Who makes the best QUALITY cables?

[kelbrihan]

I am looking to buy some new cables and since i've been told that there is no difference in cables at all what are the names of manufacturers that make durable cables and offer lifetime warranties on their products?

[tbone0813]

Planet Waves

[kelbrihan]

Originally Posted by tbone0813

Planet Waves

Thank you for a straight answer, see how this works, guys?

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Again, I apologize for answering the question you asked in your other thread. I thought that's how it worked.

Lava Cables for one use quality parts and have a lifetime warranty.

[kelbrihan]

On Bayou cables site, he offers many options gold connectors (Neutrik Black/Gold, Neutrik Nickel, G&H Black/Gold, G&H Nickel) Does this make a diffrence or is this too just hype? Is one better for connecting pre to power amps as opposed to bass to pre or amp to speaker??

[Bryan R. Tyler]

The difference in conductivity between gold and nickel is negligible (gold is technically better, but not to a point where you'd even notice in musical instrument applications). Gold is more likely to flake and get into your basses. Not being rough with gold ends will likely keep them from flaking at all. Go with nickel if you'd rather play it safe. My cables all have gold ends simply because I like the looks of it, and I don't toss them around/lend them out so they never get scratched and have no opportunity to flake.

[Dave Grossman]

Whatever you do, don't buy Monster. Unless you want to support a greedy lawsuit-happy company who will sue anybody who wants to use the common word "Monster" for any commercial purpose.

I have a ton of Monster cables that I bought before I knew about what they were doing. I wish I could return all of them.

Boycott Monster!

More info at:
http://www.monstergreed.com/Index%20...about%20MC.htm

Also, just Google "monster lawsuit" and you'll get thousands of hits (actually, over a million but who's counting?).

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...le&btnG=Search

I'm going to take all of my Monster cables and take a Sharpie to the logos.

Also, the specs on their plugs (at least some of them) don't seem to conform to the standard. I bought a bunch of TRS to 2 mono adapters and the plug on the TRS end was too short! It didn't fit all the way into the devices I was connecting them to and caused intermittent disconnects that took me a while to figure out. I had to return 4 of them.

I have heard from many people that Monster Cable connectors have damaged equipment. I've had problems with Monster phone plugs sticking in my gear and having to forceably pull them out. I always feared that they might be damaging my gear and I have heard that this can happen. I've heard it from a few people (clarification: I have heard it from a few people in person and have read about problems from many people).

Think you're going to buy some Monster Cables on sale someday? Think again! They make deals with their sellers to never mark down their products. I can go into Guitar Center and negotiate discounts on thousands of dollars worth of gear (and have) but when it comes to the cables ... full price. Always.

Not to mention that their new style molded connectors suck. They put additional strain on your equipment because the point at which they bend is now farther from the insertion point. This causes additional torque on the connection which can lead to additional damage.

- Dave

[Phil Mastro]

I like my planet waves cables, and I also like the guarantee. I had one choke on me a while back, brought it to the store, the clerk just grabbed one from the rack, marked my receipt, and I went home!

Also, this dude from Laval (a city next to Montréal) makes awesome cables, he does mostly hi-end stereo stuff (RCA cables and power supplies), but he'll do a one-off instrument cable on request. My dad has some of his silver cables on his stereo (as in the cable is made of silver wire), and they just blow everything away. At least from the stuff my dad has tried, which includes Linn RCA interconnects. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for.

http://www.bisaudio.com/

[Woodchuck]

Spectraflex!

[Platypus_Of_420]

Originally Posted by Dave Grossman

Whatever you do, don't buy Monster. Unless you want to support a greedy lawsuit-happy company who will sue anybody who wants to use the common word "Monster" for any commercial purpose.

I have a ton of Monster cables that I bought before I knew about what they were doing. I wish I could return all of them.

Boycott Monster!

More info at:
http://www.monstergreed.com/Index%20...about%20MC.htm

Also, just Google "monster lawsuit" and you'll get thousands of hits (actually, over a million but who's counting?).

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...le&btnG=Search

I'm going to take all of my Monster cables and take a Sharpie to the logos.

