This was the first Mockingbird model hide purchased, at a musical instrument store in Ochanomizu, Tokyo. His motivation for buying it came from learning, while still a teenager, that Mitsuhiro Saito of BOWWOW used a Mockingbird, and from seeing a poster of Rick Derringer holding one, which sparked his interest in the guitar’s distinctive shape. He visited several instrument stores in Ochanomizu and negotiated the price by saying, “That shop over there was cheaper,” before purchasing it. It was used as his main guitar from the Saber Tiger period until around the middle of 1988, after he joined X.
It was also used as the main guitar during the recording of X’s first album, Vanishing Vision.
Both the front and rear pickups were originally DiMarzio Dual Sound units, but only the rear pickup was replaced with an EMG 81, an active pickup requiring a 9-volt battery. The booster switch, which had been wired with two units in series, was also altered: only the switch itself remained, while the internal wiring was removed. The tuning machines were replaced from the stock Grover Imperial units to Schaller units.
Rather than the Tune-o-matic bridge configuration that later became standard on the MG-X, it was fitted with the same Badass bridge used by B.C. Rich. Holes were also drilled through the body, like those of a Telecaster, so that only the bass-string side could be strung through the body.
The body was natural-finished. After its purchase, tape, magazine cuttings, flyers, stickers, cloth, and other items were attached to it, causing its appearance to change frequently. It ultimately took on an appearance with camouflage-patterned and leopard-print cloth attached to it, which became the origin of the name “Army Panther.”
As described above, even before he began painting guitars, hide paid close attention to the visual appearance of the instruments he used and experimented with them. However, he did not appear to be particularly meticulous about their maintenance and care. During the recording of Vanishing Vision, he reportedly struggled with the problem that “the frets were out of tune; no matter how much it was tuned, the pitch would not match.”
By this point, the combination that continued until the installation of a Sustainer in 1994 had already been established: an EMG active pickup in the rear position and a DiMarzio passive pickup in the front position. This is a noteworthy point in discussing HIDE as a guitarist.
As it was used during the independent era, there was no dedicated guitar technician. PATA, who had experience working at a musical instrument store, sometimes carried out detailed adjustments such as string-action and truss-rod adjustments. According to PATA, “The string action was so low that the sound buzzed a little. So I said, ‘Then let me have it for a moment!’ ... I once did it on the stairs at Rokumeikan (鹿鳴館).”
Mockingbird "Amoeba"
This guitar was used as HIDE's main guitar during his major-label debut period, from around early 1989 to around late 1990, before the appearance of the Paint guitar described below. It had been borrowed from a roadie at the time and was painted with a paisley pattern, after which HIDE bought it from the roadie. In addition to its distinctive paintwork, it was the only one of his successive main guitars to have diamond-shaped position inlays rather than cloud-shaped inlays on the fingerboard.
When it appeared in magazines at the time, it was described as a “FERNANDES MG-X” because of HIDE's endorsement contract. However, it is a mysterious guitar of unknown manufacture, as a Tutankhamun ornament was affixed over the location of the manufacturer's logo on the headstock, concealing the maker's name. Live footage exists in which the Tutankhamun ornament has come off the headstock, revealing an “F” logo. The low-priced FMG-150, sold at the same time as the Fernandes FMG-175, featured an F logo on the headstock and diamond-shaped fingerboard inlays, matching this instrument's characteristics; consequently, there is a theory that this guitar was an FMG-150. However, it differs clearly from Fernandes's FMG series in several respects, including the heel shape at the neck-through joint on the rear of the body, the thickness of the walnut lines, the shape of the headstock and body, and the position of the switches on the top of the body. HIDE stated in another magazine at the time that it was “actually the only B.C. Rich I own.”
The original guitar had a natural finish. Only the top and sides of the body were painted black, over which a paisley pattern was painted. Fluorescent paint was also used to make it stand out on stage.
The rear of the body bears traces of filled tremolo and tremolo-spring cavities. It was originally fitted with a tremolo, probably a locking Kahler model, which was modified to a Tune-o-matic bridge. Holes were then drilled into the body so that only the three bass strings could be strung through the body.
A tension bar, which is normally fitted only to guitars equipped with locking tremolos, was installed above the nut. It is unknown whether this was a remnant of its former locking tremolo or was deliberately installed to increase string tension.
