Tak Matsumoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tak Matsumoto
Matsumoto performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Takahiro Matsumoto
Born	(1961-03-27) March 27, 1961 (age 64) Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
Genres	Hard rock blues jazz pop heavy metal instrumental rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1981–present
Labels	Vermillion Favored Nations

Takahiro Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro), born on March 27, 1961, in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan, is a famous Japanese musician. He is a talented songwriter and also produces music. He is best known as the amazing guitarist and main composer for the rock duo B'z. This group is the best-selling music act in Japan!

Tak Matsumoto also has a very successful solo career. He has won many Japan Gold Disc Awards. He even won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album for his album Take Your Pick in 2010. He made this album with another great guitarist, Larry Carlton. Tak Matsumoto is one of only five guitarists in the world to have his very own special Gibson guitar model.

Tak Matsumoto's Musical Journey

How Tak Started Playing Guitar

Tak Matsumoto was just 13 years old when he first felt inspired to play the guitar. He heard Eric Clapton playing on The Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". This song made him want to pick up a guitar himself.

When he was 15, he bought his first electric guitar. It was a Japanese Gibson Les Paul. He decided to get it after hearing Deep Purple's guitarist Ritchie Blackmore play "Smoke on the Water". This was on their live album Made in Japan.

Tak's Musical Influences

Over the years, Tak Matsumoto has shared that he has many favorite artists. These artists have given him a lot of ideas and inspiration. He loves hard rock bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Van Halen. He also admires Michael Schenker.

Tak also enjoys classical music. This love for classical music led him to add string instruments to many of B'z's songs. He has also worked with the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra for many years. Their music often appeared on earlier B'z albums.

Becoming a Professional Musician

Tak Matsumoto went to a jazz school to learn more about music. He started working as a session musician, which means he played guitar for other artists in the studio or on tour. He supported tours for bands like TM Network. This experience really helped him become a skilled musician.

Working with many different styles of music helped him create his own unique sound. He mixed parts of his jazz training, blues music, classical music, heavy metal, rock, and ska. Tak continued to work as a session musician through the early and mid-1980s. He played with artists like Mari Hamada.

Starting His Own Band: B'z

After his solo album Thousand Wave, Tak Matsumoto wanted to start his own band. He had finished his session work and was also starting to produce music. He began looking for a singer.

He heard a tape from an unknown singer named Koshi Inaba and was very impressed. Their first time recording together was a cover of "Let It Be" and "Oh! Darling" by The Beatles. Even though the amplifier broke, Tak knew he had found his new singer.

Tak Matsumoto and Koshi Inaba formed the duo B'z. They officially started in September 1988. B'z has become one of the most successful bands in Japanese music history. This is partly because Tak loved blues, classical, and jazz, while Inaba preferred rock music. Their different styles blended perfectly.

Collaborations and Special Projects

Tak Matsumoto has many friends who are also musicians. These include Barry Sparks, Marty Friedman, Billy Sheehan, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Martin, Jack Blades, Joe Perry, Pat Torpey, Steven Tyler, and Steve Vai. Tak and Inaba even recorded a song called "Asian Sky" with Steve Vai for his 1999 album, The Ultra Zone.

Billy Sheehan played on B'z's 1999 album Brotherhood. He also toured with them in 2002. In 2002, Tak Matsumoto wrote music for two songs on Misia's album Kiss in the Sky. She asked him to join after hearing his solo work.

Tak Matsumoto Group (TMG)

In 2004, Tak Matsumoto formed a new group called "Tak Matsumoto Group" (TMG). He teamed up with Eric Martin as the singer and Jack Blades on bass. They also had different drummers like Brian Tichy and Cindy Blackman. Tak played guitar, produced the album, and wrote songs. Eric and Jack wrote the lyrics.

Their single "Oh Japan ~Our Time Is Now~" was released in March. The album TMG I came out on June 23. Tak had to travel back and forth to the US to record it. The album mixed rock music with sounds from Asia. It quickly became number one on the Oricon Albums Chart.

In July 2004, Tak had special concerts with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. He played B'z's hit song "Love Phantom" and his solo song "HANA" with just his guitar and the orchestra. TMG then went on their "Dodge The Bullet" tour.

In November 2004, Tak Matsumoto started his own music label called "House of Strings." This label focuses on guitarists and musicians who play string instruments. He released an instrumental album with the same name, which included Christmas songs like "Itsuka no Merry Christmas."

