Big Daddy
Well-known member
The first thing I want to do is apologize to Rob. Some dudes will buy anything that comes out because the GAS is strong within them, but many will wait for a review that helps peak their interest. We all rely on each other for information and the modders rely on us to help them sell their stuff to a degree. When one of them works with you as hard as Rob did with three or four of us on a module, we owe it to him, at least I feel I do, to give honest reviews of his work to not only thank him for a job well done, but to help spread the word on the hard work he just completed. LoD21 and I have been in a steel cage match with amps, preamps, microphones and Protools for the last few months trying to get a project tracked, as well as get the killer guitar tone on tape ? sorry, I?m old? I mean to the computer 
We have been quite preoccupied problem solving and choosing the right equipment for our studio, as well as modules for our MTS rigs. I should have done this review in March, but its taken me this long to get to it. So, for what its worth, I?m sorry? I should have made more of an effort to do this sooner. Better late than never, right? LOL
Now to business? The JF Snakebite.
Ridiculous! This thing is so versatile with all of the bells and whistles that it has exceeded my expectations in every way. And remember, for those that keep track, we have super tricked out JF custom Rectos that Matt Fig dubbed ?Mamba Killers? as well as a pair of Mamba SEs. I expected a LOT! I got more than I imagined I could.
When I commissioned the Snakebite ? along with a few other venerable MTS vets ? I wanted something that sounded Killswitch, like my Mamba SE, but was more versatile, thicker and quieter. I wanted more control over the mids ? I ALWAYS want more control over the mids ? I wanted to know if we could squeeze even more gain out of it ? because I always want more gain and yes I realize I have an illness ? I was hoping for smoother more three dimensional highs and upper mids. Well? Rob delivered!
GAIN: More gain than any one man could ever need. Even on 10 the gain is usable, but is really shines opened up a bit more with the gain set between 11 and 3 o?clock. I always feel better when I have a little left on tap and you can leave a lot on tap with the Snakebite and still have a very warm saturated distortion that is really unique to this module.
CRUNCH/LEAD: Pretty much as advertised. The Crunch channel has more gain than almost any stock module out there. Flick the switch to lead and experience high gain bliss. Personally, I don?t need this switch, but Rob kept others in mind by dialing back the gain a bit. He assures me that someone may actually switch this module off the Lead channel, while I don?t believe him, I humor him LOL
BASS: Plenty of low end to suit any MTS amplifier. Most if my high gain modules have plenty of low end on my RM100H with E34Ls, but can seem a little anemic on combo amps, like my pals Lynchbox combo. Not the Snakebite. Crank ?em up and you get a warm blanket of low end that stays well behind the line of adding blocking distortion while still giving you way more low end than you could ever want. Unlike other modules I own, when I turn the bass down it doesn?t seem to lose the thump, there?s just less bass. Very cool and unlike any other MTS module I have ever owned or played
MIDDLE: Between the Voicing switch and the Freq knob I have more controls than I have EVER had over the mids. Let?s face it, guitar lives in the mids. If the mids suck, your tone sucks. Over the years I have become quite particular about my mids ? ask Bruce, I think I might have made crazy over the years with my mid tweaks By the time I met Rob, through trial and error with Bruce, I already had a good handle on what I want from my mids, but I wanted to be able to refine them even more. In my opinion, this guy has the most versatile mids out there. Some modules are just set right, this is true, but the Snakebite gives you so many mid options I can?t imagine anyone not being able to get the mids they are looking for out of this module. I just can?t imagine it.
TREBLE: The treble is sweet and in no way harsh. With Fangs engaged you can get a boat load of highs, but they always seem to remain smoothe no matter how crisp you set them. I find myself having to dial them back farther than I normally set my treble because they don?t get annoying like so many amps do when you have them set too high. This module can make the darkest power amp shimmer and when used in an amp that has abundant highs they are more multifaceted than pretty much anything else I have ever heard. Very three dimensional.
FANGS: I realize that this switch is out of order, but I intentionally left the best for last. I have mentioned that I am not quite right in the head several times before. I love gain and hate crappy mids. I?m an Aries and love long walks on the beach?. Ooops, sorry! Anyway, during R&D I called Rob frantically one morning complaining about having to have a pedal in front of my Mamba SE to nail Killswitch Engage. I hate having to kick the pedal off to clean up for cleaner parts and hate, H. A. T. E. HATE!, the noise it adds to my otherwise quiet RM100H. Don?t get me wrong, I get a little white noise when my volume control is down, but it?s nothing in comparison to other high gain amps I have owned, especially considering the amount of gain I use. So I asked Rob if it was possible to just put the guts of a Maxon 808 INSIDE the Snakebite. Just set it like I like it, it never varies, shove it in there and let me forget about it. ?Won?t work? he said. He?d have to add another sub-board on top of the main and it would render the module cost ineffective, etc? We agreed it was a cool idea, just not practical. Then I get a phone call. ?I think I figured it out?? Rob tells me and the rest is history Not only is the Fangs switch one of my very favorite features on the Snakebite, it?s the feature I am most proud of because it?s probably the most important contribution ? besides money LOL ? I made to this spectacular module.
