Instrument Cables...

[Marshall Stack]

I used to do this

until I was shown to do something like this through your guitar strap instead of strap and body where it pinches and internally severs and breaks..

Now my cables last a little longer.

Mr. Junk, is the cable going through a loop in the strap in the second picture?

 

[junk notes]

Yes sir. google was shy on better images.
In the first image, I was trying to show how the cable gets destroyed, between the strap and body. Easily seen.

With the second generic image, I tried showing the cable through the strap, but it is a product (was not trying to show, but the idea) designed for saving your cables. (again google shy of images)
As @Derrick111, I am not needing any product, and was just using the images off google.

Eh... that looks like a royal pain in the ass.

I was trying to point out, that it is too easy to do, and will save your hard earned cables. You simply put your cable through the loop slack and buckle. It was soo simple. I could have saved dozens of cables. It is good having a sharp friend that can save you a little money. Makes your gear last longer.

 

[anitoli]

I used to do this

until I was shown to do something like this through your guitar strap instead of strap and body where it pinches and internally severs and breaks..

Now my cables last a little longer.

IDK, been doing it similar the top way ( looped from underneath and then over the top of the strap) forever even with heavy guitars such as an EDS1275 and have not experienced any cable failures due to that method. You hold the jack and when you put your arm through the strap you just reach down and insert the jack, all done.

Then again all the guitars have Dunlop straplocks which protrude slightly away from the body so the cable really can't get pinched either.

 

[junk notes]

okay, forget those other images, I found a proper example utilizing the type of adjustable strap that I use.
Cable is through the loop seen at the bottom of the strap.
No stress point, and is not being pinched between the body. This is what I have been doing for the longest time.

IDK, been doing it similar the top way ( looped from underneath and then over the top of the strap) forever even with heavy guitars such as an EDS1275 and have not experienced any cable failures due to that method. You hold the jack and when you put your arm through the strap you just reach down and insert the jack, all done.

Then again all the guitars have Dunlop straplocks which protrude slightly away from the body so the cable really can't get pinched either.

 

[tonycaster]

Right now I was thinking I would make a new topic on this theme, based on my 35yrs experience, about how crucial cables are in a guitar/bass signal path. Well, they make a HUGE impact on the overall tone, and I tell you I can hear the difference between a cheap/budget friendly cable and a high end one. I've used Klutz, Spectraflex, Monster Cable and I ended up using Mogami 2524with Neutrik jacks, both as patches between pedals and from guitar to pedals and from pedals to amp.
My verdict (just mine!) is that Mogami are the most transparent, faithful and quietest cables I ever owned and used, close seconds being Monster Cable. Spectraflex are good as well, but they lose just a tiny hair of high frequencies (being more mid sounding, which is not a bad thing though), and the Klotz... well I don't use them anymore.
I tried various configurations recording with different setups as well, tried even on bass with simply the instrument and the cable into the amp; you can't go wrong with Mogamis, and you find them on amazon at fair prices (at least in Italy): I paid 30€ for the 10 ft and 40€ for the 20ft, fair enough for such a difference!
Hope this helps

 

[Derrick111]

My verdict (just mine!) is that Mogami are the most transparent, faithful and quietest cables I ever owned and used, close seconds being Monster Cable. Spectraflex are good as well, but they lose just a tiny hair of high frequencies (being more mid sounding, which is not a bad thing though), and the Klotz... well I don't use them anymore.

Mogami makes excellent wire, but something for people trying to make decisions to keep in mind... Transparency is not always the goal. For example, Hendrix used shit coil cables that took off a bit of the harsh high end and can even be heard crackling in the famous intro to Wild Thing at Monterey before burning his guitar. So many love his sound and spend stupid money on similar gear to what he used to chase a warmer tone when they could just used different cables for the correct attenuation. His Wah pedal is another example, and yet people will true bypass theirs for "better" tone. So bottom line is, tone is subjective, so and people should consider for themselves if transparency is actually a good thing for them or not. A post on taming the highs is always near by, but many don't associate the effect of cables in that regard.