The guitar was fitted with a DiMarzio Dual Sound pickup at the front, now the four-conductor version of the Super Distortion, and an EMG 81 at the rear. Initially, the controls included numerous switches in the multifunctional B.C. Rich style, including a booster switch in addition to volume, tone, and selector controls. All of these circuits and switches were removed during 1989, and it was modified to HIDE's standard three-control configuration, as on the later Paint guitar: one volume control, a pickup selector, and a direct switch.
When the direct switch was turned on, it bypassed these circuits and produced full-volume sound directly to the amplifier, regardless of the position of the volume knob. This switch was subsequently installed on all HIDE models. Of all the guitars he used, this was the one that underwent the most extensive modifications and alterations.
Although it was used for less than two years, X played all songs in half-step-down tuning at the time, and HIDE often used this Amoeba alone for both recording and live performances unless a problem occurred. He also subjected it to heavy use, performing by swinging it around during live shows or removing one end of the strap, holding it like a dog leash, and dragging it around the stage. As a result, the guitar itself became badly worn, and it was succeeded by the Paint guitar as his main instrument.
FERNANDES MG-X “Paint”
Based on a black body, HIDE himself painted psychedelic designs on it using Posca markers. Because it was used during the early period of his major-label debut, many people associate this guitar with the HIDE model.
Burny MG-X "Cherry Sunburst"
This model incorporated the specifications of hide's 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. While adopting the Les Paul construction of a maple top and mahogany back, it had a complex structure for a Mockingbird-shaped guitar in order to achieve the same neck-through construction as other MG-X models: a mahogany neck was sandwiched from both sides by a mahogany body back, with bookmatched maple applied to the top. This model and all models produced from the Lemon Drop onward used this Les Paul-specification laminated construction. Its pickups were Fernandes VH-401 pickups developed for hide, equipped with a sustainer. Although this specification underwent minor changes, it became the final form of the MG-X until his death, and subsequent models, including the “Yellow Heart”, “Science”, and “Circuit Board” (all nicknames), also used the same specifications.
Several Cherry Sunburst guitars, including backups, were produced. The first had a U-shaped neck grip. Its body was also 5 mm thicker than previous MG models, at 42 mm. A guitar produced as a backup for the first model had a body thickness of 45 mm. It was later refinished in white and used at X JAPAN's “White Night” concert at the end of 1994. From the second model onward, the neck grip was changed to a V shape.
Burny MG-X "Lemon Drop"
Like the Cherry Sunburst, it was made with the aim of achieving the sound specifications of a Gibson Les Paul. The body of this Lemon Drop was made especially thick, at 45 mm. Its pickups were a Sustainer Driver and VH-401.
Because of the thicker body, it produced strong low-midrange tones, which HIDE himself reportedly liked. However, it was slightly heavier than other MG-X guitars, and its use in live performances was limited and varied according to tuning.
Burny MG-X "Yellow Heart"
His main guitar in his later years, it first appeared at the two-day Tokyo Dome concerts, “DAHLIA TOUR FINAL”, on December 30 and 31, 1996. It used a V-shaped neck grip. Inspired by the heart-patterned T-shirt worn by hide himself, it featured a yellow body with a red heart pattern. According to hide, it was made around the theme of “playing disgusting riffs on a lolita-style guitar”. It was decorated with lettering in the style of Cutie Honey, and one of the hearts was painted black. It was mainly used for songs such as “Kurenai” and “DAHLIA”, which were tuned down a semitone. Unlike the Cherry Sunburst, its thick opaque paint finish was said to give it stronger low-end output than the Cherry Sunburst.
Its pickups were a Sustainer Driver and VH-401 when completed; later, only the rear pickup was replaced with a DiMarzio DP-100 Super Distortion.
At “hide Memorial Day 2023 ‘hide with Spread Beaver appear!! in TOKYO’”, held on July 27, 2023, his close friend PATA played the final song, “TELL ME”, on this guitar. It was the first time it had been used in an actual performance in 25 years, since X JAPAN THE LAST LIVE in 1997.
Burny MG-X "Psyence"
It first appeared at the Tokyo Dome concert in 1996. It was used for songs in drop D tuning, including “SCARS”. The robot (or alien?) painted on the body top was depicted on the cover of the album PSYENCE. Its pickups were a Sustainer Driver and a DiMarzio DP-159 Evolution.
