Bass cables, does it make a difference?

SRCRS · #1 09-14-2012, 08:06 PM

So I've always played through a regular guitar cable and I'm thinking about upgrading. So does having an actual Bass Guitar cable make a big difference in sound quality? If so, I've been looking at two cables a Monster Prolink and a Gender Premium Platinum bass cable. Any body have any experience or comments or suggestions about these cables??

Winfred · #2 09-14-2012, 08:09 PM

I've never noticed a difference, but I'm sure there are people who will swear there is.

I can assure you, no one in the audience will know.

Buy a good cable with a lifetime warranty. Buy a couple. They're worth the money.

mattbass6945 · #3 09-14-2012, 08:13 PM

i always buy live wire. fairly cheap and a lifetime warranty. never had any fail on me, they just grow legs and wander off or a drunk drummer steps on them and breaks a jack.

KingRazor · #4 09-14-2012, 08:20 PM

Ugh. This topic has been done to death. Just do a search, you'll see tons of threads on this already. Just about everything that can be said on this topic already has been.

Bassamatic · #5 09-14-2012, 08:31 PM

Don't be scammed - just buy a well-made cable made with good wire and connectors and you will be fine. Yes, some cables have lower impedance per foot giving theoretically better high end - but this is BASS we are talking about for cripe's sake. Expensive "magic" cables are a total waste of money.

KingRazor · #6 09-14-2012, 08:33 PM

To answer the original question: there is no difference between a guitar cable and a bass cable. They're both unbalanced with 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) connectors.

Floyd Eye · #7 09-14-2012, 08:51 PM

I believe in good cables, but not "Magic" cables. Every cable on my board as well as my two 18'ers are Mogami Gold, which is a good cable and not terribly expensive. That said, my next cable purchase won't be a cable at all, it will be a Line 6 Wireless.

the Arsonaut · #8 09-14-2012, 09:23 PM

soldering iron, and whatever cables you left behind last night...that's my next instrument cable.

Floyd Eye · #9 09-14-2012, 09:26 PM

Never left a cable behind. In fact, I've never left anything behind.

bongomania · #10 09-15-2012, 01:03 AM

For the record, all claims made about any one cable "having more low end" or "doing a better job of conveying bass" etc. are LIES. Or in the most innocent case they are untruths repeated by people who believed a lie.

Follow the cable reviews link in my sig to find pages where I prove what I'm saying.

StyleOverShow · #11 09-15-2012, 01:27 AM

+1 to Bongo and Bassamatic. Cable tech has greatly improved.

Have used my 15' Monsters for 2, maybe three years and they are just showing signs of wear (or tearing up my input jack).

Nev375 · #12 09-15-2012, 01:34 AM

I don't think they sound any better than a regular cable.

However, if curiosity got the better of you and you bought one and were disappointed that you don't sound any better, at least they are generally well made and some can be returned to the store if they go bad on you, so, it's not entirely a waste of money.

Regular cables for me from now on though.

SRCRS · #13 09-15-2012, 04:58 AM

Thanks for clearing that up and saving me some money guys!

ggunn · #14 09-15-2012, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRCRS

So I've always played through a regular guitar cable and I'm thinking about upgrading. So does having an actual Bass Guitar cable make a big difference in sound quality? If so, I've been looking at two cables a Monster Prolink and a Gender Premium Platinum bass cable. Any body have any experience or comments or suggestions about these cables??

Cables are a passive system component, i.e., they have no power supply. That means that the only difference there can ever be between cables is subtractive for the same reason that the EQ section of a passive instrument can only cut, not boost, frequency bands. Even if a cable could "give you more bass" (and I am very skeptical of that) it could only appear to do so by giving you less treble.

Any well made cable will do you fine. Don't throw your money away on snake oil.

1958Bassman · #15 09-15-2012, 08:53 AM

This has to be the most reasonable cable thread I have EVER seen, anywhere. I would have thought that someone would have come along to say that they got their cables from a neighbor's garden gnome next to the gazing ball, on a full moon night, carrying a dead cat in a burlap bag.

ggunn · #16 09-15-2012, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

This has to be the most reasonable cable thread I have EVER seen, anywhere. I would have thought that someone would have come along to say that they got their cables from a neighbor's garden gnome next to the gazing ball, on a full moon night, carrying a dead cat in a burlap bag.

Oh, give it time. It will heat up eventually, I'll bet.

1958Bassman · #17 09-15-2012, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRCRS

So I've always played through a regular guitar cable and I'm thinking about upgrading. So does having an actual Bass Guitar cable make a big difference in sound quality? If so, I've been looking at two cables a Monster Prolink and a Gender Premium Platinum bass cable. Any body have any experience or comments or suggestions about these cables??

A bass has such a limited frequency bandwidth that any claims about "sparkling high end", open sound or any of that stuff is meaningless. Sure, a little brightness can be gained, but that's usually from switching from a cable with problems (stepped on far too many times, kinked, twisted to death) to one that's brand new.

If you tend to rip the cable from the plug, you might consider one that can be repaired more easily- Planet Waves and George L's are two that have lots of fans. I use Planet Waves because I also use their cables/parts for audio/video and home theater installations, so I usually have scraps or pieces removed from re-routing/moving equipment. The first time I tried it, I was replacing the cheap POS "five for $5" short jumpers between my pedals and I did hear a major difference. The long cable from the last pedal to the amp also made a difference- it seemed almost too bright. I would guess that the old ones just had problems and just about any good cable would have sounded the same as the PW.

I like being able to re-terminate without digging out a soldering iron and waiting and I have yet to rip the plug off.

1958Bassman · #18 09-15-2012, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

Oh, give it time. It will heat up eventually, I'll bet.

That has always been my experience. Even with extensive test data, someone always comes along and floats a Clark bar in the pool.

Edward G. · #19 09-15-2012, 09:09 AM

IMO, if you say it does, it does.

There are differences in heft and construction that clearly impact durability. Everybody with an ounce of experience ought to recognize a cheaply made cable when they see one. Beyond that, it's a game of opinions.

brianrost · #20 09-15-2012, 10:01 AM

Yes, there can be differences in the tone you get from cables.

It means the cable mfr has tweaked the capacitance, inductance and resistance of the cable to provide a particular passive EQ. The effect will vary from instrument to instrument, stompbox to stompbox and amp to amp due to variations in source and destination impedances.

I have heard this with my own ears but I also (as a long time electrical engineer) believe it's marketing BS, just give a cable that's as flat in response as possible...capacitance, inductance and resistance all as low as possible, then use good connectors.