PedalSnake Reviews

Guitar Player Magazine By Jude Gold
Kudos Gives your side of the stage a Felix Unger level of tidiness. Rugged construction. Time saver. Concerns None. The serpent may be a global symbol for treachery and deceit, but to most pro-audio engineers, “snakes”—the audio pipelines that bundle onstage mic and line signals and shuttle them out to the mixing board—make life a lot easier. Believing that guitarists, too, deserve to be free of electric spaghetti pile-ups on stage, Stage Magic Inc. developed PedalSnake as a guitarist-specific snake. I tested a 4-channel, 18 foot 4M18 BaseSnake ($55 street). Pigtails plug into the Base Snake channels with sturdy 1/4" plugs for G-Lines, and 2.1mm Boss-type power connectors for P-Lines. Two channels were configured with G-Line Pigtails, on Single G-Line ($15) to the amp input, and one Dual G-Line ($24) for FX send and return (Dual's are a slick idea, and save channels). One channel took a Single P-Line ($17) to send my effects power across the stage to my pedalboard. The "single “cable” system is rugged, and flexible for easy coiling. I’m no neat freak, but, wow, does the PedalSnake give your rig a clutter-free air of professionalism. It also saves time during set-up and teardown, because you can leave all 4 plugs on the pedal end entirely connected. You simply coil up the rest of the snake atop your pedalboard.

Guitar World Magazine

By Eric Kirkland

I went to high school with a kid that was notorious for knocking down lead singers in the middle of a set. He wasn’t a 200-pound brute with a quick temper; he was a talented guitarist, whose extensive pedal rig created a dangerous onstage snare of trip wires and booby traps. It wasn’t his fault; no one made a product that could help reduce the clutter.

As luck would have it, Jody Page, a NASA-employed electronics engineer and professional guitar player, was experiencing the same frustrations. In 2003, Page combined his talents and established Stage Magic, Inc., a guitar-accessory company dedicated to taking the pain and nuisance out of live performance. His product, the PedalSnake, works on the same principals as microphone snakes, bundling several signal and power lines into one flexible, rubber-jacketed cable. Color-coded leads make it easy to keep track of your signal flow, and the shielded cable ensures noise-free sound.

I tested the 24 foot, 4-channel 4M24 Base Snake. Pigtails plug into the channels to make 1/4" G-Lines, and 2.1mm P-Lines (like Boss power connectors). P-Lines carry the power out to your pedals from supplies, which nestle safely back with the amp, so no power supplies or AC power strips or cords need to invade your pedal-space. Using Pigtails, I configured three G-Lines lines and one power line for 9VDC pedals. Even with a minimalist rig, PedalSnake significantly improved both setup time and the look of my rig.

The PedalSnake System is plug n play, so they adapt when your rig changes. There are four Base Snakes--4 and 7 channel, each coming in 18 and 24 foot lengths. If you need extra length, or more channels, are available, but if you need something special—the PedalSnakeCS Custom Shop can do it for you--at an affordable price.

It might have taken a rocket scientist to solve the pedal clutter equation, but the results are something even a drummer could appreciate.

Street Price PedalSnake Systems start at $87

GuitarOne Magazine

By Stephen Baniak

PedalSnake by Stage Magic Inc. is an all-in-one instrument and power cable "snake" that uses an innovative shielding scheme and a "less is more" attitude to make gigging with your pedalboard a whole lot simpler.

A PedalSnake System consists of a one Base Snake, and whatever Pigtails are needed for a particular rig's needs. The Pigtails employ sturdy 1/4" plugs (G-Lines), or Boss-style DC power connectors (P-Lines). The completed PedalSnake-system is strong and flexible yet easy to transport; just coil it and toss it in your pedalboard or gigbag.

The intuitive nature of the design was impressive. Color-coding the Amp and Pedal ends--as well as the individual lines--helps simplify the setup and breakdown complex rigs. The reduced clutter of instrument and power cables makes a stage setup much easier to navigate and a lot cleaner in appearance--thus making you look much cooler.

We auditioned an 18 foot, 4-channel system with with 3 G-Lines and 1 P-Line (for 9VDC) with a Fender Tele, Boss SD-1, CE-2, TU-2, Frantone Brooklyn Overdrive, Ibanez TS-9, Crowther Hotcake OD, MXR Dyna- Comp, MXR Blue Box and a Crybaby Wah- all through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Whether connected with the FX loop or plugged straight into the amp, the PedalSnake was easy to understand; and whether using three pedals or seven pedals, the device was transparent and quiet.

With 4 BaseSnakes (4 or 7 channels, 18 or 24 foot lengths) and a multitude of available mods and accessories, it shouldn't be hard to find a PedalSnake that works for your setup. The simple design and expandability of the PedalSnake System proves that easy really does do it.

Premier Guitar Magazine

By Jeff Scheetz

You may not know you need a PedalSnake for yourself yet, but whether you run a pedalboard full of effects, or just a couple of stomp boxes, you need one of these!

