Start Your Journey! Vol.3 「ストラトキャスターとテレキャスター」| SCANDAL

Translation & Subtitles: thoseguiltyeyes | scandal-heaven.com

Hello, I'm SCANDAL's vocalist HARUNA.

I'm guitarist MAMI.

"Start Your Journey!" is about conveying the appeal of guitars to those considering taking it up.

Last time we talked about how appearance is important when choosing a guitar.

There are a lot of guitars here today too,

which is like what you'd find at an instrument shop.

That's true.

When you go to an instrument shop, you're unsure of which guitar to go with.

So, this time we'll be talking about types of guitars.

MAMI and I have different models.

I have a Telecaster,

and MAMI has a Stratocaster.

We're using guitars that represent Fender.

The one I'm using is a Telecaster.

This model was first created in the 1950s.

It's the first model that Fender made.

To be precise, it was made in 1951.

It's still a very popular model.

This guitar is one you should think of as being the original and the best.

As for the Stratocaster...

The Strat is an improved version of the Tele, which is simple in a good way, and is easier to play.

These are two models made by Fender.

That's right. If you were to go to an instrument shop,

the ones you'd might recognize by shape are a Tele and a Strat.

They're loved by artists around the world.

Japanese artists, for example, would be...

Tomoyasu Hotei,

MIYAVI,

Iyori Shimizu from back number,

and Takuya Yamanaka from THE ORAL CIGARETTES.

-There's a strong impression that Telecasters are used by those who play while singing.
-That's true.

That's true for me as well.

As for Japanese artists who use Strats...

Char, who's very popular,

ken from L'Arc-en-Ciel...

He's like the guitarist.

As for differences between the Tele and Strat,

we'll be talking about what those are specifically.

Firstly, their appearances.

The Tele's a bit rounded.

I really like this shape.

The first guitar I had was a Tele.

What about the Strat?

You can grab it up to a high position.

It's easier to play higher notes.

I think that's one of its main characteristics.

Also, since the guitar's name is written on the headstock,

-this might be the first thing you judge about it.
-That's true.

The shape and appearance are also different,

but you can definitely see the difference here.

First, remember the names "Stratocaster" and "Telecaster,"

and when you go to an instrument shop,

since the names are written here, you'll be like, "Ah, this is a Strat."

That's what we hope to achieve with this video.

Also, the Strat and Tele we're holding right now are our own signature models.

I wanted it to have a high-class feel.

The pegs that the strings wrap around,

and the bridge,

I wanted all of these parts to be gold.

The output jack as well.

I didn't really have a guitar that was a crisp, primary color,

and I wanted a bright color with a punch for the body.

Also, the pick guard is custom,

so you can only get this kind of combination with an original model.

They're colors unique to the MAMI Model.

HARU and I both went with maple necks.

These guitars have rosewood necks.

The reason why I went with maple

is because what I imagine a standard Strat to have is a maple neck.

That's why I wanted to go with what's standard for the materials used.

The reason why I also went with maple is just for the feel of it.

-The texture.
-It's comfy right?
-Yeah.

Maple necks feel a little slippery and are easy to slide your hand on.

I like it, and that's why I went with maple.

Also, like what MAMI said earlier,

I too really wanted a high-class feel.

I wanted to make a guitar that I could use for many years to come,

so I made the design as simple as possible.

The base color is white,

and there's also gold in it like MAMI's.

-Along the edges.
-Yes, I made those gold.

That gives it a bit of a luxurious feel.

As for the sound...

When we first started out, our music was often based on distorted sounds.

But for the last few years it's been pretty clean and crunchy--

Tones that produce a clean sound.

That's been our main way of doing it,

so I was particular about making the tones come out cleanly.

Among that, I also wanted to make something that had a little more power,

so I also selected the pickups used in it.

Both of them are easy-to-use guitars that even beginners can easily pick up.

Mine also has a very standard sound.

Like what HARU mentioned,

I used my former main guitar on the premise that the sound would be distorted and changed out the pickups,

so that's not what I did this time.

I really wanted to make something that could produce a standard sound,

so this guitar might be a good one for beginners too.

These are only two models.

There are also ones like the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Mustang.

All aspects of them differ, such as color, shape, and sound.

There are many guitars that make you feel happy just by looking at them.

These three look very similar shape-wise but are different.

Like mentioned earlier, their names--Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang--are written on the headstock,

so if you go to an instrument shop and are unsure which is which,

just remember that the names are written on the headstock.

They also come in a bunch of different colors.

They come in finishes such as pearl or matte.

You'll find a lot of these at instrument shops,

and also on Fender's official site you'll find them in a lot of colors and shapes.

If you check out the site and find something that looks good, you can go check it out at an instrument shop.

Let's play our guitars and hear the differences between a Tele and a Strat.

It sounds pretty clean right now.

This is what it sounds like simply plugging it into an amp.

You can hear the low-pitched sound powerfully like how you did it earlier.

You can probably tell that the amount of wood has changed.

And if you play the Strat...

I see!

The power is distributed evenly,

or rather, you can get a feel of all six strings being played.

The Strat gives off a bright sound.

It sounds crisp.

If you use an effects pedal and change the sound a bit...

It gives off a pretty powerful sound.

You can make it sound different by using an amp or effects pedal.

Shall I make my Strat sound distorted too?

-There you have it.
-The sounds really stand out.
-Right?

It might be the kind of tone that the guitarists that HARU mentioned earlier have.

-It might be your first impression of a guitar.
-That's true.

That's why it sounds great for playing guitar solos.

Next, we'll be playing a bit of one of our songs.

It's called "NEON TOWN ESCAPE."

I start it off with the rhythm guitar.

That's the base.

I'm going to change the pickups and tone a little.

-We play these together.
-Yes.

This might be a phrase that clearly shows the difference between a Tele and a Strat.

That's what it sounds like.

You can also play it in a slightly different way.

Yes, I'll distort it a bit,

and put it on top of the base you play.

-Is it kind of like a guitar solo?
-Yeah.

The sound will be a little stronger and more powerful.

It's like it's switched around.

I hope you check it out.

And there you have it.

I played it with a guitar solo-like tone.

It's completely different when it's switched up.

Right?

Even with one guitar you can switch up tones in many different ways.

We introduced what the Telecaster and Stratocaster are.

We did also talk about the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Mustang.

Instrument shops carry all kinds of guitars,

and you can also check out Fender's website,

so those who are interested,

please check out some shops or visit Fender's site.

This has been "Start Your Journey!" with SCANDAL's vocalist HARUNA and guitarist MAMI.

Bye bye!