Low Capacitance Guitar Cables

    Hey!


    Just a heads-up on low capacitance guitar cables. I have tried an Elixir cable, and wow, the difference in sound was really really HUGE. Wish I could post some samples..., maybe later. I'm an electrical engineer so I don't believe most of the "snakeoil" stuff associated with guitar tone, and this really was a big surprise for me (the extent). My other cable is a short Mogami 2524. The Elixir lifts a blanket off from my guitar sound. It adds treble, presence to the sound. Awesome for cleaner stuff. But one important thing is that it removes some of the boomy low end from the signal. So especially at home or in a "studio" it is a good idea to keep several brands at hand. I feel a Mogami 2524 type (higher capacitance) cable is better suited for hard rock and chugga-chugga metal... etc. But for lighter stuff, I highly recommend checking out a low cap. cable.

    Yes, cables are important.


    In my 30 years of playing i've tried a couple and they do play with your tone, but usally only the guitar to amp one? don't know why that is, and if my ears can't hear it I don't really care.


    The only conclusion i have come to is price has absolutely nothing to do with it outside of the quality of connectors and the marketing.


    Will try the Exlirs though :thumbup:

    New talent management advice to Laura Cox -


    “Laura want to break the internet? let’s shoot another video of you covering the Nightrain solo in the blue singlet, but this time we’ll crank up the air conditioning”.

    Yes, the difference is only audible between the guitar and the first thing that amplifies /buffers/ the signal.
    I also agree about the price..etc. Unfortunately this Elixir is not the cheapest cable, but it is definitely a keeper for me. My strat type guitar now has all the chime and quack that I was missing previously. I was actually thinking about changing pickups... :), but this is a cheaper solution.

    A long time ago I participated in a cable shootout at WireWorld where Michael Wagener was enthusiastically promoting Creation Audio Labs' "Redeemer" circuit as well as George L's cables - the message being if you're not using the former, at least use the latter. Later on we actually visited Creation Audio Labs where the inventor of the Redeemer circuit (an active low-impedance signal buffer; they have one model that fits inside your guitar and a new model that you can just plug in like a pedal) gave us a hands-on demo pretty much confirming what Wagener was promoting. Now, what WASN'T said is that if the first pedal in your signal chain is already an actively buffered one (i.e., non true-bypass; all BOSS pedals, pretty much) then you're already getting the benefit of this type of circuit. Same goes for folks who have active circuitry in the guitars already.


    So: If you're plugging long instrument cables directly into your amp head, (or possibly into one of those few pedals which are impedance-sensitive like old fuzzes or wahs) then by all means, find yourself a low-impedance cable you like and stick with it - or at least keep it short. But for everyone else, it may not matter at all - it depends on your situation.


    -djh

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    Cable summit

    Thanks for this. It´s a little bit disapponiting that only very expensive cables were tested. I have been using Sommer Spirit XXL cables for a long time and i really like them. And they are affordable too...


    http://www.thomann.de/de/somme…e_spirit_xxl_instr_60.htm

    Not only expensive ones..Canare Gs6,Mogami 2524,Klotz etc are not expensive..BTW a little secret..the Cornish sounds really good but you can do it yourself..it's Belden 8412 :)
    And his speaker cables are Vandamme blue series :)


    Quote from tylerhb

    Thanks for this. It´s a little bit disapponiting that only very expensive cables were tested. I have been using Sommer Spirit XXL cables for a long time and i really like them. And they are affordable too...


    http://www.thomann.de/de/somme…e_spirit_xxl_instr_60.htm

    There´s plenty of very good cables arround, that do not empty your wallet. Cables are important, and I would say that some musicians forget about the importance of the cables. When I´m working with my KPA I´m using a very short (I think it´s 2,5m) cable, that´s been modified with a good capacitor to get the sound of a 6m cable. The 6m cables sound right to me, and I´m used to that, so a shorter cable is too bright and detailed sounding for me.


    If you check out cables look for the specs and the capacity of the cable. That´s always in pf/m (picofarad per meter, I do not know how that´s in US) , so just multiply the length of your cable with that and you got the capacity of the whole cable.


    Good low capacity cables got under 70pf/m, but most cables got slightly higher, or much higher values. (130pf/m that´s almost double value) But you might also like a 130pf/m cable, as it´s a matter of taste.

    @ dhodgson: certainly true, and it had to be said! As for me tho, I hear and feel a difference with short cables (2-3 m) as well, when I plug straight into the amp :)


    @ ACY: good point! :)