Cables, Capacitance and Tone

[dehory]

Just as a preface, I don't intend for this thread to descend into a debate about whether cables can actually affect tone or not. I know it's the subject of some contention, but for the purposes of this thread, I'm assuming that they can. If you disagree, feel free to ignore this thread...

Anyway, I've been investigating different patch cable options to hook up some of my recent pedal acquisitions. After looking at George L's, Planet Waves and Lava Cables, I decided that the best bang-for-buck patch cables were either from Bayou (G&H nickel plugs and Mogami 2524 cable - $10 each) or Bill Lawrence ($50 for 10 plugs and 50' of proprietary low capacitance cable).

Here's where it gets kind of interesting. According to Bill Lawrence:

1. The higher the capacitance of a cable, the less [sic] highs reach the amplifier...

2. High-capacitance cables shift the resonance towards the lower frequencies which dramatically alters tone...

3. There are some very expensive high-capacitance cables on the market with a sound you might like for some tunes, but then you are stuck with that one sound...

Given that we bassists are generally more interested in lower frequency "resonance", it seems that high capacitance cables are better suited for our needs. Has anyone tried deliberately using high capacitance cables for tone purposes?

I suspect that high capacitance is not only found in some "very expensive" custom cables, but also many super cheapo ones. Maybe wiring a pedalboard with these might actually work better for bassists than, say, using George L's (which seem to be favoured by guitarists)?

[dehory]

I seem to have a penchant for complicating my own threads before they've even started.

Here are some inconclusive capacitance values for a few popular high-end cables. They are inconclusive because it seems all of them are essentially low capacitance cables...

Mogami (purportedly a darker sound): 39.7pF/Ft

Canare GS-6 (reckoned to have good full frequency response): 49pF/Ft

George L's (supposed to be bright and clear): ~21pF/Ft

Bill Lawrence BL-150 (ditto): ~20pF/Ft

Bill Lawrence makes the somewhat startling claim that the secret of Hendrix's tone was his 3000pF guitar cable, which acted as a midrange boost. Who makes such cables of such high capacitance?

N.B. I should also add that I realise a simple turn of the tone knob on even a passive bass will probably do more to affect "tone" than whatever cable I choose to use.

[Kelly Lee]

Originally Posted by dehory

If you disagree, feel free to ignore this thread...

Ignoring per your request.

[Richard Lindsey]

Originally Posted by dehory

Given that we bassists are generally more interested in lower frequency "resonance", it seems that high capacitance cables are better suited for our needs.

No, I don't think that follows at all. That's sort of like saying that because you sit down to do your job, it would make sense to amputate your legs. (Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean, I hope.) What's the point in crippling your tone before it ever gets to your amp?

By most people's lights (apparently not all), the job of a cable is to do nothing as well as possible. That is, in theory it's not supposed to either add or subtract anything; it's just supposed to transmit what it's given. Probably no cable does nothing perfectly, but that's generally the goal. You have tone controls on your bass and your amp; they should be sufficient for just about any purposes. Besides, those controls are adjustable over a range, rather than just occupying a fixed value like a cable does, which makes them more flexible.

I've used the Lawrence cables and like them a lot. The George Ls too. I don't think they're "bright": I think they're not muddy, which is a different thing. AFAICS, they don't add treble to your signal; they just don't cut treble as much as other cables that are high-capacitance do.