Active Band Man Chats - This Year’s Zodiac Sign

So... the year 2025 has begun, and it looks like we both wrapped up our first shows of the year.

Uh... um...

Huh?

Um, um...

What’s up? We’re starting the column now, right?

The zodiac!!

Oh, are you talking about the twelve zodiac signs?

That one!!

You’re noisy right from the start! Let’s make this year’s goal to have smoother openings and more substantial content, okay?

The zodiac!!

Oh right, this time’s theme is the zodiac, right?

Exactly!!

Didn’t we cover the 12 zodiac signs before?

This time, we’ll focus solely on this year’s sign!

Uh... the snake?

Oh, your first pun of the year! Nice one!

Embarrassing... Let’s get to the main content already.

Alright! We’ll be talking about gear related to the snake. I’m heading into the jungle of Sound House to hunt for snake-themed items!

Be careful not to stir up trouble... or get bitten.

I found something!

Right On Straps Snake II / Beige

Ah, a snake-pattern strap. That might be a quick way to incorporate the zodiac theme. Not sure how many people would think of doing that, though... The product description is kind of funny too!

Charvel / Warren DeMartini Signature Snake Pro Mod

Warren DeMartini’s signature model! That’s awesome. As someone who loves LA metal—or what people now call hair metal—I immediately think of this guy when it comes to snake patterns. The other paint jobs are wild too, totally capturing the 80s vibe.

Yeah, snake patterns suit folks into hard rock.

ESP / Snakebyte Camo

This is James Hetfield’s signature model! A snake? Wow, I didn’t know James had a model like this. I never pictured it.

Looks like the finish is called Snakebyte Camouflage.

I see. The body has a camo design, and the fretboard inlays feature a snake that looks ready to strike.

Let’s hope it doesn’t bite your fingers.

King Snake / Two Bone - Durty Sunburst

Ah, the brand itself has ‘snake’ in its name.

Yeah! It’s rare to see a brand that focuses on full hollow-body guitars.

For me, King Snake reminds me of a song by Sunhouse. I wonder if there’s a connection?

Who knows? Next up!

Shin’s Music / Snake Comp Plus

A snake compressor?

Sounds powerful!

I don’t usually associate snakes with compressors—distortion maybe, since I’ve seen knobs labeled ‘Bite’.

Oh yeah, totally. I think Akima & Neos, made by our beloved Akima, had an effect like that.

This compressor even has a bass version. It’s surprisingly popular, I guess. I’m curious now...

Potential MNG of the year? Moving on!

Get’m Get’m Straps / Copper Cobra

Back to straps? Why not introduce them consecutively?

I’m just going in the order I found them... This time, it’s Cobra!

Got it... So it’s a cobra. Not that I see much difference... And as expected, these types of straps are popular with metal and hard rock musicians. The attached video features those types of players... like Ankimo.

Ankimo? Sounds like a dish that pairs well with drinks.

It’s a Japanese band called Unlucky Morpheus. They chose the name to abbreviate as ‘Ankimo’.

Wow, you know your stuff. Next up!

OYAIDE / Black Mamba-Σ V2

Huh? What’s snake-like about this?

Black mamba is a giant snake about three meters long.

Terrifying! And it says it’s “the fastest snake on land.” Maybe the name implies fast signal transmission.

Last one!

MegaHouse Rubik’s Snake Connector

Technically it’s a snake, but... a toy? On Sound House? (Searching for “toys”) Whoa, they actually have a lot of toys. This four-player Mega Othello looks interesting... maybe it’ll be an MNG this year.

That sounds fun! This is like a stretched-out version of a Rubik’s Cube. I wanted this when I was in elementary school!

Then this year you can finally fulfill your dream. Definitely go for it as MNG.

My dream is coming truuuuuuue!

Congratulations!

Thanks! That’s about it, I guess.

That’s it? Personally, I can’t forget Cipher, aka Ichiro Takigawa from D’erlanger when it comes to snake patterns.

Makes sense. But I couldn’t find anything... There was a Cipher model pick, but it’s no longer available.

That’s too bad... kind of disappointing.

Maybe getting snake-themed gear will bring you good luck this year, Horry!

Nice wrap-up! Though only “maybe.”

That’s right, because everything is?

For love!