Yutaka Higuchi
Much of the information here came from books (Hyper, Love Me, Hyp #3) and magazine articles. Naturally data from 20 years ago will not be up to date, such as their eyesight or favorite things.
Skip ahead to favorite/influential albums or equipment overview.
Profile
real name: Yutaka Higuchi
nickname: U-ta (pronounced Yu-ta)
instrument: bass
first band: Buck-Tick
date of birth: January 24, 1967 (Showa era, year 42)
hometown: Takasaki, Gunma prefecture
siblings: deceased older half-brother, older brother (drummer Toll Yagami), older half-sister who is married with children; and an older half-brother he doesn't know from his father's first marriage (this extra sibling was not revealed publicly until Toll's autobiography in 2018)
marital status: never married
education: graduated from Gunma Prefecture Fujioka Senior High School in March 1985
first record bought: "Let It Be" by The Beatles, to give to his older brother (now deceased)
first concert attended: Pink Lady
favorite...
artist: James Jamerson
color: black
cigarette: Marlboro Medium (previously Seven Star)
drink: full bodied red French wine, oolong tea, water (when performing live)
food: fish, vegetables, sushi
movie: Bladerunner
season: spring
sport: if playing it, baseball (his favorite team is the Hanshin Tigers from Osaka, the rival team of his brother Toll's favorite team)
thing about Buck-Tick: playing live
favorite / influential albums:
(this information was compiled from various books and interviews)
Pornography by The Cure
U-ta started to like Bauhaus and The Cure at the same time and this was probably his first Cure album
Deep by Peter Murphy
U-ta has liked Peter Murphy since he was the vocalist of Bauhaus and likes this album best
Express by Love and Rockets
U-ta likes Daniel Ash a lot and thinks this album is very easy to listen to
Tin Drum by Japan
U-ta can only say that Mick Karn is amazing; even if he's a different type of bassist than U-ta, the sound is astonishing
Bestial Cluster by Mick Karn
Word of Mouth by Jaco Pastorius
U-ta started listening to this around the time the band went pro and he was blown away by the cover of The Beatles' "Blackbird"
Porcupine by Echo and the Bunnymen
U-ta likes the bass a lot and often copied it
Purple by Stone Temple Pilots
Space Oddity by David Bowie
U-ta loves Bowie and thought that Atsushi would name Ziggy Stardust as one of his favorites, so U-ta decided to choose this one
Vienna by Ultravox
U-ta likes the guitar, bass, and synth on this album a lot
Doubt by Jesus Jones
U-ta likes this so much that he started to wonder if the next thing he does should be like this album
Billy Idol by Billy Idol
U-ta thinks this album is so good, he doesn't even have words to express it; he copied this one a lot; even when he listens to it today it still sounds cool
A Wizard, a True Star by Todd Rundgren
U-ta thinks this album sounds like The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper and loves the melodies
Night Time by Killing Joke
most Killing Joke fans don't like this one for the band going pop but this is U-ta's favorite
Abbey Road by the Beatles
U-ta listened to this a lot with his older brother
Synchronicity by the Police
U-ta has liked the Police for a long time and thinks highly of this album
MCMXC A.D. by Enigma
U-ta thinks listening to this album is very relaxing
Dress For Excess by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
people love them or hate them but U-ta is pretty impressed by them
Singles 93-03" by The Chemical Brothers
A Secret Wish by Propaganda
U-ta didn't like synthesizer bands until he heard this album
Armed Forces by Elvis Costello
this is one U-ta got from his brother Toll; he's liked it since high school
Black Sea by XTC
U-ta thinks this is high quality and likes the drums and rhythms
Pop Art by Transvision Vamp
this was from around the time Buck-Tick recorded in London and U-ta enjoyed the combination of rock and pop
[webmaster note: it could be that it's a very common beat, but "Dokudanjou Beauty" starts off with a drum pattern that's used towards the end of "Trash City"; whenever I listen to "Trash City", I can't help but hear very strong echoes in "Dokudanjou Beauty"]
Mother's Milk by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
U-ta thinks they are funny live and likes the bass
Never Mind the Bollocks--Here's the Sex Pistols by the Sex
Pistols
When asked who is the one artist that changed your life, U-ta declared it was the Sex Pistols.
Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine
Post by Björk
Asian Dub Foundation
Japanese bands like The Rockers and ARB (Alexander's Ragtime Band)
Equipment Overview
Skip ahead to basses used in the mid-1980s (Indies days), late 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s.
U-ta used a Fender Japan PJ-555 black bass with white paint marks on it in the early days of Buck-Tick. His main bass then became a black Greco until touring for Aku No Hana when he switched to a Spector maple body. He sometimes switched on stage with a Greco fretless. U-ta then switched to using Music Man Stingray and Sterling in the early 2000s. Since 2005, his main bass has been a Greco Zemaitis copy and switches on stage with a Landscape Swing upright bass. In 2012, he began using an actual Zemaitis.
In the Indies scene, U-ta used a Peavy amp, Rotosound strings, and Fender extra heavy picks. He would sometimes use a Yamaha equalizer pedal. He has been using Trace Elliot amps ever since Buck-Tick played the Touhoku Rock Circuit Tour with Rogue in 1988, whose bassist used Trace Elliot amps and U-ta decided to get them too. He used a AH500X amp head with four cabinets. During the recording of Six/Nine, he used a Sunn amp for "Kimi No Vanilla". During Sexy Stream Liner (released in 1997) he kept using Trace Elliot amps for his fretless and used SWR amps for his main bass. As early as Six/Nine, he had been using Trace Elliot with SWR but I do not know the details of which amps were used for what. I need to research when and to which amps he switched to but since the early 2000s he's been using Music Man basses and also been using Music Man amps. (HD-210 and HD-212 cabinets)
U-ta has been basically using the same equipment for his pedal board, just modifying things a little bit, such as adding a Korg G5 midi bass processor during the Somewhere/Nowhere Tour (Six/Nine). (That effect was later used for the song "Heroine" for example.) Here is a diagram of his setup in 1995. Pictured above is his pedal setup during Sexy Stream Liner. Please note that whenever U-ta has 2 of the same item, it is because 1 is for his main bass and the other is for his fretless. He has 2 Korg AT-1 tuners. He also went from using 2 FV-100L volume pedals to one FV-100L and one FV-300L. He uses a Rocktron Midi Mate for his foot controller which controls the Rocktron Patch Mate.
Aku No Hana recording effects: Boss volume pedal, Boss tune, Boss C chorus, Guyatone power supply.
His rack has also been basically the same. Pictured above is the Sexy Stream Liner setup. It consisted of ETA power distribution, 2 Alesis Quadraverbs (multi-effector), a Rocktron 300G (compressor/limiter), and 2 SWR SM-400 preamps. He also uses a Flip Valve BB-1. His wireless system is Ex-Pro1 (not pictured). U-ta has specific settings for: "Victims of Love", "Lion", "Kirameki No Naka De...", and "Jupiter".
Mona Lisa Overdrive recording: Ampeg SVT MK II & SVT heads with 810 cabinets, Music Man, and I think also Line 6 amps. He also used a Sadowsky bass but I do not have any photos of it.
Around the time of Razzle Dazzle, his gear included a Providence PEC-1 effect controller. He may have acquired it years earlier, I am just not sure when it became part of his set-up.
At first, U-ta would play with a pick but then in the 1990s he began playing with his fingers. He alternates between picking and fingering, depending on the song. He tends to put the pick in his mouth when he plays with his fingers so if you ever see a small black object inbetween his lips, that would be his pick. All the pick users in Buck-Tick constantly have custom made picks and models are sold to the public.
