pro/tour-grade guitar cables and acceptable life-span

Lots and lots and LOTS of choices. I’d be inclined to stick with what you know. As in , Whirlwind.

If you’ve been using them that long, I’d ask them about the age factor. They’d probably be happy to hear how well their stuff has worked for you.

I onced purchased a expensive cable that should last a lifetime and if something would happen to it I would just go to the shop and return it. 6 months later it stopped working. So much for a lifetime. And the receipt? Lost.

Quote from GearJocke

I onced purchased a expensive cable that should last a lifetime and if something would happen to it I would just go to the shop and return it. 6 months later it stopped working. So much for a lifetime. And the receipt? Lost.

In the good old days before Monster fell, you could walk into any Guitar Center with a broken cable and walk out with a new one. Receipt or not.

It wasn't that they were the best per se....but the replacement policy was solid gold.

Oddly.....it seems musicians abused the perk...... Who knew?

Guitar Center brand cables still have a lifetime replacement policy. I average 100+ gigs before a guitar stage able develops a problem. I take it to the store, and they give me a new one.

As in aside, I have several shorter ProCo patch cables that I have been using since the 1990s that have never had a problem.

I still have several proco cables, that are 35+ yrs old and still work flawlessly

Same Klotz cables since 15 years, Main + Spare. Spare has never been used

I like Mogami but I’ve only had this one for a year so couldn’t vouch for its longevity. Interesting post though as I could probably switch to 6m as well.

Cables eh?

I'm with Rufus, stick to what you like.

There are many great branded and un branded cables. a good brand does not guarantee long life and an own brand does not mean bad quality so its a mine field.

I now only have 2 cables - speaker cable and cable from wireless to KPA. In the (bad) old days, I was messing with patch cables and even went down the George L route - spent hundreds of pounds and.... sonically no difference and they failed their connection a number of times...

Lesson I learnt? Minimize the number of cables

Quote from slateboy

thanks for all the comments, everyone.

Anyone used Sommer SC-SPIRIT LLX LOW LOSS Instrument Cable cable?

(thats just the cable, not a ready-to-go lead)

Never heard of it (but that means absolutely nothing whatsoever).

Maybe compare specs (including cost, of course) with Whirlwind and the industry standard Mogami 2524.

As long as you buy good stuff, this is one of those things you can’t really make a mistake with.

Quote from slateboy

thanks for all the comments, everyone.

Anyone used Sommer SC-SPIRIT LLX LOW LOSS Instrument Cable cable?

(thats just the cable, not a ready-to-go lead)

Never heard of them but I have had quite a bit of experience of these "self assemble" cables.

In simple terms, unless you are Eric Johnson, the sonic difference is negligible and the joins are the weak point.

I feel that a cable to jack connection is better made in a factory on a machine than custom made in my kitchen, regardless of the "solderless joint" approach...

Quote from slateboy

Im more like Eric Idle than Eric Johnson

I have experienced failing connectors, rarely the soldering work. Quality plugs as standard.

In my experience, its the cable that fails with internal breaks due to repeated physical movement (and due to those a$$holes who roll-up or knot-up cables as if they were ship-yard ropes.

We all know the lack or durability of cheap cables. I am also sceptical of those leads “tuned” for different applications but likewise the longer the cable the greater the resistance and possible losses.

I guess only time will tell and 20 years+ isnt a bad life span for a lead.

Display More

Me too!

I've never had a cable fail, its always the cable to jack joins, so perhaps I've been lucky. Cable loss is only really over 20 feet, if you run longer than that you might need to change to active pickups and start playing Metal!

Have you considered Wireless? Of course it brings some disadvantages but I have been wireless now for 15 years+ and never looked back, hence a bit out of date with this stuff..

Quote from whippinpost91850

I still have several proco cables, that are 35+ yrs old and still work flawlessly

here too, since 1987 proco lifline cables, still no problem

I'll get laughed out of here, but be patient please. 🙂

Guitar Player magazine did a huge test of cables about 20 or 30 years ago, testing their inductance, dropping cymbals on them, etc...

The clear winners for sound quality were George L and the new Planet Waves.

I bought a few 10 metre Planet Waves (George L are too fragile for me) and proceeded to blind test them against my existing ones, with my wife in the other room. Every time I switched to the Planet Waves she noticed the sound was significantly brighter and more clear. That was my take as well. I still have 2 of the 4 (one failed, one stolen by a bassist).

I've also had some not so great more recent Planet Waves experience (failing, mostly), so I suspect they've knocked the quality back for profit over the years.

Quote from Finally

I've also had some not so great more recent Planet Waves experience (failing, mostly), so I suspect they've knocked the quality back for profit over the years.

The is the problem. One brand can been fantastic in the past but now? You never know when the quality will decrease. I got one dimarzio cable for free when I purchased a Ibanez second hand from a guy. The cable didn't last very long either. I've never had any luck with cables. 1-1/2 year is my experience.

These are the current model that are like the ones I use. They're a twisted pair instead of just coax.

https://www.daddario.com/produ…-series-instrument-cable/

They're also directional, so you have to plug them in correctly.