Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bass cable
- Thread starter Hutzbordello
- Start date
A cable is a passive component and will not add anything.
The difference between cables is merely what and how much of it they take away.
MIT also used to make a "bass cable".
At the moment I personally like best:
vovox "sonorus"
Analysis plus "pro oval studio"
Van den hul "integration hybrid"
The whole concept is of a better cable giving you better tone or sound is really irrelevant. For example: live use: is the pa really that good you will notice a difference or the audience or even your ability to play live? no.
Studio use: ok a little more relevant if your are using extremely high end mics or a high end audio interface then yes maybe slightly but what will people most likely be listening to your music on? ****** earbuds or stock car speakers, not really going to see a huge difference.
practicing: ok maybe, but will you hear the slight tone difference over your drummer, vocalist or guitarist? probably not.
I'm not saying don't buy good cables, construction is important, but the person who says they're $150 cable sounds better than a $60 is probably just trying to justify wasting that much money or trying to show off they have that much money to flush down a toilet.
All in all a cable is a cable and there are a ton of other variables that will affect your tone drastically more than a decent cable.
Studio use: ok a little more relevant if your are using extremely high end mics or a high end audio interface then yes maybe slightly but what will people most likely be listening to your music on? ****** earbuds or stock car speakers, not really going to see a huge difference.
practicing: ok maybe, but will you hear the slight tone difference over your drummer, vocalist or guitarist? probably not.
I'm not saying don't buy good cables, construction is important, but the person who says they're $150 cable sounds better than a $60 is probably just trying to justify wasting that much money or trying to show off they have that much money to flush down a toilet.
All in all a cable is a cable and there are a ton of other variables that will affect your tone drastically more than a decent cable.
I actually spoke to a District Sales Rep. about these very cables for my live rig, and he told me that they were good for bedroom bashing, but beyond that, he wouldn't trust them. He recommended that I try out the Whirlwind Leader Series cable. I've been using that cable ever since. No coloration of sound, and more importantly, no tone loss. A 25' cable can be had for around $30-$40 too. All around a great cable, and I couldn't be happier. My 2-cents.
Honestly, after the "this cable isn't 5mm thick and fraying" threshhold I never hear a difference. My guitarist ALWAYS uses one like that at jam sessions because he's too lazy to plug in with another cable (I'm not even joking).
Nobody wants to hear this...because it's a painful truth. We want to believe the malarkey we're told about high end cable. I too, have been suckered in the past. My wife brought home an Evidence Audio cable because the guy at the music store said it was the best and it would make a difference. $125.00!! I love her but was flabbergasted. However, I used it for years until I went wireless. Sure it's a good cable (stiff as hell though) but when A/B against my Bayou cable from Butch or my guitar-cable.com cable from Illinois, I could not hear ANY difference. I A/B thru my gear and recording. No difference.
My favorite cables are from guitar-cable.com. Reasonably priced and durable. That's about all I need in a cable.
I have always found monster cable a rip off. I know they tout their lifetime warranty. But frankly, it doesn't cover user error or damage and if a cable fails 99.9% of the time it's caused by the user.
My rant is now over. I just hate when I see younger players buy into hype and ripoffs. After 30 years, I'm finally getting wiser and saving some $$ in the process
Done with Monster cables. Bought two, took advantage of their warranty (several times returning failed ones to the local retailer) and now use Quantum cables. Way, way better construction, and reliability. Monster is crap, even with their warranty.
I like the LiveWire Advantage cables they sell at GC. 10 ft. for $13.99. Lifetime warranty, and you don't even need the receipt! Inexpensive, sounds good, decent construction, what's not to love? 
Absolutely, categorically not.
Bongolation hits the nail on the head. While tone isn't a reason to spend money on cables, there are reasons to get better cables. In my experience the following facts are true:
1. Super cheap guitar cables often have plugs that have measurements that are not to standard specifications. This leads to contacts being poor and lots of "static" noise when moving cables around. I had a bunch of these from Sam Ash. They were nearly free, but would only work decently when you put a 1/4" rubber washer over the plug so it wouldn't go all the way in.
2. Plastic and some other "armored" cables are stiff as the dickens and then to wiggle the plug and make "static" as well as being a nuisance.
3. Plastic and some other cables tend to be "microphonic" which means tapping on the cable (or the cable slapping against the floor) makes a noise in the speaker.
4. Gold plated plugs are best if you can find them. The gold protects the plug against corrosion and makes better contacts. But no matter what you've heard it does NOT change the tone!
5. The KEY reason for spending more money on cables is the way in which the wire is anchored into the plug. A nice molded potted plug that can never come apart (or be repaired) is best.
6. To keep the wires from breaking at the plug you want plugs with a nice "strain relief". This not only include a way to grab the cable nice and tight so when you pull on the wire it also pulls the plug but also includes a spring or shrink-tube that keeps the wire from bending too sharply at the back of the plug.
Sounds like a lot of money, right? Nope often Radio Shack or other places have nice rubber wire cables with gold plated plugs that are just excellent but at a fraction of the "Monster" price. Check out Carvin cables. They are excellent and inexpensive too. (not plated, though) You just need to know what you are looking for.
The only good thing about expensive "name" cables is the replacement policy which can be good if you are very hard on cables.
Some good points in the post above!
You DO want a cable with quality plugs, strain relief and made with decent quality wire which is flexible and doesn't unduly stress the connector by pulling against it unnecessarily.
But these are all available in over-the-counter cables of reasonable price.
You DO want a cable with quality plugs, strain relief and made with decent quality wire which is flexible and doesn't unduly stress the connector by pulling against it unnecessarily.
But these are all available in over-the-counter cables of reasonable price.
bongomania
Commercial User
Actually this one point is not true. The gold itself will not have problems with corrosion, and it conducts very well; but gold does not bond well to the cheap alloy steels used in making plugs. In a humid or salty-air environment, corrosion can develop between the steel and the gold plating, resulting in poor conductivity. For this reason, gold plating is kind of a boondoggle--the plating does not provide any of the benefits that you would expect when thinking of gold by itself as a conductive material.
Nickel plating bonds very well to steel alloys, so it makes a more reliable connector.