More than a couple very respected and influential board members, as well as at least one heavy hitter I don?t know that I have ever seen post here, had everything to do with breathing life into this monster, but I take my hat off to Rob for adding his own personal passion, vision and, most importantly, talent to make a module that made so many of us so happy!
Great, great module! Sorry for the long overdue review, but thank you for giving me the tone I have been after for my entire career. Now maybe the voices in my head will be silenced! LOL
Other opinions welcomed
Keep the Faith!
H
We have been quite preoccupied problem solving and choosing the right equipment for our studio, as well as modules for our MTS rigs. I should have done this review in March, but its taken me this long to get to it. So, for what its worth, I?m sorry? I should have made more of an effort to do this sooner. Better late than never, right? LOLNow to business? The JF Snakebite.
Ridiculous! This thing is so versatile with all of the bells and whistles that it has exceeded my expectations in every way. And remember, for those that keep track, we have super tricked out JF custom Rectos that Matt Fig dubbed ?Mamba Killers? as well as a pair of Mamba SEs. I expected a LOT! I got more than I imagined I could.
When I commissioned the Snakebite ? along with a few other venerable MTS vets ? I wanted something that sounded Killswitch, like my Mamba SE, but was more versatile, thicker and quieter. I wanted more control over the mids ? I ALWAYS want more control over the mids ? I wanted to know if we could squeeze even more gain out of it ? because I always want more gain and yes I realize I have an illness
? I was hoping for smoother more three dimensional highs and upper mids. Well? Rob delivered!GAIN: More gain than any one man could ever need. Even on 10 the gain is usable, but is really shines opened up a bit more with the gain set between 11 and 3 o?clock. I always feel better when I have a little left on tap and you can leave a lot on tap with the Snakebite and still have a very warm saturated distortion that is really unique to this module.
CRUNCH/LEAD: Pretty much as advertised. The Crunch channel has more gain than almost any stock module out there. Flick the switch to lead and experience high gain bliss. Personally, I don?t need this switch, but Rob kept others in mind by dialing back the gain a bit. He assures me that someone may actually switch this module off the Lead channel, while I don?t believe him, I humor him
LOLBASS: Plenty of low end to suit any MTS amplifier. Most if my high gain modules have plenty of low end on my RM100H with E34Ls, but can seem a little anemic on combo amps, like my pals Lynchbox combo. Not the Snakebite. Crank ?em up and you get a warm blanket of low end that stays well behind the line of adding blocking distortion while still giving you way more low end than you could ever want. Unlike other modules I own, when I turn the bass down it doesn?t seem to lose the thump, there?s just less bass. Very cool and unlike any other MTS module I have ever owned or played
MIDDLE: Between the Voicing switch and the Freq knob I have more controls than I have EVER had over the mids. Let?s face it, guitar lives in the mids. If the mids suck, your tone sucks. Over the years I have become quite particular about my mids ? ask Bruce, I think I might have made crazy over the years with my mid tweaks
By the time I met Rob, through trial and error with Bruce, I already had a good handle on what I want from my mids, but I wanted to be able to refine them even more. In my opinion, this guy has the most versatile mids out there. Some modules are just set right, this is true, but the Snakebite gives you so many mid options I can?t imagine anyone not being able to get the mids they are looking for out of this module. I just can?t imagine it.TREBLE: The treble is sweet and in no way harsh. With Fangs engaged you can get a boat load of highs, but they always seem to remain smoothe no matter how crisp you set them. I find myself having to dial them back farther than I normally set my treble because they don?t get annoying like so many amps do when you have them set too high. This module can make the darkest power amp shimmer and when used in an amp that has abundant highs they are more multifaceted than pretty much anything else I have ever heard. Very three dimensional.
FANGS: I realize that this switch is out of order, but I intentionally left the best for last. I have mentioned that I am not quite right in the head several times before. I love gain and hate crappy mids. I?m an Aries and love long walks on the beach?. Ooops, sorry! Anyway, during R&D I called Rob frantically one morning complaining about having to have a pedal in front of my Mamba SE to nail Killswitch Engage. I hate having to kick the pedal off to clean up for cleaner parts and hate, H. A. T. E. HATE!, the noise it adds to my otherwise quiet RM100H. Don?t get me wrong, I get a little white noise when my volume control is down, but it?s nothing in comparison to other high gain amps I have owned, especially considering the amount of gain I use. So I asked Rob if it was possible to just put the guts of a Maxon 808 INSIDE the Snakebite. Just set it like I like it, it never varies, shove it in there and let me forget about it. ?Won?t work? he said. He?d have to add another sub-board on top of the main and it would render the module cost ineffective, etc? We agreed it was a cool idea, just not practical. Then I get a phone call. ?I think I figured it out?? Rob tells me and the rest is history
Not only is the Fangs switch one of my very favorite features on the Snakebite, it?s the feature I am most proud of because it?s probably the most important contribution ? besides money LOL ? I made to this spectacular module.More than a couple very respected and influential board members, as well as at least one heavy hitter I don?t know that I have ever seen post here, had everything to do with breathing life into this monster, but I take my hat off to Rob for adding his own personal passion, vision and, most importantly, talent to make a module that made so many of us so happy!
Great, great module! Sorry for the long overdue review, but thank you for giving me the tone I have been after for my entire career. Now maybe the voices in my head will be silenced! LOL
Other opinions welcomed
Keep the Faith!
H