 

[tonycaster]

Mogami makes excellent wire, but something for people trying to make decisions to keep in mind... Transparency is not always the goal. For example, Hendrix used shit coil cables that took off a bit of the harsh high end and can even be heard crackling in the famous intro to Wild Thing at Monterey before burning his guitar. So many love his sound and spend stupid money on similar gear to what he used to chase a warmer tone when they could just used different cables for the correct attenuation. His Wah pedal is another example, and yet people will true bypass theirs for "better" tone. So bottom line is, tone is subjective, so and people should consider for themselves if transparency is actually a good thing for them or not. A post on taming the highs is always near by, but many don't associate the effect of cables in that regard.

Derrick, completely agree with you, in fact I'm talking about my opinion and my goal, which is the transparency of the signal, as faithful as possible as if it's just guitar, cable and amp.
If I need to cutoff certain frequencies, the eq section or the guitar tone pots are there to help

 

[Derrick111]

Understood... You know, but many reading this looking for answers may not realize this. I will tie your suggestion for Mogami with my post further up about good cables in general by reminding people that these quality top cable choices are all reasonably priced and easily obtainable at REDCO along with just about any connector you could want. I LOVE that place! Online orders are pretty quick.

 

[tonycaster]

@Derrick111 gotcha, dunno anything about REDCO, taking for granted what you say about them ;-)

 

[junk notes]

On Mogami, 2524 & 2319.
Mainly the capacitance. The 2524 has a lower capacitance and a bright sound, while the 2319 has a higher capacity resulting in a darker tone. While the 20AWG 2524 is better for longer runs the 23AWG 2319 is more suitable for shorter runs. And if your pedal board is not roomy the thinner 2319 would be a better choice over the slightly thick 2524. Anyways both the cable are good at what they do and their performance is based on the requirement.

IIRC Bradshaw & Friedman like to use these.
Also, I order mine bulk, with Switchcraft and Neutrik straight and 90°. Options would be pancake ends. The newer Rean square pancakes are nice. Boss has new pancakes as well..

 

[SuperFleeky]

Can anyone recommend a brand of guitar cables that hold up well? A lot of my cables are from the late 90s and are starting to go bad. I used to cut the ends off and put on a new jack but I would rather have something else and the ones that are good I'll use for backup at home.

I'm using the same set of Mogami Gold cables (and I use the four cable method to run everything to/from the effects loop) for over 10 years of live use. I play over 100 shows a year, so yeah, that says something. For my pedalboard, I use George L's. My pedal boards get abused too... by people spilling drinks, knocking over mic stands, etc. I also reconfigure my board seems like monthly, and those cables have been rock solid for years. I recently discovered Pighog, and the feel of those "tour grade" XLR cables is really robust. I bought some Pighog instrument cables to for rehearsal spaces, so we'll see how they hold up. I just dig how thick and sturdy they feel.

 

[tonycaster]

I'm using the same set of Mogami Gold cables (and I use the four cable method to run everything to/from the effects loop) for over 10 years of live use. I play over 100 shows a year, so yeah, that says something. For my pedalboard, I use George L's. My pedal boards get abused too... by people spilling drinks, knocking over mic stands, etc. I also reconfigure my board seems like monthly, and those cables have been rock solid for years. I recently discovered Pighog, and the feel of those "tour grade" XLR cables is really robust. I bought some Pighog instrument cables to for rehearsal spaces, so we'll see how they hold up. I just dig how thick and sturdy they feel.

I used to use George L's patches, but the Mogami 2524 with pancake jack sound way better, at least to my ears, and I can plug/unplug them from time to time without fuss. George L's don't work for me anymore as patches, noisy and fragile compared to Mogamis. YMMV

 

[bobsessed]

George L's. I own a bunch and none have ever failed...none.

