Active Band Man Chats - Music Gear Inspired by the 12 Zodiac Signs

So, what’s the topic this time?

Hey horry, what’s your zodiac sign?

Uhh what?

I’m a Scorpio!

Ah, you mean horoscope stuff? In that case, I’m an Aries.

I see… Scorpio and Aries compatibility is… “If they understand each other’s individuality, it can have a fantastic relationship!” (according to kizuhiko’s research)

“If they understand each other”… doesn’t that apply to literally everyone?

Argh! But hey, we are both pretty unique…

What do you think? I’m just average, and you, my prince, might already be beyond the bounds of “individuality”…

And so!

So what do you mean exactly?

There must be gear that matches each zodiac sign!

By zodiac sign? Hmm… I’m not so sure about that.

I believe it! I’m off to the vast universe of Sound House! Onboard the Galaxy Express!

That’s oddly grandiose. Have a good trip.

I’m back!

That was fast (lol). So, how was it?

The stars were beautiful!

Umm… what were we looking for again?

Gear!

You remembered! (lol)

Alright then! Gear inspired by the 12 zodiac signs, part 1! First up, Aries for horry!

MOODY STRAPS / 1" SHEEPSKIN GUITAR STRAP - BLACK/BLACK Standard

A strap and it’s sheepskin? That’s pretty fancy. The price reflects that too...

It’s probably gentle and soft on the shoulder—like a sheep.

“Gentle on the shoulder,” huh? (lol) Lately, I’ve been using wider straps to reduce strain and for durability, but I still admire these slim ones.

Especially for us who came of age in the '80s and '90s.

Of course, there are still people using them—like Tomoaking from The Captains. When you wear your guitar low, a thin strap just works better.

Next up—Taurus!

D’Angelico / Premier Bedford, Oxblood

Is that the name of the finish? “Oxblood,” so... it's cow's blood, maybe?

Probably! A deep, dark red—it feels solid and grounded. I actually know a lot of Tauruses. Ted from The Captains is one.

That makes sense. May always seemed full of birthday events.

Every weekend, someone is doing something somewhere (laughs).

Still, “Oxblood” is an intense name. It kind of gives off a rock vibe, or maybe not…

Next up! Gemini.

PLAYTECH / Gemini Reverb Delay

Oh, our beloved PLAYTECH. The product description says, “Like Gemini (the twins), it combines delay and reverb, enabling free sound creation in one unit.”

As expected from PLAYTECH. Affordable price and high performance!

Definitely. Having reverb and delay combined is nice. It might be the best solution for beginners to learn about reverb and delay. Plus, ROLLY is in the demo video!

Really! He tries out five models here. This is bad news…

What’s bad about that?

You end up wanting all of them!

Ah, that kind of bad news (laughs). By the way, at next month’s event, you’re playing together with The Captains, right? Could this effect pedal make an appearance there…? (laughs)

That’s uncertain (laughs). On July 13th at Shimokitazawa ReG in Tokyo, we will be holding our own event “Shin Shisshin Tengoku 2025” with a special lineup including The Captains and ROLLY! Please come!

By the way, Horry will also be at the venue that day.

As staff, though (laughs). Now that I’ve sneakily promoted myself, what’s next?

Cancer! …but I couldn’t find anything for it…

Oh.

I thought maybe a crab hot pot cooking set would exist!

A crab hot pot cooking set… no way there is one (laughs).

But, you know, it’s Sound House, right? They have a great reputation for their camping gear too.

That’s true.

Ah, a crab pun!

Please stop (laughs).

Next is Leo!

Laney / LIONHEART CABINETS-LT212 Guitar Cabinet

A cab! That’s a big one.

Since it’s Lionheart, that means it’s a lion’s heart? Sounds like it’ll produce a powerful sound!

In The Wizard of Oz, the lion was cowardly though… But Laney has a series called "LIONHEART". They’ve got quite a few others too. The somewhat classic style looks cool.

Even if the look is classic, it seems to get along well with digital modeling amps. Very modern.

Personally, when I hear "LIONHEART", I think of a band. A band with former Iron Maiden members. When you add an S and it becomes "LIONSHEART", that’s the band Steve Grimmett was in… Their recordings were pretty cool.

What’s with that cryptic way of putting it? (laughs) For me, it’s gotta be a SMAP song. Anyway, next: Virgo!

SOURCE AUDIO / SA244 L.A. Lady OD

Lady? The product description says, “The goddess of L.A. Lady Overdrive, with a naturally flexible, ever-changing distortion voice”… It says goddess and not virgin, doesn’t it?

That’s safe, right?

Well, I don’t even know the rules to begin with (laughs). Do as you please.