In 2021, U-ta posted in his blog that he uses two different strings, depending on if playing electric or acoustic. For electric, he uses Ernie Ball Super Slinky roundwound 45s. For acoustic, he uses Ernie Ball flatwound 50s. He also posted a photo of a Fender Jazz bass with black strings that he uses. Not sure if those were DR Black Beauties.
U-ta practices to the beat of his electric metronome, Boss Dr. Beat DB-66, much to the annoyance of Hisashi. U-ta feels that sometimes a song is fast and since everyone is operating at a different pace, he doesn't want to slip out of time.
Equipment: mid-1980s (Indies days)
U-ta's bass in 1984
specs unknown, appears to be black with bare wood headstock
U-ta's bass in 1986
specs unknown, appears to be black with black headstock
U-ta's bass during Indies days
specs unknown
white paint splatter motif inspired by Tsunematsu Matsui of Boøwy
Fender Japan PJ-555
U-ta's main bass starting in 1987
black with white paint splatter design (inspired once again by Tsunematsu Matsui)
usage: can be seen in the music videos for "Dream or Truth", "Empty Girl", "Hyper Love", "Sexual XXXXX!" (1987); can also be seen in the Buck-Tick Live at the Live Inn (1987) live concert video
Equipment: late 1980s
Greco PXB-800
(photo from Aku No Hana recording)
pickups: EMG
nut and bridge: brass
controls: he had the master volume knob moved down so he wouldn't hit it while picking
usage: this type of bass was U-ta's main until 1990
this was mass produced and sold to the public as the PXB-800 Phoenix bass AKA U-ta model
Greco PXB-800 specs:
body: sen or alder
neck: maple 3 piece
fretboard: ebony, 26 frets, 30R, 432 scale
pickups: pro-duce Px1, pro-duce Jx1
controls: volume, balance, tone, middle shaper switch
circuit: middle shaper active
finish: polyester
hardware: brass
notes: can be seen in the music videos for "...In Heaven...", "Just One More Kiss", "Misty Zone", "Physical Neurose", "Romanesque", "Victims of Love" (1988); can also be seen in the Sabbat (1989) live concert video
Greco PXB-950 Phoenix
this was mass produced and sold to the public with almost identical specs as the PXB-800 (to be honest, I can't figure out how they're different)
it was available in 2 fretboard lengths of 26 frets or 24 frets (medium)
Equipment: 1990s
Spector NS-2J Jazz J type
pickups: EMG
controls: there is a balance knob for each pickup and he had one of them turned into the master volume
usage: used during the Aku No Hana Tour (1990)
Spector NS-2A
same specs as the previous bass except for the following
pickups: EMG type PJ (notice that one is a split pickup)
nut and bridge: changed to black parts instead of brass
usage: used during the Aku No Hana Tour
Rickenbacker 4001
usage: it was used during the recording of Kurutta Taiyo (1991)
Greco PXB Fretless
it appears to have frets but in actuality the frets were removed and the lines remain
usage: it was used to record the following tracks on Koroshi No Shirabe (1992): Victims of Love, Jupiter, Taboo
Rickenbacker 4003
body: maple
neck: maple
fingerboard: rosewood
bridge/tailpiece: RIC/RIC
pickups: single coil
controls: 4 controls, toggle switch
usage: it was used to record the following tracks on Koroshi No Shirabe (1992): Iconoclasm, Speed, Love Me
Greco GEB-100 acoustic-electric
it appears to have frets but in actuality the frets were removed but the lines remain
usage: it was used to record the following tracks on Koroshi No Shirabe (1992): Do the "I Love You", Jupiter
it can also be seen in the Locus Solus No Kemonotachi live concert video
please note that this model is probably GEB-1000, which has an arched top and 1 volume and 3 EQ controllers on the side of the bass
Spector NS-2OIL
body: maple with oil finish and gold hardware
pickups: EMG
controls: volume, treble, bass, pickup balance
usage: main bass from 1990 onwards (then it was apparently used for songs in D tuning)
it was used to record the following tracks on Koroshi No Shirabe (1992): Aku No Hana, Oriental Love Story, ... In Heaven..., Moon Light, Just One More Kiss, Hyper Love.
