Cables cables cables

  • I have a ~$70 Mogami cable and, while it sounds great, the Planet Waves American Stage cables sound just as good to my ears and at a better price. I use two 25" cables from my pedal board to my Mark V effects loop.


    The Kemper effects are all I use with it so no effects loop patching needed.

    The key to everything is patience.
    You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
    -- Arnold H. Glasow


    If it doesn't produce results, don't do it.

    -- Me

  • hate to play devils advocate, but numerous studies have proved that there is no difference between a $20 cable and a $200 cable....sonically speaking.


    More expensive cables can tend to have better insulation, shielding connectors and overall build quality, but unless you're very careless and/or accident prone, you'll get the same tone with "cheap" cables as you will with expensive ones.



    Heres a good read to put it in laymans terms:
    http://www.ultimate-guitar.com…nstrument_cables.html</a>



    The differences are in your head unfortunately. That said, if it stops you questioning that part of your chain, then maybe the piece of mind is worth it to you.




    So why the price differences? Because, simply put, they get the higher price, usually from so called "audiophiles" (audio-fools? :p ).


    Seriously, spend your money on aspects of your chain that actually will make a difference to your tone - a pedal, a guitar service or even a new pack of strings! :thumbup:

  • Also, and frankly put, if you have any unwanted "noise" in your chain, the cable wont be the problem. Chances are that you have an issue elsewhere that a new cable could never fix.



    99% of "hum" problems are due to a ground loop and cheap guitar cables are not your problem to begin with.





    also, please bear in mind, that a "cheap" cable, is not necessarily a "bad" cable. I have used the same 4 e25 Planet Waves cables for the last few years and they still go strong. I only got them as they come with a lifetime guarantee and for my own piece of mind, I chose them over store brand ones that were about e10 cheaper.
    So if one breaks, I bring it down to my local guitar shop, and they swap it no questions asked.
    Now THAT to ME is worth the extra e10, but as with everything, YMMV :)



  • You're not talking about guitar cables, are you? :D

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  • Reliability is better with well built cables that use Switchcraft or Neutrik connectors, instead of the lighter duty "generic" connectors that tend to be on "store brand" cables.


    Well built cables have no handling noise, and there is no sense of missing high end or flubby bass.


    You can get quality cables for low bucks: ZZounds sells the Conquest H Series Instrument Cable, 18 Foot, for $19.20 Even this inexpensive line has a lifetime warranty, and they are quiet and reliable.


    I'll look into these, thanks!


    I've noticed cheaper cables lack of long term quality (they break down) And I've not had an expensive one break down yet. And for sound, I've noticed huge differences with an Acoustic guitar using expensive cables, and a much more subtle difference with Electric.. But I imagine the small differences I did notice with the Electric are like an EQ filter that is additive with layering, making things sound muddier with each addition.


    I did read that Hendrix's coily cable had a high end loss that contributed to his sound. It's not what made him sound good. He played great, and whatever sound came from that would have been loved and now considered a "classic" sound.


    So in the end, it's the player, not the sound.


    That said, with all the digital cleanliness today, a little signal noise in a cheap cable is probably a good thing. Until it goes silen-----------------------

  • I can agree with "to each his own" concept until.... one gets in the studio .. lays down an unbelievable track.. you're deep into the mix... and you're hearing an irritating "hiss" sound on the track... no matter how much you work on it... it sounds like crap.. so out comes the miracle software to strip the track of its hiss and along with it the upper harmonics... so much for unbelievable.... all because you were too cheap or just thought you were in vogue "wanna be like Jimi".... sorry can't drink that koolaid.


    gimmie a good... nice and quiet... with all of the instruments upper harmonics that it'll feed me... let me talk out what I don't want after it's been recorded with EQ.. it's better to have it and capture it than to have lost it before it was ever recorded.

    Gettin' funky up in here..

  • There have been songs where I added a crackling fire or some sort of synth noise in the background so low it's not easily distinguishable and people tell me the difference with and without it is that the "noisy" track sounds much better.


    I think a generation grew up with analog noise and are actually used to it. The younger generation, like my kid, HATES the sound of classic groups, even if they are recorded to day on analog gear, they aren't clean, crisp and clear, with huge compression enough for them, cause that is what THEY are used to.


    I can dig both, since they are different genre's in my book, but I'm just saying sometimes you can make good use of well placed noise. I agree you want to control it though and not have it baked!

  • I had the opportunity to test different guitar cables to feed my Profiler at a professional guitar player's place. When we exchanged my cable with his, we just stared at each other: my guitar sounded like a different instrument.


    Such A\B tests can be found on the Net as well, and while I'm no fan of compressed YT audio, sometimes the difference is absolutely evident. And no, it's not only a matter of low-pass cut-off frequency. The body, the punch, and the highs (can) change as well.


    Those who say that it makes no difference with high-impedance instruments have clearly never tried.
    OTOH, I'm sure that different PUs react differently to different cables, so the perceived sonic experience can vary depending on the available hardware.


    I agree that cables can do very little for line-level signals tho.

  • In your head. ;)

    I tend to listen with my ears.... ;)


    Anyways. I am always looking for a decent made cable. And that does not have to be expensive. I like lots of the Somer / Klotz / Cordial stuff which is affordable. At least if you are looking in the mid priced area of those manufacturers.


    And as mentioned before: the cable has to "feel" good and should last long.