EverTune Featured Artists

Yudai Miyamoto and Shinya Hori

EverTune Featured Artists Crystal Lake are a Japanese metalcore band from Tokyo. Formed in 2002, the band showcases the intense guitar work of Yudai Miyamoto + Shinya Hori.

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Fusing metalcore with progressive and nu metal, Crystal Lake have released five studio albums.

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The band is still touring relentlessly in support of Helix, released November 2018, crushing stages all over the world.

Fusing metalcore with progressive and nu metal, Crystal Lake have released five studio albums. The band is still touring relentlessly in support of 'Helix', released November 2018, crushing stages all over the world.

To record and perform their powerful brand of metal, Yudai and Shinya rely on EverTune-equipped ESP E-II Horizon and Edwards E-SN-24 7-strings. They sat down with EverTune at Crystal Lake’s Montreal show to talk music and gear.

Yudai answered the following questions:

How long have you been playing guitar?
Since I was 12 years old. My dad played an old video of Jimi Hendrix and this changed me forever.

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When did you start using EverTune?
I started using EverTune in 2017.

Talk about the E-II Horizon NT-7 guitar you play. What do you like about it?
I chose this guitar because EverTune was built-in. The model is based on the traditional Horizon design from ESP, but this one has a thicker body because of the size of the EverTune. That thick body is mechanically stronger and has more resonance.

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My guitar has a few modifications to the machine heads and the pickup wiring. It’s an 18-volt preamp, which gives it a more “straightforward” sound. My two main guitars are tuned in what I call Low F (F, A#, D#, G#, C#, F, A#) and Low G (G, A#, D#, G#, C#, F, A#). I switch between the two tunings depending on the songs I play with Crystal Lake.

I’ve been using ESP guitars for 15 years, so I am glad that ESP is offering EverTune as original equipment on some models.

Describe EverTune in two words:

• Reliability.

  

• Potentiality.

  

What’s your favorite EverTune anecdote from the studio or on tour?
I’ve already discussed some of the advantages of using EverTune, but for me the tuning and pitch stabilization are the biggest weapons for our music. In our show, we are always conscious of conveying energy and passion through the guitar sound.

No matter how intense my moves or my playing are, EverTune keeps providing stable tuning and pitch. Even after I stage dive or jump during performance, the guitar stays as if you just tuned up. I was really surprised that it was the same even after throwing the guitar! [Laughs.]

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What was the best piece of professional advice one of your peers gave you in the past year?
Whatever people say about you, just believe in yourself!

The instrument is the same. No matter who uses it, whether it’s expensive or cheap, just find your style with the tools you have already. Then express yourself as simply as possible. I think this is the best advice I was given.