Best Quality Bass Cables Out There?

[aquablue]

I am just getting back to the bass and I have seen many changes so far. I need your help to get back up to speed.

Best Quality Bass Cables Out There?

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[MarTONEbass]

WELCOME BACK!

A quick search of this forum will result in many arguments about this subject. Some info is great, other info...not so much. Pay attention to the frequent posters and happy reading!

Originally Posted by aquablue

I am just getting back to the bass and I have seen many changes so far. I need your help to get back up to speed.

Best Quality Bass Cables Out There?

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[Nev375]

You can fork out some major cash for Monster cable or other boutique cables "specially designed" for bass, but at the end of the day an instrument cable is just an instrument cable and not anything to get worked up over.

As long as the ends are good, well soldered and has a little strain relief that's all you need. I do prefer the type with a braided jacket. They coil nicely.

[Flatwound Funk]

http://www.elixirstrings.com/products/cables/index.html
These seem to be cables with the least high end roll off

[BassNoob1]

Originally Posted by Nev375

You can fork out some major cash for Monster cable or other boutique cables "specially designed" for bass, but at the end of the day an instrument cable is just an instrument cable and not anything to get worked up over.

As long as the ends are good, well soldered and has a little strain relief that's all you need. I do prefer the type with a braided jacket. They coil nicely.

I agree, with Nev375; I use Planet Waves simply because they have a lifetime guarantee, so if one breaks I can go get another for free.

[cavedweller]

Planet Waves are great reasonably priced cables. never had one go bad on me yet.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by aquablue

I am just getting back to the bass and I have seen many changes so far. I need your help to get back up to speed.

Best Quality Bass Cables Out There?

__

For the most part, a cable is a cable is a cable.

[Steveaux]

Originally Posted by Flatwound Funk

http://www.elixirstrings.com/products/cables/index.html
These seem to be cables with the least high end roll off

Do yourself a favor.

Ignore this type of advertising.

[ThisisCraigP]

The Ultra Premium, Gold Infused, Bass Optimized, best thing since sliced bread bass cable from Monster of course!

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Steveaux

Do yourself a favor.
Ignore this type of advertising.

FWIW, I don't think that was an advertisement, but a reasonable suggestion. For one, the capacitance of Elixirs is far lower than most other instrument cables, so they really do retain the high frequencies better (with a passive instrument). For another, his sig says he plays D'Addarios, and if he was an Elixir shill he'd say he uses their strings.

[krovx]

I don't think it is as big of a deal, but I usually have monsters and planet waves just in case they wear down or break I can exchange them with their lifetime guarantee. I don't want to know how many cheap cables I gone through before I spent money for a monster or planet wave. I haven't bought a cable in six years now.

[Flatwound Funk]

Originally Posted by bongomania

FWIW, I don't think that was an advertisement, but a reasonable suggestion. For one, the capacitance of Elixirs is far lower than most other instrument cables, so they really do retain the high frequencies better (with a passive instrument). For another, his sig says he plays D'Addarios, and if he was an Elixir shill he'd say he uses their strings.

I use livewire and planet wave cables because they are cheap. I don't have to worry about the high end roll off stuff because my bass is active but I recommended the elixir cable because of what bongomania said about the lower capacitance and the op asked for the "highest Quality".

[Lukejt]

Personally I don't like the way my Elixir sounds with my passive basses. I've got a Planet Waves cable that sounds nice, but it's on the fritz and due to the molded plugs I can't repair it myself.

I'm also searching for a decent (rugged) cable. My next cable will have repairable plugs.

[Steveaux]

Originally Posted by bongomania

FWIW, I don't think that was an advertisement, but a reasonable suggestion. For one, the capacitance of Elixirs is far lower than most other instrument cables, so they really do retain the high frequencies better (with a passive instrument). For another, his sig says he plays D'Addarios, and if he was an Elixir shill he'd say he uses their strings.

Apologies. I never meant to imply anyone was a shill.

Just sick of the whole boutique/ultra cable thing.

If you don't like making your own cables, get the less expensive Lifetime cable and spend the extra $$ on strings.

[Marty Forrer]

High end roll off? Bollocks! Bass aint supposed to have high end!

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by Lukejt

Personally I don't like the way my Elixir sounds with my passive basses. I've got a Planet Waves cable that sounds nice, but it's on the fritz and due to the molded plugs I can't repair it myself.

I'm also searching for a decent (rugged) cable. My next cable will have repairable plugs.

Cut the ends on the Planet Waves and get some new ones. I don't buy any retail cables anymore. I buy 100 ft. lengths of a couple brands and a pile of end pieces and make them to the lengths I want.

[Flatwound Funk]

Originally Posted by Marty Forrer

High end roll off? Bollocks! Bass aint supposed to have high end!

True that! haha

[Lukejt]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Cut the ends on the Planet Waves and get some new ones. I don't buy any retail cables anymore. I buy 100 ft. lengths of a couple brands and a pile of end pieces and make them to the lengths I want.

I'm considering this right now, for the price of return shipping, I think I can do just this.

Cool.

[Nev375]

I used to own one of those gold-tipped Monster "bass" cables. It lasted a little over a year before breaking and I could NOT get it replaced. This was over 10 years ago and I don't remember why the store wouldn't honor the warranty, but it was a no-go.

Truth be told, I could never tell an audible difference between it and a $5 cable. I'd be highly skeptical of anyone claiming they could and would be VERY interested in watching them try to prove it repeatedly in a blind A/B comparison.

The other thing cheaper cables have going for them is they are easily serviceable if you have some basic soldering skills. Those high end cables tend to be proprietary.

I'm not saying that expensive cables are inherently bad. They are quite nice while they are working. But boutique stuff can be a boutique problem requiring boutique skill to fix when things go wrong. It's just in my old age, wisdom has taught me there's good reasons why simple things become the industry standards and fancy things tend to come and go or change with the seasons.

[darkstorm]

Livewire elite and Mogami.