good cables= better tone?

15000volts · #1 06-09-2010, 04:25 AM

i'm seeing a lot of videos and posts that recommend lava cables and george L's and some other great cables, but i wonder if they make that much of a difference, compared to "normal" cables..
the best thing about lava cables and george L's seem to be the solderless system, which allows you to have custom lenghts.

jetofuj · #2 06-09-2010, 04:29 AM

Yes indeed, cables affect your tone.

Some cables may cut your highs or make your tone muddy and lifeless.

i2k · #3 06-09-2010, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 15000volts

i'm seeing a lot of videos and posts that recommend lava cables and george L's and some other great cables, but i wonder if they make that much of a difference, compared to "normal" cables..
the best thing about lava cables and george L's seem to be the solderless system, which allows you to have custom lenghts.

Yes, good cable affects tone and less noise as well. As you're in Europe it will be easier and cheaper to get Sommer Spirit & Klotz La Grange. Both are made in Germany & great cables, lot better than regular Canare & Mogami cables.

Scottgun · #4 06-09-2010, 05:24 AM

Oh heaven help us, not this again. Let me see if I can summarize fifteen-hundered posts:

"My $300 gold-connector cable sounds better than your $20 Whirlwind."

"No it doesn't. As long as the construction is solid, the differences are negligable."

"Yes it does! I can hear the difference!"

"Prove it in an ABX test."

"Kiss my behind!"

Repeat.

i_got_a_mohawk · #5 06-09-2010, 05:40 AM

The only thing cables can do is take away from your tone.

Any decent quality cable will have minimal effect on your tone.

One thing I'll say that I don't like about the solderless system is that you won't have as good a connection. Granted it doesn't matter with the low currents and voltages passing through the wires, but it's still something I'm uneasy with.

Klotz cables are pretty good and easy/cheap to come by.

billphreets · #6 06-09-2010, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

The only thing cables can do is take away from your tone.

Any decent quality cable will have minimal effect on your tone.

One thing I'll say that I don't like about the solderless system is that you won't have as good a connection. Granted it doesn't matter with the low currents and voltages passing through the wires, but it's still something I'm uneasy with.

Klotz cables are pretty good and easy/cheap to come by.

+1 i use klotz ac110 cable, excellent imho..

KarateKid25 · #7 06-09-2010, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottgun

Oh heaven help us, not this again. Let me see if I can summarize fifteen-hundered posts:

"My $300 gold-connector cable sounds better than your $20 Whirlwind."

"No it doesn't. As long as the construction is solid, the differences are negligable."

"Yes it does! I can hear the difference!"

"Prove it in an ABX test."

"Kiss my behind!"

Repeat.

No one mentioned $300 cables... You can get decent cables at reasonable prices. The question is do good cables = better tone. IMO, yes a quality cable is better than a crappy cable.

You have more durability, better shielding and a higher grade of components being used. It isn't rocket science to realise that this is going to be a better choice.

phatbass · #8 06-09-2010, 06:35 AM

I used to be a "magic cables = crap" kinda guy. I used fairly decent pro cables (DiMarzio, Planet Waves, Whirlwind, etc.) and was happy enough.

Then I was given one of those Bass-specific cables by a distributor to try out; the difference isn't huge, but I can hear it when A/B'ing against a regular decent quality cable and I certainly don't claim to have golden ears. It isn't so huge that I become physically ill if for some reason I use a "normal" cable, but it is there.

What's really noticable to me though is that now, instead of using the tone control on my Precision as pretty well full on or full off, there are a couple of distinctly different and usable "sweet spots" in it's sweep

Scottgun · #9 06-09-2010, 06:50 AM

Quote:

No one mentioned $300 cables...

No, but like an elephant in the living room, it's there....waiting.

Joe.shaffer · #10 06-09-2010, 07:04 AM

I'll go start the popcorn.

T. Alan Smith · #11 06-09-2010, 07:16 AM

I've been using MonsterBass cables for years. I always thought I liked the sound of them better than standard, Conquest-type(what I and everyone else in my area uses) cables. I attended a Harmony Central Bass Forum cable test and swore I heard differences, but could not consistently name them in a blind test. I did come away preferring Bayou for instrument, Audiopile for patching & Lava for speaker cables...so I'm in the process of replacing my Monsters with these. The Monsters will be my backups now.

chokeslam512 · #12 06-09-2010, 07:21 AM

Good cables = more reliable operation

fitz420 · #13 06-09-2010, 07:43 AM

i noticed a difference when i decided to make all of my cables, both instrument and patch cords with canare GS-6. better high highs and low lows, imho.

Scottgun · #14 06-09-2010, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitz420

i noticed a difference when i decided to make all of my cables, both instrument and patch cords with canare GS-6. better high highs and low lows, imho.

I love making my own and always like it when people throw out cables with perfectly good switchcraft connectors on them. I'd say mine sound better by the virtue of the satisfaction of making my own cables. I'm certain I'd bomb the blind ABX test though.

ggunn · #15 06-09-2010, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarateKid25

No one mentioned $300 cables... You can get decent cables at reasonable prices. The question is do good cables = better tone. IMO, yes a quality cable is better than a crappy cable.

You have more durability, better shielding and a higher grade of components being used. It isn't rocket science to realise that this is going to be a better choice.

As a matter of fact, it is "rocket science". No one has ever been able to prove objectively that other than noise issues (hum from bad shielding, crackle with movement, etc.) that different cables make any difference in tone. Or that they don't, for that matter. There's lots of conjecture and throwing around of technical terms, and plenty of folks will go to the mat over what they hear or what they think they hear, but there is simply not any way to overcome the subjectivity of hearing.

It all boils down to that if you hear a difference and you are willing to pay for it, then it's real to you. It doesn't matter if I or anyone else hears it.

Cables all sound the same to me, but my hearing is as subjective as anyone else's.

KarateKid25 · #16 06-09-2010, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggunn

As a matter of fact, it is "rocket science". No one has ever been able to prove objectively that other than noise issues (hum from bad shielding, crackle with movement, etc.) that different cables make any difference in tone.

Hum etc was exactly my point. As posted before, no cable will improve tone as such, only degrade it. Hums and the like are degrading IMO.