Burny MG-X "Green Heart"
It was made as a color variation of the Yellow Heart and made its first appearance at X JAPAN THE LAST LIVE. It was used for songs in regular tuning, including “RUSTY NAIL”. Although it was intended to achieve a fluorescent green paint finish based on clothing worn by hide, it was difficult to produce a glossy appearance, so pearl agent was mixed into the paint.
On the Yellow Heart, the hearts on the body edges are painted while retaining their shape; on the Green Heart, however, as on commercially available lower-priced versions of the Yellow Heart, the shapes of the hearts on the body edges are incomplete.
Its pickups are a Sustainer Driver and a DiMarzio DP-100 Super Distortion.
Burny MG-X "Circuit Board"
Produced at the same time as Green Heart, this guitar was originally intended to be the main guitar for X JAPAN THE LAST LIVE. Its green body literally featured a circuit board design, and the URL of hide's official website at the time was printed next to the master volume knob. The ochre areas of the circuit board were painted so that the grain of the body wood showed through, resulting in a coloring scheme with considerable attention to detail. However, it was completed during rehearsals immediately before the concert. When it was played, its sound projection was found to be poor due to the body’s paint treatment, so it was not used as the main guitar. On the day of the concert, it was set up as a backup for Yellow Heart. It was also distinctive for having a Hipshot D-Tuner, a tuning peg that could lower the sixth string by one whole tone with a single action.
Its pickups were a Sustainer Driver and a DiMarzio DP-100 Super Distortion.
Burny MG-X Prototypes
Prototypes also existed with a Seymour Duncan JB mounted in the rear position, with an additional single-coil pickup installed in the center position, and with altered body materials, indicating continual experimentation in pursuit of an ideal sound.
Gibson Les Paul STANDARD
Since the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, HIDE's first guitar, which his grandmother bought for him when he was in junior high school, he had mainly used Mockingbird models and had not used Les Pauls. However, when he borrowed and played PATA's Les Paul, he was surprised, saying, “Were Les Pauls this good?” He purchased this guitar during a trip to the United States in 1994, primarily for use in recording.
The instrument had been owned by Mick Mars of Mötley Crüe and has the serial number “9 0297”. Its serial number differs by two from that of PATA's 1959 Les Paul Standard, indicating that it was made in exactly the same lot or around the same time. It is a so-called Les Paul Burst, referring to Gibson Les Pauls made from 1958 to 1960, which are the most expensive, rarest, and most valuable of all vintage electric guitars even without taking into account their history of use by artists. According to PATA, HIDE, who liked painting guitars and applying stickers to them, put stickers on this guitar as well and was scolded by PATA.
After its purchase, it was used for almost all recordings. Apparently pleased with having bought it, HIDE used it live only once: for “JOKER” at X JAPAN's Tokyo Dome concert, X JAPAN RETURNS, on December 31, 1993, alongside PATA's 1959 Burst. MG-X guitars from the Cherry Sunburst onward were made with the sound of this guitar as their target, including a maple-top, mahogany-back body construction and a change to passive pickups.
Martin D-18
An acoustic guitar. It was used for songwriting at home and for recording acoustic guitar parts. So that hide would always be able to play the guitar, it was placed in his coffin alongside him.
Burny H CUSTOM "Kujira"
After playing an Explorer model made from korina wood owned by PATA, hide greatly liked its sound, and had a guitar made from the same wood in the shape of Fernandes's H Series, Tomoyasu Hotei's signature model. It was fitted with a Tom Holmes H-453 pickup. Although the H CUSTOM was commonly known as the "Shachi", hide mistakenly called it the "Kujira", and this became its nickname. Its product name in the United States was VERTIGO. It was mainly used during the recording of Ja, Zoo.
Burny HR-195/REBIRTH
This model was developed as an original hide model based on the “Kujira” (くじら, “Whale”). hide died the day before the scheduled meeting for the model’s final adjustments. Production subsequently proceeded in conjunction with the establishment of the hide MUSEUM. The wood was later changed to Honduran mahogany, and the model was released as a limited edition of 300 instruments.