Also, the specs on their plugs (at least some of them) don't seem to conform to the standard. I bought a bunch of TRS to 2 mono adapters and the plug on the TRS end was too short! It didn't fit all the way into the devices I was connecting them to and caused intermittent disconnects that took me a while to figure out. I had to return 4 of them.

I have heard from many people that Monster Cable connectors have damaged equipment. I've had problems with Monster phone plugs sticking in my gear and having to forceably pull them out. I always feared that they might be damaging my gear and I have heard that this can happen. I've heard it from a few people.

Think you're going to buy some Monster Cables on sale someday? Think again! They make deals with their sellers to never mark down their products. I can go into Guitar Center and negotiate discounts on thousands of dollars worth of gear (and have) but when it comes to the cables ... full price. Always.

Not to mention that their new style molded connectors suck. They put additional strain on your equipment because the point at which they bend is now farther from the insertion point. This causes additional torque on the connection which can lead to additional damage.

- Dave

erm..oops...i just spent $20 on a monster cable a few weeks ago, not cause i had too much of a choice, cause i needed a new cable BAD. its alot shorter than it should be for $20. that was the only cable brand they had at GC so i just went with it. i guess i have to say i'm happy with it, well..cause its a cable...dosnt matter. better than my old one anyway. i could have gotten a way better deal though.


anyways, has anyone tried carvin cables? a 20 ft cable is only $10 through their site.

[WalterBush]

ProCo makes some instrument cables with Kevlar threading between the wires to make them more crushable--their connectors are pretty solid, as well. I mean, they build the Rat like a tank, right?

They make some cheapies, but buy one of the more expensive lines and you'll be getting a warranty and a quality cable that looks pretty sharp, to boot.

[zombywoof5050]

I like the Rapco 'S' Series cables. No Rapco dealers seem to stock them, so you have to get them to special order them.

[Skeletomania]

I have to replace my cable too. Sadly there isn't much choice but monster cables.

[Dave Grossman]

Originally Posted by Skeletomania

I have to replace my cable too. Sadly there isn't much choice but monster cables.

Yeah. In a lot of places, that's true. When I bought my cables, it was Monster, Live Wires and Hosa. I wanted something better then Live Wires so I didn't have any choice. Not that Live Wires are bad. Probably just as good for most uses.

I have more choices now. Guitar Center is stocking other high-end cables in addition to Monster.

I did get a whole ton of Monster cables for about half price at a Good Guys that was having a close-out sale.
- Dave

[bass-shy]

Monster Cables have never let me down and I've been using them for years. It is possible to get equal quality cables for less money, but the Monsters work, have been reliable, are readily available almost everywhere and have a lifetime warranty. They're good enough for me.

[Dave Grossman]

Originally Posted by bass-shy

Monster Cables have never let me down and I've been using them for years. It is possible to get equal quality cables for less money, but the Monsters work, have been reliable, are readily available almost everywhere and have a lifetime warranty. They're good enough for me.

It isn't the quality that is at issue (though, there are issues with the specs on their plugs). The issue is that a big part of their business is suing other companies. If you don't have an problems with what Monster Cable is doing to small time companies that can't affort to fight them off and the fact that they're lawyers are allowed to sue anybody who happens to use the name "Monster", then by all means, you should buy their stuff.

Companies like this shouldn't be allowed to do business like that. Lawyers are becoming a standard part of big business as offensive weapons to hamstring the competition. In this case, it's just stupid. Is anybody going to really mistake the movie "Monsters Inc." with Monster Cable? Or any of the umpteen other companies they've sued. They are a greedy monster of a company and the only way to get them to stop is to not buy their stuff.

- Dave

[Stanley Design]

When it comes to cables I look for how easy it will be to repair once it breaks, all cables break, lifetime warrenty my butt. Look for well insulated, beefy jacks, etc. I made all my own with really nice ends I got from work.

[kelbrihan]

I just purchased 2 from Bayou Cables, look for reveiw to come.

[syciprider]

Dave, you're making a spectacle out of someone else's thread. Your message may be relevant but your timing and choice of venue is off.

BOT: I use Live Wire and Planet Waves.

[SundanceChile]

I hope Munji chimes in, I recall him posting about some Mom and Pop style company out of Cali who makes AMAZING cables.