Homemade Speaker Cords?

[SurferJoe46]

If one were to take two 1/4" male plugs and just solder - say, two strands of twisted 12AWG multi-strand pure copper wire for the cable as speaker cords, would that work?

Since I don't have Speakons available on my combos and cabs, would this not be a good way to ID that these are not instrument cables and keep the confusion to a minimum?

Any RFI problems? Induction problems?

Are speaker extension cord coax or just siamesed individual strands?

[JimmyM]

i once took zipcord from a broken extension cord and made a speaker cable out of it that still works great after over 20 years. so yes, it's possible. i would use a heavier gauge if you're making one for anything over 300w, though.

[nonfatmatt]

As long as it's a short run it should be fine. I have two of those like that and use them frequently. Can't tell the difference, even the radio shack stuff is shielded.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by nonfatmatt

As long as it's a short run it should be fine. I have two of those like that and use them frequently. Can't tell the difference, even the radio shack stuff is shielded.

BZZZZZZZZT! NEVER use shielded cable for speakers.

[droskobass]

that would be perfect

[Downlowd]

I play with a band that uses heavy duty electrical cords (like you would have around the garage) with good quality 1/4 ends . They have worked fine for the mains and subs for several years. They were pretty cheap to make.

[M0ses]

Speaker cable = two thick wires. Pretty easy.

[MNAirHead]

Do it all the time..

Issue is finding plugs big enough.. I normally use Neutric

[Calaverasgrande]

I make all my speaker cables.
Switchcraft large barrel plugs are great.
12 AWG is pretty much the thickest you must use. Aything bigger than that gets super hard to solder and may have added capacitance as well at long runs.
DONT use shielded cable for speaker runs. First off, most shielded cable is 22 or 24 awg. Maybe 18. Second it will surely introduce capacitance. Capacitance plus resistance equals an RC tone filter.

In the name of expedience I have cut the ends off of a heavy duty power cable and screwed on banana plugs so that I could wire up a PA speaker. As long as you observe polarity and solder it well any reasonably heavy guage cable will suffice, though stranded wire is generally more durable than solid copper.

[SurferJoe46]

TY all.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Calaverasgrande

I make all my speaker cables.
Switchcraft large barrel plugs are great.
12 AWG is pretty much the thickest you must use. Aything bigger than that gets super hard to solder and may have added capacitance as well at long runs.

dammit, i always get that backwards! i think the smaller number is smaller but it's not. sorry about that.

[Jim C]

I use a band of colored electrical tape (yellow) to mark speaker cables

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by Jim C

I use a band of colored electrical tape (yellow) to mark speaker cables

That would work if all the colors of the rainbow aren't used already!

I've got stomps, latching switches, PAs, amps and mic cords all over the place. That's jut MY set-up. Multiply that by a pair of keyboards, their support speakers, two more guitars and their combos/cabs and it gets a little complicated.

Now we are making multiple rings of colored tape around guitar cords (and my basses) starting with yellow, and the mics get a single color band, with the keyboards getting a blue band and then a single other-color to denote them.

I forgot to mention: Our sound guy is also color blind. Now he wants the marks to be Braille. I'll give him bumps!

What I need is to just RF everything but the speaker extension cables.

Does anyone know where I can get a HF Multiplex system that can support 22 different frequencies at the same time and not eat batteries nor require an FCC-Broadcaster's license?

Oh - wait a minute -- the drummer wants to mic his drums now too. Gaaaack!

I hate cables under my feet! I feel like I'm in a Raiders Of the Lost Ark movie: "Do there ALWAYS have to be snakes?"

[LAPetrarca]

I've NEVER bought a speaker in over 40 years. I ALWAYS make them from zip-cord. I also bought a tube of multi-colored wire ties from the local dollar store and use them for color coding wires. You can mix and match different colors for unlimited combinations!

[rok51]

I have used outdoor extension cords for what seems like forever...you know...the orange, green, white, yellow ones...preferably 14 gauge, but I have also used 16 gauge. Some decry this use because of the potential for impurities in the recycled copper in the wire itself...but, honestly, I have never, ever had any problems that were traceable to the wires. Not very professional looking-some would say downright ugly-but I don't confuse speaker wires with instrument cables in the trunk...something I have seen done more times than I'd like with other folks' store bought cabling.

Kim

[Crockettnj]

I bought a 50 foot green extension cord at Wally world years back on sale for less than 10 bucks. Its at least 12 gauge stranded, each conductor insulated in either black or white rubber. Its a really nice heavy duty cord. I have cut the daylights out of it for years now, making my own wires as needed for me and others for bass, PA, and home stereo.

Copper is copper.

[tdub0199]

Originally Posted by Jim C

I use a band of colored electrical tape (yellow) to mark speaker cables

I use orange electrical tape to mark my Instrument cables....

[will33]

These guys are all right on. 16AWG lampcord is fine for shorter runs like hooking up your bass rig. Maybe 14 AWG for longer runs like out to the mains on either side of the stage. And no, do not use shielded, just plain stranded wire.

There have been listening tests done with so-called audiophiles where they couldn't tell the difference between uber-expensive gold wire and a coat hanger.

[Bassamatic]

Round rubber coated AC wire is nice, but it is hard to tell from a shielded instrument cable, so I just use standard 2-conductor zip cord of 12-14 gauge. Buy it by the foot at Home Depot, etc.

There are no capacitance issues with speaker wire BTW, the source impedance of the amp is so low that cable capacitance has no effect, unless you are transmitting RF or something.

[SurferJoe46]

So - would it be fair to say that three-conductor extension cords could be used for Speakon and/or XLR cables too?