Am I doing something wrong? (Amp input jack)

[Al Kraft]

I'm on the other side of the feeding trough from the boutique world, and I see this in cheap cables from Amazon. I have a vague memory that not all quarter inch cables are 1/4 in. Something to do with rounding down to 6.3 mm instead of 6.35.
The one budget exception I have had great luck with is Kirlin.

I agree that many of the cables that don't use quality connectors (e.g. Switchcraft, Neutrik, Rean, etc.) can pose problems and especially when it comes to speakON style connectors and jacks. Manufacturing techniques and QA along with basic design deficiencies (e.g. proper sizing) seem to be a trademark of the cheaper/bargain cables.

Considering the equipment damage they can do and the associated cost of repair, the higher quality cables with name brand connectors are a genuine bargain IMO.

 

[ardgedee]

Dang-it guys!!!!!

Wish you'd have told me 25 + years ago about how terrible those high-dollar, three Monster cables I bought were....."and I've been gigging with since, and have never had a problem with".....are.

I've bought a few at rummage sales for one or two bucks each. They work great. Don't know if I'd pay much more than that but then again these days even zipcord sells for a couple dollars a foot, and that's copper-plated aluminum that corrodes to black while you're bringing it home.

 

[meisi]

I have a bag full of monster cables that may be older than that and still working fine. I only had one failure over the years and they replaced it for free after like 15 years of use...my sales receipt had almost faded out completely. I tend to buy mostly Pro Co anymore as they are readily available and high quality, but I have no complaints about my Monster cables.

IIRC there was a period of time (decades back) where Monster used a modified tip geometry along with a heavy gold plating and a number of those cables did actually cause some problems with some instrument and amp jacks...the fit was noticeably tight in some cases. As best I recall Monster made the necessary manufacturing and QA adjustments and cables after that were correctly sized. My sense was that this event was one of the reasons people frequently say that Monster cables will damage the jacks.

I have a few monster cables left behind from jams. The older ones (>30yrs ago) are as you describe. The newer ones with decorative wood trim is not as bad.

The bad ones would literally get stuck and very difficult to unplug. Still, never ruined an input jack, but didn't like the fit of the old school monster bass cable. Still have it but only bc I have a giant bin of cables from hosting jammy jam night days.

 

[agedhorse]

Sometimes you can get lucky with cheaper cables, but sometimes you don’t. When you don’t, the damage caused can get pretty expensive.

 

[vvvmmm]

You have to be aware that you have to look for the intermittent part of things when using a tester rather than just assuming a steady state indication is "good".

yes, absolutely

I tend to plug and un-plug, move it all around, and you still may not identify an intermittent - it's most useful at the jack and mebbe 6" past, and not perfect then - anything mid-cable won't be found, of course

I'll add I bought some cheap overseas 1/4" plugs a cuppla years ago to make pedal patch cords ; the very barrels loosen and then come off - a major PITA when they come off inside the pedal