Guitar cables...

tomz. · January 29, 2011, 10:40:35 AM

So, in a previous thread (2 x 15 cabs) Hemi mentioned making his own...

"I make my cables out of 14 or 16 gauge outdoor flex. I buy two core extension cords and cut them up for cables."

Could you explain this in a little more detail? I'd like to make my own, but at Radio Shack the only ends they have are huge and plastic and crappy. Whats a good source for these components?

Is there really a noticeable difference between a $20.00 cable, a $125.00 Monster cable and a $1000.00 boutique cable? I understand there can be a difference in the quality of construction, that's why I'd to make my own heavy duty cable (if possible..)

ROWDYBEER · January 29, 2011, 11:16:58 AM

Fixed
http://www.cameltone.net/
Andrew makes really nice cables some of the best and they are cheap.

black_out · January 29, 2011, 11:53:34 AM

You can definitely build high quality cables for a lot less than they cost in the store.

http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=78&cat=Mogami+Instrument+Cable

http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=62&cat=TS+Connectors

If you really want to get some bang for you buck you can get some of your friends to go in with you on a big order, which will cut down your shipping cost.

Hemisaurus · January 29, 2011, 12:02:52 PM

I was talking about making speaker cables, not guitar cables. You can't, well more you shouldn't use a speaker cable for a guitar cable, as a speaker cable is not shielded and would pick up a lot of noise. Also never use a guitar cable for a speaker cable, if you are using a tube amp. The capacitance of an instrument cable can damage your output transformer.

You will get people telling you cables make a difference to sound, challenge them to a blind test and see if they can pick their cable out, if they can, maybe they have something.

If you want to make your own guitar cables, you'll need to buy some instrument cable and some jacks, some nice solid type of jack like a switchcraft, which you can find at numerous online places, the cable, I've never found a decent retailer for that, I've been recycling old cables for years.

One word of warning about some cable makers like Monster, they use oversized 1/4" jacks, so that the cables fit 'snugly', sometimes the fit is too snug, I had a guitarist couldn't get the cable jack into his strat. The other problem is the oversized jack plug bends the jack socket on your guitar and amp out of size, so that only that oversized jack cable will work well in it, other jacks will seem too loose, and as time goes on, the monster jack will seem just like your old cables, and you can't find an even bigger jack to fit.

Just FYI I bought 4x$1.99 cables from musiciansfriend.com, I think they generally sell for $4.99 or something, 20 footers, with yellow heatshrink on either end, this was in a January sale, 2003 or 2004. 1 of them has since failed, sometime late last year, so I cut it up and used it for patch cords. The other 3 are still going strong after being the cables I drag to every practice, show, lent to fellow band mates, etc.

one thing against them, they aren't user serviceable, the jacks have a piece of molded plastic on the cable behind the jack, so you can unscrew it without mangling the whole thing, hence me cutting the busted one up for patch cables, but they've lasted me 7 or 8 years, so who cares.

Learn how to wind your cables and almost any cable should give you years of trouble free service.

Oh, and the cheapest way to get cables, is to collect all your buddies old cables, and fix them, which generally involves cutting a couple of inches of the bad end (or both ends if you can't figure that out) and resoldering the jacks on, occasionally you may have to replace a busted jack, but that's about all the outlay you need.

Thanks to whoever posted the RedCo link, that's a nice price for their own brand jacks.

tomz. · January 29, 2011, 12:59:13 PM

Awesome, thanks for the links! Well, the Cameltone link didn't really work

, but the redco site is rad. Good info on the instrument/speaker cable differences as well. Thank you. Gonna repair a few old cables and maybe make a few as well from scratch...

clockwork green · January 29, 2011, 01:26:03 PM

I've definitely noticed a difference in different cables. The Mogami's I had took off some of the upper highs giving a thicker sound. The monster cables seemed to mess with the mid's leaving a scooped sound. A passive thing like a cable can only subtract from your tone, not add. If it seems like it added bass then it probably justtook off some highs and mid's but that's not always a bad thing. With fancy cables you don't always get better sound but sometimes you do. Either wY, the change is pretty minimal and the law of diminishing returns definitely applies. I have fairly fancy cables but to me it was like adding a final cherry on top of a tone I already loved. As long as your instrument cable is functioning fine then good speaker cable is more important and usually easier to find than good instrument cable. Also, keep them as short as possible.

