What makes an instrument cable good?

[bass_drum]

Hey guys! I'm looking to get some good isntrument cable and I'm wondering what things I should look for in a cable?

Also, have you guys ever went to radioshack and bought the cable and the "head pieces" (for lack of a better word) and made cables yourselves, if so, how did it turn out?

[craig_man_10]

yea i tried the radioshack thing and it didnt work for me, but i'm not good with the soldering thing so... but yea, if ur looking for a good cable use Monster cables. little pricey but worth it. they make different cable for different uses (and they make a special bass cablee ).

[Geezerman]

www.procosound.com i have the excellines, $20 for a 15 footer w/ a 10 year unconditional warranty, pretty nice sounding too.

[Vorago]

Wathever you do, get yer soldering down, and believe, it's not as easy as it looks

[Selta]

http://www.bayoucables.com/

-Ray

[JimmyM]

I couldn't give a crap about cables. I buy what's on sale at the music store. As long as they're fairly heavy duty, I don't care what they are. No offense to anyone who swears by them but Monster cables are a joke. They're slightly more heavy duty than most and they think that justifies charging ridiculous prices. And what's this business about the cord needing to be plugged in one way and one way only? Get real! There's a whole lot bigger issues to focus on than cords.

[geoffkhan]

For 1/4" I always get California Audio cables. They're great quality, no crackling (like some other cables I've used), and last a long time.

For mic cables I'm pretty happy with the ones Blue Microphones makes. They're expensive, but worth it. And they match my 1/4" cables well.

And for anyone who asks, I notice a difference in sound between different cables. A lot of difference in noise, of course (I'm a fanatic about noise levels).

Originally Posted by JimmyM

No offense to anyone who swears by them but Monster cables are a joke. They're slightly more heavy duty than most and they think that justifies charging ridiculous prices. And what's this business about the cord needing to be plugged in one way and one way only? Get real! There's a whole lot bigger issues to focus on than cords.

I never buy Monster Cables after I heard about that lawsuit thing. Their cables are supposed to be great, but I don't want to support them.

[Munjibunga]

Durability.