Good luck,

Jamvu

 

[DJGranite]

A lifetime ago (my daughters lifetime) in the 80s I bought 2 new cables, 1 neon pink and 1 lime green.
The pink one only made it until the early 2000's. Still have the replacement.
The green one is still in use. I couldn't begin to say how many gigs and practices it's been through.
I did recently pick up a 4-pack of 20' cloth covered cables on a Musicians Friend SDTD for $25, I'm pretty sure they're the last cables I'll buy.
I'm trying out some different pedals with some going into the FX loop.
I think the biggest factors in the longevity of cables is how they are taken care of. An Electrician told me many years ago to never use the "Elbow wrap". He said " It twists the wires inside the casing, then they break and you'll kill your cords."
He told me to just loop them in circles.
My experience is that he was right.

You can see the green cord here, still in use at a practice.

View media item 12711

 

[Marshall Stack]

I used to use George L's patches, but the Mogami 2524 with pancake jack sound way better, at least to my ears, and I can plug/unplug them from time to time without fuss. George L's don't work for me anymore as patches, noisy and fragile compared to Mogamis. YMMV

I took my Planet Waves cord into GC to redeem the lifetime warranty for the second time (used it since 2004). This particular cable had a switch on it that I liked. GC didn't carry that anymore but gave me the credit for that towards whatever other cable I wanted. I got the Mogami Gold 2524 cable. I really like it. It seemed to bring out more clarity and full range from my George Benson guitar. I also like that it doesn't curl up on itself like the Planet Waves cable.

 

[Sapient]

I used to do this

until I was shown to do something like this through your guitar strap instead of strap and body where it pinches and internally severs and breaks..

Now my cables last a little longer.

Another method is to remove that loop from the strap and staple it to the ceiling.

 

[ampeq]

I have great luck with PigHog. I use them for all speaker hook ups with either red or blue ends for quick identification. I also use them for 4cm hook ups. The guitar cable needs cloth on it for me and I have several. As someone said, the Fender ones work great.

 

[freefrog]

Right now I was thinking I would make a new topic on this theme, based on my 35yrs experience, about how crucial cables are in a guitar/bass signal path. Well, they make a HUGE impact on the overall tone, and I tell you I can hear the difference between a cheap/budget friendly cable and a high end one. I've used Klutz, Spectraflex, Monster Cable and I ended up using Mogami 2524with Neutrik jacks, both as patches between pedals and from guitar to pedals and from pedals to amp.
My verdict (just mine!) is that Mogami are the most transparent, faithful and quietest cables I ever owned and used, close seconds being Monster Cable. Spectraflex are good as well, but they lose just a tiny hair of high frequencies (being more mid sounding, which is not a bad thing though), and the Klotz... well I don't use them anymore.
I tried various configurations recording with different setups as well, tried even on bass with simply the instrument and the cable into the amp; you can't go wrong with Mogamis, and you find them on amazon at fair prices (at least in Italy): I paid 30€ for the 10 ft and 40€ for the 20ft, fair enough for such a difference!
Hope this helps

Hello,
We're on the same track.
I remember my surprise around 1981, when I played my first aftermarket pickups for the first time: they were unpleasantly nasal and I was wondering why.
As I'd discover it later, the coily cables that I was using exhibited a high capacitance and shaped the tone drastically.
Since this day, I've tested many, many cables and have systematically measured their capacitance.
I've also learned to take advantage of capacitive loads: high capacitance = good for softened high range and prominent high mids (with a Strat plugged in a Marshall, for example). Low capacitance = sparkle and "transparent" response, more evenly distributed along the audio spectrum, good for ultra clean sounds.
AFAIK / IME, the lowest cable capacitance can be found in the German cable Sommer Spirit LLX (that I've measured @ 52pF per meter: it's two to three times less than with "normal" cables, while the worse ones can rise up to 300 pF per meter). Incidentally, this Sommer stuff is inexpensive and sturdier than most other low cap cables.

