In 1997, after SUGIZO's solo work finished, the members of LUNA SEA united again and started making new songs.While they worked over ideas for the new material, strategy for next year's tour was also being planned. In a pre-production studio, embracing his ECLIPSE on his knees, SUGIZO was thinking "I want to let him evolve much more. And what could be done to let it sound much better?" SUGIZO and the guitar technician Mr.Tsuji discussed over and over. At last, it was decided to make some prototypes. Firstly, the neck-joint was transferred from through neck to set neck, and few kinds of pickups were tried. It was decided that they build one with fender Jaguar's pickup, one with P-90 pickup, and one with pickups from a stratocaster..
In the next year, the ECLIPE with Jaguar pickups and one with P-90 pickups finished construction. SUGIZO was delighted with these overwhelming two, and the two guitars were decided to be used in the forthcoming tour. This model was made in prior to mounting stratocaster pickups, so the holes for the pickups are shaped narrowly and tightly.

In July of 1998, the rehearsals for the "SHINING BRIGHTLY" TOUR started,ready for the debut of the new ECLIPSEs. Members were working fast for the new material's rehearsals. In the rehearsal studio, the S-1 stratocaster was waiting for his turn for a long time, but it was never used. When the long one month rehearsal finished and it was time to start the ride, the S-1 was decided to be taken with them "just in case" when the instruments were being loaded. The S-1 stratocaster was never used in this year's tour, but was given its role as a 'dressing room guitar'.On the day of a live, SUGIZO never neglects doing warming up exercises.
Being used like that for finger warmups, S-1 stratocaster was getting accustomed to SUGIZO, and also evolving day by day as an instrument.


Writer - Takashi Shinji