I’m sure many ax-grinders reading this are just like me. You start out with a pedal or two and gradually add a few more until you realize that you need a board to put them on; while you try to keep it neat and organized, you finally lose the battle and just give up. In the end, at the front of the stage there’s a tangled mess of cables and power supplies that you usually just wad up in a big ball at the end of the gig and throw in a box to deal with at the next sound check. You spend too much time untangling cables and running numerous long lines from your amp to your pedalboard.

Sound familiar?

Well, the PedalSnake fixes all of this–and more. It takes all of your cables running from your amp to your pedalboard and puts them into one “snake”; think of a snake running to the PA, with 24 channels of mic cables in it. But the PedalSnake also deals with all of your other cabling, containing your guitar lines, power lines, and MIDI lines all inside one flexible snake cable.

PedalSnake is a modular system approach that can handle many different situations and can be changed or expanded as your pedalboard's needs change. There are four BaseSnakes--coming in 4 and 8 channel models, each with a length choice of 18 or 24 feet. Channels act as MIDI lines--until you plug in a Pigtail Kit. If you change your pedals or get another amp, just change add or swap out Pigtails on your Base Snake. Pigtails make 1/4" G-Lines and 2.1mm P-Lines (like Boss power connectors). Dual Pigtails can yield two lines from one channel--great for the send and return of an effects loop, and other similar applications.

The PedalSnakeCS Custom Shop can give you more channels and length if needed. And the price is affordable, believe it or not!

In practice, PedalSnake is a great time saver. I have my rig set up to where I can just unplug the amp end of the snake, roll up the one cable, set it on my pedalboard and then move on. Next sound check–open up the pedalboard, unroll the one cable and plug it into my amp, wireless, and rack, and I’m ready to go. All the channels are color-coded, so if you color-code the amp connections to match, getting connected is a snap. It also keeps the stage much cleaner, as there is only one big cable going from the back to the front.

There is so much expandability in these snakes that you really need to go to www.pedalsnake.com to get the full story. The PedalSnake is one of those things, like cell phones, the Internet, and email--after you get it, you say, “How did I get by without this?” I for one am not planning on going back.

Rating

We give PedalSnake the gold!

MusicPlayers.com

By Derek Davidowich

This is a very thorough review, with a nice visual layout online, so we'll just provide the link:

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitar/2008/0108_PedalSnake.php

MusicPlayers.com gave PedalSnake the WIHO Award (("Wish I Had One").

Thanks guys!

GuitarGearHeads.com

By Gary Allen

This review is long and detailed, with a nice layout online, so we'll just provide the link:

http://www.guitargearheads.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=968

GuitarGearHeads.com gave PedalSnake the Rig Ready Award. Thanks guys!

Email from PedalSnake Users

"I would like to thank you so much for the PedalSnake idea. It saves time and things LOOK COOL!!! I have a road case for my pedalboard and I roll the PedalSnake up and put it in the case with the board. The snake has helped my guitar setup and breakdown faster than ever, also it looks better with out all the cables all over the place...I can't thank of any really bad things to say, the PedalSnake is well made and works great. All I can say is that I love my PedalSnake and thank you so much for the great product. I couldn't ask for anything better." Jason May (Opelika, AL)

"I received my PedalSnake last week and tried it out at home briefly and it worked great. I took it to my first gig last night and again, it worked flawlessly. It was exactly what I was looking for. Set up and tear down was quick and easy. There were a lot less wires spread around for me to trip on. The PedalSnake is one of those products that makes you ask 'why didn't someone think of this sooner'?" Greg Galvan (Arvada, CO)

"Love the PedalSnake. It's definitely sped up set up and tear down times, and since I play a lot of corporate type functions, it makes my rig appear a little less chaotic than it is... Instead of that rat's nest of cables that the tuxedos turn their noses up at, I have a single elegant line disappearing behind my amp... I'll get another for my big stage rig soon." Tim Schulz

"I absolutely love my PedalSnake! I wish I could have had one years earlier. My sound is better and quieter plus it looks better on stage. I now only use the PedalSnake where as before I had to use 5 cables! Great product...you have a customer for life!... Thanks again." Ric Tereso (Ludlow, MA)

"The pedal snake is great and has made my setup much easier for all our live shows. I've had several other guitarists ask me about it. I don't know why someone didn't come up with it sooner." Lew Morris www.coilback.com (McKinney, TX)

"I love my pedal snake. It is nice to be able to jump around and worry about playing rather than untangling my feet from the mess of cables that are usually on the floor. Keep up the great work. Thanks." Ben Foust (Edwardsville, IL)

"So far it's working great. Definitely simplifies setup time, and cuts down on clutter at the pedalboard." Brett Orvis (Barre, VT)

"My PedalSnake is great, makes my life and stage so much easier and cleaner." Glenn Esparza (Denver, CO)

"I love my PedalSnake. It's working beautifully." Jim Kopp (St. Peters, MO)