Sa-a-a-a-fe!!

Yeah, yeah. SOURCE AUDIO gives me the impression they make innovative effects. The EQ2 is something I’m curious about, though I don’t feel like I could really use it well.

Same here (laughs). I wish someone could explain it clearly.

This… you do need other gear for it, but apparently you can create 128 presets and control them via MIDI. That’s amazing. Though I wonder if we really need 128 presets.

For people playing in various bands and stages, that might be convenient. Next up, Libra!

LOGOS / Fielder Kettle 1500

What’s that?

It’s a kettle.

?

Since it’s Libra, which means “scales”, I thought it’d be good to have something to measure, so I thought of this!

It’s certainly a “kettle with measurement marks”… but this is getting a bit tough, huh?

Hey! That’s not true at all!

Well, that’s fine… but still, what an incredible selection. As expected from Sound House, which is also reputed for its extensive camping gear (second time mentioning).

Yeah, exactly. Next up, my Scorpio!

PLAYTECH / Scorpio Fuzz

Scorpio! I wonder if it has a venomous sound?

It could! Something sharp and edgy. If you’re curious, check out the video—ROLLY-san’s 5-pedal demo! You’ll want to get one for sure!

And it’s ridiculously cheap too. It’s already cheap and now there’s a special limited price… (Info as of June 23, 2025)

Next up, Sagittarius!

WARM AUDIO / Centavo Overdrive

This one’s exactly that! It’s an effect pedal modeled after the famous distortion “Centaur”.

Yeah. The real one isn’t something you can just casually buy…

The “Centaur-style” category is practically a thing now… I wonder how this one stands out. I’ve heard it’s been well received since its release, even among clone pedals.

As expected, there are lots of reviews, so if you’re curious, check it out. Next up, Capricorn is…

JACKSON. AUDIO / FUZZ PLUG IN "GOAT HEAD"

What kind of thing is this...? Is it a modular type? Like swapping out the circuit part of a “MODULAR FUZZ”?

Most likely! It’s called “Goat Head”!

I see. Maybe the name’s inspired by The Rolling Stones. Like their album Goat’s Head Soup era sound?

Surely! Modular types like this are fun. Kind of gadget-like.

Sometimes you see these kinds of things. Yeah, it does feel like a gadget. The price is pretty steep though.

We’re getting close to the end — Aquarius!

PLAYTECH / Aquarius Chorus

This one fits perfectly too! Aquarius!

Right! The image of pure water suits a chorus effect perfectly!

Definitely, the image of water suits chorus pedals. When I was looking for a chorus pedal before, JAM PEDAL’s chorus was also a candidate, and its model name is “Waterfall”. But seriously, Sound House really covers even the tiniest needs.

Now, finally, Pisces!

ONE'S WAY / Fun Learning Cloth “Sakana-hen” Cream

Huh?

Huh?

What’s this?

A cloth for instruments! It’s a proper piece of gear, right?

Hmm… well, I guess that’s fine. Or rather, it can’t be helped (laughs).

Safe!!! Yay! Woohoo!

Ah, a fish pun (laughs). But if it’s about fish, wouldn’t it have been better to search for something like “SHARK”? There are quite a few options.

I see...

Like the shark inlays on Jackson guitars. That’s not like you, the master of forced puns.

Then, how about this?

FISHMAN / Fluence Tosin Abasi 6-String Set Nickel

I see, Fishman.

Famous for acoustic guitar stuff, but they also release electric guitar pickups — pretty cool!

Yeah (laughs). Thanks for the hard work. But it’s a shame that only Cancer is missing...

Alright, I’m off on another star tour!

Have a good trip! How many light years do you have to wait for, anyway...?

I’m back!

So fast (laughs).

Here it is!

KAVABORG / KCE80E Electric Guitar Gig Bag A001

Exactly!

Right?!

Actually, looking at the variations, all the zodiac signs are now covered.

Thump!

Maybe you didn’t really need to go on that trip?

Ba-dump Ba-dump! Ah, but you know, I also found gear that suits Aries horry even better!

Oh yeah? What is it?

This!

ELECTRO-HARMONIX / RAM'S HEAD BIG MUFF Pi

Ram’s Head! Definitely sheep-related!

When it comes to Horry, it’s all about the distortion!

Can’t deny that... Well, you really did a good job finding it this time too.

Right? For a last-minute start! Thanks, Maetel!

Who do you think you’re calling Maetel? (laughs) But we’re probably the only ones searching like this on the Sound House website...

Probably (laughs). So, I think it’s fun to try using gear linked to your own zodiac sign. And everything is…

Because of love!