Recent Achievements

In 2005, Tak Matsumoto created the music for the movie Ultraman: The Next. The next year, he wrote the song "Real Face" for the group KAT-TUN. This song became the best-selling Japanese single of 2006.

In 2010, after touring with B'z, Tak worked with guitarist Larry Carlton. They released an album called Take Your Pick on June 2, 2010. This album was a huge success! It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. It also won Jazz Album of the Year at the 25th Japan Gold Disc Awards.

Tak Matsumoto released an album called Enigma in 2016. In 2017, he worked with Hawaiian artist Daniel Ho on the album Electric Island, Acoustic Sea. His albums Strings of My Soul (2012), New Horizon (2014), and Bluesman (2020) all won the Japan Gold Disc Award for Instrumental Album of the Year.

On March 8, 2024, the Tak Matsumoto Group (TMG) announced they were getting back together! They are working on a second album and planning a tour across Japan.

Tak Matsumoto's Impact

Tak Matsumoto is known for bringing back and changing the idea of a "Japanese guitar hero." He made the electric guitar very popular in Japan. Terry Burrows called him the "most highly regarded guitarist to emerge from Asia."

In 2011, a Japanese search engine called goo asked people who they thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan. Tak Matsumoto came in first place! In 2019, his song "1090 ~Thousand Dreams~" was named the 51st best guitar instrumental by Young Guitar Magazine. In April 2022, the Japanese government gave Tak Matsumoto the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon. This award was for his generous contributions to society.

Tak's Musical Gear

His Special Gibson Guitars

Tak Matsumoto received his own special Les Paul guitar from Gibson in 1999. He was the first guitarist from Asia to join the Gibson signature artist club. He holds the record for having 7 different signature models made, including the "Model Double Cutaway." His Les Paul model was also made into an Epiphone guitar. More recently, a special "Doublecut Custom Ebony" model was released.

Guitars and Amps Over the Years

Tak Matsumoto has used many different guitars and amplifiers throughout his career.

Early Gear (1980s-1990s)

• 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM Signature Model (1988–1989)
• 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM-II Signature Model (1990–1992)
• 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM-III Signature Model (1993–1995)
• Gibson Les Paul Standard Gold Top (1991–1998)
• Music Man EVH Signature Model (1995–1998)
• (Mesa Boogie) Mark III head amp (1985–1991)
• VHT 100 watt rack-mounted heads (1985–1991)
• (Mesa Boogie) 2 channel Dual Rectifier 100 watt (1992–1995)
• (Mesa Boogie) 4 X 12 celestion speaker
• Rockman XPR (1988–1997)
• Marshall JCM 800 100 watt heads (1994)
• Marshall 4x12's with Celestion speakers (1992–1997)
• Peavey 5150 guitar amp (1996–2000)
• Peavey 5150II 100 watt amplifier (2000–2002)
• EMB Audio Remote wah system

Current Gear (2002–Present)

• Gibson 'Tak' Matsumoto Signature Model (4 types)
• 2 ESP Custom Shop Craft House Eclipses (blue burst floyd, amber burst)
• Bogner Ecstasy Classic 100 watt Amplifiers
• Bogner Uberschall 100 Watt Amplifiers
• Bogner "Rei" 4x12 cabinets (with special speakers)
• Budda Budwah
• Digitech Whammy Pedal
• Taurus Distortion Pedal
• Dunlop 1.00 Guitar Picks
• Sadowsky Tokyo Stratocaster Type (2006)
• Music Man EVH Signature Model (2018-Present)

Tak Matsumoto also has a large collection of guitars. These include:

• 1870 Martin C-7 Acoustic Guitar
• 1937 Martin 000-18 Acoustic Guitar
• 1952 Fender Telecaster
• 1954 Fender Stratocaster
• 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop
• 1959 Gibson Les Paul Flametop
• 1962 Fender Stratocaster
• 1962 Gibson SG

He also collects older guitar amplifiers and is a skilled bass player. Besides guitars, he owns other instruments, like a few sitars.

Tak Matsumoto's Music

With B'z

Solo Albums

Tak Matsumoto has released many solo albums. Here are some of them:

Solo Singles

Here are some of Tak Matsumoto's singles:

With Larry Carlton

Albums

With Daniel Ho

Albums

With TMG (Tak Matsumoto Group)

See also

In Spanish: Tak Matsumoto para niños