That's what I use currently. When I want a less "transparent" tone, I enable a "cable lenght simulator": it's a box with a rotary switch paired to various capacitors. With my 3,3m of cable between guitar and first pedal, I can go on request from an over transparent 173pF (!!!) to 1.2nF (1200pF= the same than 4,5m of curly cable), passing through other values : 350pF (= average straight 3m cable), 500pF, 750pF...

It's not expensive: a capacitor costs a few cents. But it's efficient. My ears would explode if I hadn't a solid cable capacitance between my Tele or Strats and my Marshall (and no, lowering the treble pot of the amp hasn't the same effect).

Added caps are also more useable than unplugging a Strat before to replug it through a sound softening coily cable (with which I've a mitigated experience: their weight pulls on their end and even if they're passed behind the strap, where they can be damaged as explained above, they tend to end distended and ugly; not to mention their polemical relationship with big feet and heavy persons).

But Mogami are certainly excellent cables too... and IMHO, any brand will do the job after a proper buffer, since capacitance has little to no tonal effect on a (properly) buffered signal.


Footnote for those who use Fuzz Faces circuits: because of their inner capacitance, cables plugged to the output of such pedals are not less than external tone shapers for them (!).

And here are a few links that I use to share in such topics:

Theoretical explanation:
http://zerocapcable.com/?page_id=209

Sonic illustration:


This one is funny too (knowing that 200ft of cable is the same thing than a tone pot @ 0/10, if this pot was fitted with a capacitor of 6.8nF to 10nF):



FWIW. HTH.

 

[tonycaster]

Hello,
We're on the same track.
I remember my surprise around 1981, when I played my first aftermarket pickups for the first time: they were unpleasantly nasal and I was wondering why.
As I'd discover it later, the coily cables that I was using exhibited a high capacitance and shaped the tone drastically.
Since this day, I've tested many, many cables and have systematically measured their capacitance.
AFAIK / IME, the lowest cable capacitance can be found in the German cable Sommer Spirit LLX (that I've measured @ 52pF per meter). Incidentally, this stuff is not expensive and sturdier than most other low cap cables.

That's what I use currently. When I want a less "transparent" tone, I enable a "cable lenght simulator": it's a box with a rotary switch paired to various capacitors. With my 3,3m of cable between guitar and first pedal, I can go on request from an over transparent 173pF (!!!) to 1.2nF (1200pF= the same than 4,5m of curly cable), passing through other values : 350pF (= average straight 3m cable), 500pF, 750pF...
It's more useable than unplugging a Strat before to replug it through a sound softening coily cable (with which I've a mitigated experience: their weight pulls on their end and even if they're passed behind the strap, where they can be damaged as explained above, they tend to end distended and ugly; not to mention their polemical relationship with big feet and heavy persons).

But Mogami are certainly excellent cables too... and IMHO, any brand will do the job after a proper buffer, since capacitance has little to no tonal effect on a (properly) buffered signal.


Footnote for those who use Fuzz Faces circuits: because of their inner capacitance, cables plugged to the output of such pedals are not less than external tone shapers for them (!).

And here are a few links that I use to share in such topics:

Theoretical explanation:
http://zerocapcable.com/?page_id=209

Sonic illustration:


This one is funny too (knowing that 200ft of cable is the same thing than a tone pot @ 0/10, if this pot was fitted with a capacitor of 6.8nF to 10nF):



FWIW. HTH.

your approach is way more technical than mine, but you're straight to the point
I made trials with and without pedals in-between, and the difference from one cable to another is huge, at least to me.
I use a polytune 3 with the buffer active and to my ears tell you there's no difference at all when plugged into pedals (wah, octafuzz, Xotic RC, Hardwire CM2, Xotic BB Preamp MB and a Korg XP10 volume), compared to guitar/cable/amp

 

[El Gringo]

I have been using Whirlwind cables for over 45 years and the are durable and withstand my abuse pretty well . Seriously good cables !