The body has an original shape combining features of the MG-X and the Kujira. It is fitted with the CYBER FUTURE SONIC SCANNER pickups (Fernandes HS-001F/R), which were newly developed for this model. The neck uses a bolt-on joint and has a natural finish. It does not include the direct switch or Sustainer commonly found on hide models, and it has a truss rod cover; this was because the model was unfinished before the meeting with hide. In a magazine interview after X JAPAN disbanded, hide stated, among other things, that “I needed a 24-fret guitar in X JAPAN, but I do not need one in my solo work” and “A Sustainer is necessary.”
FENDER STRATOCASTER JEFF BECK MODEL
Hide purchased this guitar himself and customised it by pasting photographs and other materials onto both sides of the body. It was the only Fender guitar owned by hide.
FERNANDES JG CUSTOM
Before the start of the PSYENCE A GO GO tour, hide requested that Fernandes prepare a guitar other than an MG for the tour, saying that he wanted a guitar like Eddie Van Halen's and that a single rear pickup would be sufficient. It was made in response to this request.
It was created by customising a commercially available Fernandes JG series guitar. The front pickup was removed, and a DiMarzio Air Zone humbucker was mounted in the rear position. It had a simple layout consisting of one volume control and a clear pickguard. However, as the empty cavity left by removing the front pickup was considered too conspicuous, Fernandes independently incorporated a gimmick in which illumination would light up when a shield cable was plugged in, along with dummy wiring, giving the guitar a cybernetic appearance. The guitar was completed in only five days. hide was especially fond of the illumination, describing it as being “like a training machine”.
The dummy wiring used for the modification consisted of components that Fernandes personnel had personally purchased at shops dealing in electronic parts in Akihabara at the time.
Burny H-65 CUSTOM
Used during the 1994 solo tour. It was ordered from the Fernandes product catalogue, with only the pickups and pickguard modified. The front pickup was a VH-401 and the rear pickup was a VH-4.
Strings and Picks
He used Fernandes HGS-1200 strings (hide signature model; gauges 009–046). Before that, he used Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky strings, and in his early debut period he used Fernandes strings; all had gauges of 009–046. In his early years, as exemplified by Blue Blood, he placed emphasis on fast alternate-picked backing on the lower strings and was particular about that sound. For a time, he also used heavier strings of .052 or .050 gauge for the sixth string.
His picks included the Fernandes Scanner (hide signature model), the Jim Dunlop Nylon Standard 0.73 mm (the same type used by PATA), and the Jim Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.73 mm. He reportedly selected among the picks according to the condition of his arm and his mood on a given day.
Amplifiers and Effects Equipment
X “Jealousy”
ENGL 2×50 Tube Power Amp (power amplifier) ENGL 2-channel Preamp (preamplifier) T.C. Electronic TC2290 (digital delay) Guyatone Flanger (flanger) BOSS OD-1 (overdrive) EX-Pro Wireless (wireless system) HIWATT 12×4 SP Cabinet W (speaker cabinet; its internal speakers were replaced with Celestion Vintage 30s) DigiTech Whammy (pitch shifter)
X JAPAN “The Last Live”
VHT Classic (power amplifier) ENGL Savage 100 (amplifier head) HIWATT Custom HAIWATT 100 (amplifier head) Marshall 1960AV (cabinet) Marshall 1960BV (cabinet) Vox V847 (foot-operated wah) DigiTech Whammy 2 (foot-operated pitch shifter) MXR Flanger (flanger) MXR Phaser 100 (phaser) ETA Power (rack power supply) DigiTech RP-5 (multi-effects unit) Mackie CR-1604 (mixer) Palmer PDI05 (cabinet simulator) DigiTech DHP-33 (harmonizer) DigiTech GSP-2101 (preamplifier) TC Electronic 1210 (chorus flanger) SansAmp PSA-1 (preamplifier) Rocktron Patch Mate (loop controller) Rocktron RSB18F/R (foot-operated and rack loop controller) Korg G2 ToneWorks (acoustic simulator) DigiTech TSR-12 (ambient effects unit)
Sources
- Wikidata entity Q44315.
- en.wikipedia, Hide (musician) (revision 1369194309), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- ja.wikipedia, Hide (revision 110390669), CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photograph: Xjapan hongkong2.jpg on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, by Jase The Bass.