can be seen in the music video for "Itoshi No Rock Star" (1995) and in the Climax Together (1992) and Warp Days (2002) live concert videos
notes: at least one magazine claims he had another copy that was fretless; the fretted version was used to record the following tracks on Six/Nine (1995): Kagiri Naku Nezumi, Aikawarazu No "Are" No Katamari Ga Nosabaru hedo No Soko No Fuki Damari (please note that only one magazine I have that I can recall stated there are 2 copies of fretted/fretless so I have some doubts until I see pictures of both or re-read the magazines and compare)
Fender Jazz
usage: this was in the studio during the recording of Koroshi No Shirabe in 1992 but never made it to any tracks
also used to record Six/Nine's "Itoshi No Rock Star" in 1995
I believe this was also used to record Mona Lisa Overdrive (2003)
Gibson Les Paul Triumph
U-ta acquired this 2 weeks before the recording of Koroshi No Shirabe (1992) and was really excited about it but it apparently never made it to any tracks
Fender JB62-65FL
fretless bass used around the time of Darker Than Darkness (1993)
G&L L2000
pickups: 2 magnetic field humbuckers
usage: main bass used to record Six/Nine (1995): Kimi No Vanilla, Kodo, Rakuen, Hosoi Sen, Kick (Daichi Wo Keru Otoko), Uta, Mienai Mono Wo Miyou To Suru Gokai Subete Gokai Da
Fender 1968 Precision Bass with Freedom neck
Freedom necks are slimmer for Japanese hands
usage: one article did not have a photo but mentioned a Fender Precision Bass was rented and used to record the following tracks on Six/Nine (1995): Love Letter, Detarame Yarou
I believe this was also used to record Mona Lisa Overdrive (2003)
this is one of the main basses that U-ta plays at home
Greco Thunderbird copy?
usage: can be seen in the music video for "Uta" (1995)
Freedom Custom Guitar Research Antique Series PB type
body: alder
pickups: voodoo
Greco Pegasus PS-850 U-ta custom fretless
(another article on U-ta's gear lists it as model PS-900MEB, perhaps it was a typo or he has both models and they look alike to the untrained eye?)
body: white ash
neck: maple
fretboard: rosewood with ebony
pickups: Powerstorm
controls: volume, treble, bass, pickup balance
with Pro-Tech active circuit
this is U-ta's fretless bass--it appears to have frets but in actuality the frets were removed and the lines remain
usage: used to record Six/Nine's "Misshitsu" (1995), Sexy Stream Liner's "Kimi Ga Shin..dara" and "Kalavinka" (1997)
can be seen in the music videos for "Dress" (1993), "Hosoi Sen" (1995)
Greco Phoenix PXB-1600
5 strings
body: walnut/maple/mahogany/maple/walnut (5-ply)
neck: maple/bubinga (5-ply)
fingerboard: ebony
pickups: two EMG 40J
controls: volume, treble, middle, bass, pickup balance
Greco Phoenix PXB-1600
5 strings
used as a substitute for the 5 string above
pickups: two single coil Powerstorms
Greco GPB-800AM
body: ash
neck: maple
fingerboard: ebony
front pickup: Powerstorm PB
rear pickup: Powerstorm JB
bridge: J-510
controls: volume, pickup balance, pro-tech active 3 band equalizer (treble, middle, bass)
usage: this was U-ta's main bass during Sexy Stream Liner (1997)
can be seen in the music video for "Sasayaki" and in the Sweet Strange Live Film and One Life One Death Cut Up (2001) live concert videos
I believe this was also used to record Mona Lisa Overdrive (2003)
Greco GPB-550
pickups: Powerstorm PJ type
usage: this was a substitute for U-ta's main bass above
Greco Mirage MSB-1000 baritone guitar
pickups: humbuckers
scale: 385mm
control: rear pickup tap switch
Equipment: 2000s
(I think this is a Music Man Stingray)