black_out · January 29, 2011, 01:46:54 PM

I was under the impression that the only real benefit you're going to see from a nice cable is that you're losing less signal, making them a better choice if you're using long cables or have a shitload of true bypass pedals in your chain. I get a pretty hefty discount on Elixir cables so I've been using them for a while now. In terms of tone I can't hear a difference when I switch the Elixir cables out for the cheapy cables I got from the local guitar store. I do hear a pretty big difference in volume, though. The big plus for me is the lifetime gaurantee. I know that's why a lot of dudes like Monster. Your cable takes a shit, you show up to guitar center and hand it to them, they give you a new one. That's pretty awesome for someone that doesn't know how to, or doesn't have the desire to resolder an end onto their fucked up cable.

ROWDYBEER · January 29, 2011, 02:17:58 PM

Fixed the link
http://www.cameltone.net/
I have no affiliation or get any discounts from cameltone.

black_out · January 29, 2011, 02:38:02 PM

Quote from: ROWDYBEER on January 29, 2011, 02:17:58 PM
Fixed the link
http://www.cameltone.net/
I have no affiliation or get any discounts from cameltone.

To be fair, I'm in no way, shape, or form encouraging people to buy Elixir cables. In fact, I posted a link to bulk Mogami cable. I was just using Elixir as an example. I guess the fact that I get a discount on them wasn't really relavent, except to say that I wouldn't buy them if it weren't for the discount.

hayseed · January 29, 2011, 03:15:53 PM

i prefer the method of scrounging after the gig and taking whatever the previous bands left behind. Finders keepers!

I have often thought of making my own cables really just out out of convenience. But i bought a 20' Road Hog guitar cable about 12 years ago and it just won't die! I also have a Monster cable(that i am not too found of) that has lasted at least 5years. I don't go through cables enough to start making them for myself.

neighbor664 · January 29, 2011, 03:55:42 PM

QuoteLearn how to wind your cables and almost any cable should give you years of trouble free service.

I can't stress this enough.

tossom · January 29, 2011, 06:30:51 PM

Quote from: neighbor664 on January 29, 2011, 03:55:42 PM
QuoteLearn how to wind your cables and almost any cable should give you years of trouble free service.

I can't stress this enough.

+1

I got this down to a fine art back when I was working as a tech monkey. Makes a real difference I think. For what its worth, I always stick to cables with neutrik connectors - almost bomb proof. Pirahna cables were what I used to buy back when I was gigging, bought a few unbranded shop made cables from CC Music in Glasgow recently and they seem fine given the price.

Metal and Beer · January 30, 2011, 10:01:58 PM

Quote from: tossom on January 29, 2011, 06:30:51 PM
Quote from: neighbor664 on January 29, 2011, 03:55:42 PM
QuoteLearn how to wind your cables and almost any cable should give you years of trouble free service.

I can't stress this enough.

+1

I got this down to a fine art back when I was working as a tech monkey. Makes a real difference I think. For what its worth, I always stick to cables with neutrik connectors - almost bomb proof. Pirahna cables were what I used to buy back when I was gigging, bought a few unbranded shop made cables from CC Music in Glasgow recently and they seem fine given the price.

^ Definitely what these fellas said. Avoiding lengthwise twist while curling will preserve the ends for a longgggggg time.

peyotepeddler · January 31, 2011, 03:08:58 PM

i have used mogami for the longest, and have had nothing but great success through lava

check it out
http://www.lavacable.com/

Lumpy · January 31, 2011, 04:16:18 PM

Try not to step on 'em (that's what I was always told.)

I'm lucky - my local music store has their own imprinted 'house brand' (Roadhogs with the store's stamp I think) which you can exchange for free, forever. I have about 10 of their cables, and had to exchange 1 so far.

Chovie D · February 02, 2011, 11:28:36 AM

Ive been using the same cable for over a decade. resoldered it once. ashamed to say I borrowed it from Lost Goat in the mid 90's and wasnt able to return it to them after the show. I still feel the guilt, as that is an asshole manuever.

try not to roll your ampeg fridge cabs over em and switchcraft jacks are the best Ive found.

I use george L's for pedalboard since they never get unplugged. expensive but worth it and not even as expensive as buying all the normal short cables I would have had to buy. i know people that insist on george l's for pedalboard to amp too, but I fear unplugging em will eventually ruin the connection (not that it cant be easily repaired, juts that I dont want it to happen at a gig)