Midnight Rendezvous by Casiopea (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Midnight Rendezvous by Casiopea guitar tone is built on a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus, dialed in at gain 5/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 19 jazz tones in our researched catalog: Gain 5 sits well above the jazz average (2.1) — a hotter, more saturated take than most jazz tones; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2); treble 7 is above the 5.4 norm (brighter attack).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Yamaha SG2000 · Amp: Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

Studio recording, Mint Jams (1982). No direct evidence of pedal/amp settings for this solo, but Yamaha SG2000 and Roland JC-120 are confirmed as Issei Noro's main studio gear for this era. No evidence of live rig for this specific solo.

Gear used on this tone

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Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Yamaha SG2000 → Chorus pedal (model unknown) → Delay pedal (model unknown) → Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

Effects

chorus, delay, reverb

Amp effects: Chorus · Reverb (spring, level 4)

Tone character

singing sustain, liquid lead tone, smooth overdrive, bright and articulate, slight chorus shimmer, fast attack, clear note separation, fusion lead clarity, moderate compression, tight low end

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Midnight Rendezvous sound.

Difficulty

4.5/5 · Solo

The solo demands advanced technique due to its fast tempo, intricate phrasing, and the need for precise articulation and timing, making it challenging even for experienced players.

Worth knowing

• No direct source provides exact pedal or amp settings for this solo; all settings are estimated based on typical Yamaha SG2000 + Roland JC-120 usage in early 1980s jazz fusion.
• No explicit mention of pedal models or settings for the Mint Jams 'Midnight Rendezvous' solo; effects are inferred from audio and genre conventions.
• No official rig rundown or studio notes found for this specific recording.
• Chorus and delay are clearly audible in the solo section, but specific pedal models are not confirmed in any source.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Issei Noro's solo tone on 'Midnight Rendezvous' is clean but with a touch of breakup, warm and mid-forward, typical of late 70s/early 80s Japanese fusion. His Yamaha SG and Roland/Boss gear favor a balanced EQ with slightly boosted mids and treble for articulation, moderate bass for fullness, and subtle reverb for space.

Midnight Rendezvous guitar tone — FAQ

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Sources

• What pedals/effects do you think were used to get this tone on ...
• [Discussion] What're your favorite jazz fusion songs/solos?
• Best Casiopea guitar solo?

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