usage: used during the Mona Lisa Overdrive Tour (2003); can be seen in the Warp Days (2002) live concert video
Ernie Ball Music Man Sterling
body: maple, graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity, gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend finish
neck: sculpted neck joint
fingerboard: maple or rosewood, 34" scale, 22 frets
pickups: Music Man humbucking with hum cancelling phantom coil
controls: 3-band active preamp (volume, treble, mid, bass), 3-way pickup balance
tuners: Schaller BM
truss rod: adjustable
scale: 34"
radius: 11"
headstock: 7-5/8" long
usage: used during the Mona Lisa Overdrive Tour (2003); can be seen in the Xanadu and At the Night Side live concert videos
I believe this was also used to record Mona Lisa Overdrive (it was either this or the Stingray)
Vigier Excess VE4EC F fretless
body: maple
neck: bolt-on 10/90 neck system (10% carbon, 90% maple)
pickups: Vigier single coil hum-cancelling
controls: volume, balance, bass, treble
machine heads: Schaller custom
bridge: quick release
usage: can be seen in the One Life, One Death Cut Up (2001) live concert video
Greco Zemaitis GZB-2100EMG Prototype
these were licensed to Greco to make a copy of Zemaitis
U-ta has 2 of these with near identical specs and these were his main bass and sub starting around the 13th Floor With Moonshine Tour (2005)
body: mahogany
neck: mahogany, set-neck
fingerboard: ebony, 22 frets
scale: 812mm
bridge: GZB-1
pickups: EMG (later changed to Seymour Duncan pickups)
controls: 2 volume, tone
PB type pickup is used as a finger rest
notes: the Zemaitis model can be seen in the music videos for "Rendezvous", "Alice in Wonder Underground" (2007), "Heaven" (2008), "Dokudanjou Beauty", "Kuchizuke" (2010); can also be seen in live concert videos since 13th Floor with Diana (2005)
Greco Zemaitis GZB-2500
same specs as above but with DiMarzio Model P& J pickups
Greco Zemaitis GZB U-ta Custom Fretless
fretless version
Greco Zemaitis GZB Custom (2005)
returned to GZB-2100 style with EMG pickups
PB type pickup is used as a finger rest
Greco Zemaitis GZB Custom JJ layout (2007)
body: shell inlay with abalone
neck: thinner than custom model above
nuts: brass
Landscape Swing Bass Artist
usage: upright bass used live on "Coyote"; can be seen in live concert videos since Tenshi No Revolver (2007)
U-ta owns two of these so I assume one is the main and the other is the backup
this is one of the basses that U-ta plays at home
Equipment: 2010s
Zemaitis B22MT MCPJ BLK
metal front bass
body: mahogany
neck: mahogany
usage: possibly first seen during the Buck-Tick Fest 2012 On Parade concert; this has become his main bass since the Yume Miru Uchuu Tour (2012) with the previous main Greco Zemaitis bass taking the sub position
can be seen in the music videos for "Elise No Tame Ni", "Miss Take", "Climax Together" (2012), "Keijijou Ryuusei" (2014), "New World" (2016), "Kemonotachi No Yoru" (2019), "Moonlight Escape" (2020)
Greco mystery bass
U-ta shared this photo in 2015 but I haven't seen the entire bass to guess what model it is
it is likely a custom bass as all of the Greco models for sale at the time had additional writing on the headstock
Probably a custom BGB-2500 in translucent green acquired in 2016
Probably a custom BGB-2500 in translucent brown acquired in 2017
Probably a Greco GEB-1000 acoustic-electric in natural finish acquired in 2019
Equipment: 2020s
Probably a Zemaitis acoustic with rosette acquired in 2021 (possibly a Greco copy)
Skysonic acoustic guitar resonance pickup attached to the soundhole
artist: Hikage
artist: Shammon
artist: Fake?
artist: Tsunematsu Matsui
