Backline Ettiquette (speaker cable, lack thereof)

[catcauphonic]

You can do this

 

[rtslinger]

Yeah you should have mentioned it to him. Could be he is coming off of owning just combos and has no idea of the difference, and what it could possibly do to his investment. If he were on here asking none of you would think twice about sharing the knowledge you have. RTS

 

[Plastalmonus]

New TalkBass highlight. A 2 page post discussing how to have a basic interaction with another human.

 

[seamonkey]

Under gauge wire is a problem. Too much current and it get's hot and melts.
A short cable may not be a problem.

Speakons are a good way to go to avoid under gauge cable being used.

1/4" 6.35mm can be a problem because the sleeve/ground is actually not at ground.

I have some 16gauge shielded wire I can use for instrument or speakers, but I put on speakons on for cabs. Capacitance of my shielded cable is so very low especially for short runs that it doesn't matter.

 

[BassmanPaul]

And i own one, but i never bring it because none of my equipment use 1/4” anymore.

I always carry one even though I have yet to need it. You never know though. Sometimes one comes in useful to connect a guitar player up, and you know how flakey those guys can be , or to link up a stage monitor.

 

[Mugre]

I’m playing a bar gig and using the headliner’s bass rig.
Nice enough rig: GK 700RB into a Peavey 4x10. Solid.
However, he’s using an instrument cable in place of the speaker cable.
Recipe for disaster, as you well know.
How do I tell him? How do I warn him? Do I?
I’ve a habit of running into and trying to help the kind of people that don’t want help, so i’m worried he’ll be that kind. I don’t want to rub him wrong but I don’t know that I can just ignore it and let him continue like this.
Thoughts?

Not best practices but he's probably been using it that way for quite a while without trouble so may not understand what you're getting all "hysterical" about. If you are going to counsel him about it, don't use terms like recipe for disaster. Use some gobbledygook about voltage/current and tell that it's starving the speaker of electrons and will sound better with a proper two conductor speaker cable.

Mugre

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

New TalkBass highlight. A 2 page post discussing how to have a basic interaction with another human.

Some days I need all the help I can get.
Just ask my wife.
Or my therapist.