Bass cables different than guitar cables?

[whero]

Old enough to remember in the 80s when audiophiles fervently believed their hi-fis weren't truly hi-fi without 10-gauge, gold-tipped speaker cables.

Exactly this.

I lost count of the number of blind test articles in What Hi-Fi? and other audio magazines where nobody was able to tell the difference between Monster (and other high-end cable) and cheap cable from your local neighbourhood electronic component store, but this just takes it to a whole new level of b@ll@cks. Well done to Michael for managing to make it away from the stand without laughing out loud.

And as an aside, and pretending for a moment that it actually does what it says on the tin [spoiler: it doesn't], when I started playing I must have missed the memo that says "all bass players must 'bring down the lows', acoustic guitarists must eliminate fret noise, and rock guitarists must emphasise it". Or are Monster the self-appointed arbiters of what's acceptable for musicians now?

 

[TOOL460002]

Totally a difference. The bass ones have that black piece on it. Yeah, I fell for it too a long time ago...

 

[ZonieBass]

Old enough to remember in the 80s when audiophiles fervently believed their hi-fis weren't truly hi-fi without 10-gauge, gold-tipped speaker cables.

Don't forget, those cables had to be burned in prior to being used.

 

[dkelley]

Thing is, monster stuff is very good quality - but the price is insane, and their marketing is absolutely 100% full of lies.

The cable itself is very good. I bet the "bass" one doesn't actually change the tone at all... but after paying $80 for a bass guitar cable you're likely to believe you can hear anything.

 

[Pings Bass]

Exactly this.

I lost count of the number of blind test articles in What Hi-Fi? and other audio magazines where nobody was able to tell the difference between Monster (and other high-end cable) and cheap cable from your local neighbourhood electronic component store, but this just takes it to a whole new level of b@ll@cks.

I've been using 16-AWG copper lamp cord for home hi-fi speakers since forever. Nobody's ever noticed or complained.

 

[jdh3000]

Marketing... just like looking down a toothpaste aisle... Same brand but 10 different kinds; this one whitens. this one fights this on fights cavities.... this helps prevent gingivitis, this one for better breath... Brushing ones teeth will help all of these things.

A good cable is a good cable... they say they can bake in something or attenuate something out, it's still a cable. You'll still eq, you'll still have bad rooms to deal with.

I'm using some of the same cables I bought 20 years ago.

 

[DWBass]

Thing is, monster stuff is very good quality - but the price is insane, and their marketing is absolutely 100% full of lies.

The components by themselves are good quality. The finished cable is not. Just my opinion.

 

[dkelley]

The components by themselves are good quality. The finished cable is not. Just my opinion.

Well it's moot anyhow since I have and never will buy it. I believe you - I haven't taken apart their instrument cables before... not like I ever come across them either LoL.

I have inhereted their speaker cables, and it was absolutely top notch super over the top and very very well made with good connectors, a solid conductivity system for attaching connectors to cable, and very good quality cable. Nothing wrong there... but it's all heresy since it's such a ludicrous company LoL.

 

[lfmn16]

It must be true, it’s on the internet!

 

[micguy]

I studied Physics in college, and design pro audio gear for a living. I'm very aware of what makes things sound different in audio gear and what.....doesn't - I've spent decades figuring that stuff out. I'm afraid I could never work for Monster - neither they nor I would be happy with the arrangement. I can live with that.

 

[equill]

i quite like this: Monster Cable Correspondence

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/response041408.pdf

I remember this hitting the news; it was glorious.
Huge fan of his work, and I wish Blue Jeans cables were available over here.

 

[Peteyboy]

I have a Monster cable that's "voiced" for bass. Problem is they just "voiced" some treble outta my signal. Not my cup of meat.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Monster says so....

I only use monster bass cables. I have a 15ft and a 30ft. I've had the 30 for about 8 years. Never had to claim the lifetime warranty either.

 

[Michedelic]

I wouldn't touch Monster Cable!!

That’s what she said...

 

[micguy]

If you look at what sounds good in a lot of musical instruments, it's a response/spectrum with peaked upper mid frequencies (and a rolloff above that). Electric guitars achieve this by resonating the pickup coil resistance with the cable capacitance. Changing the range of the instrument doesn't change this, however - a bass sounds good with it's peak in the same frequency range. This goes beyond electric instruments - if you look as the acoustics of violins (and other instruments in that family), and wind instruments, and....they have spectra that emphasize the same region - it's where our ears are tuned that makes this work. Anyway, given that, the concept of making a cable for a bass that's different than that for a guitar makes no sense. Marketing wise, maybe it does, but functionally, I see no rational point in this.

 

[Wesley R]

As a student of all sortsa different cables (for many years) my thoughts on instrument cables runs along the lines of use cable with a higher percentage of copper, the highest percentage of braid coverage, quality jacks, play and be happy. For several decades I was a Belden cable & Whirlwind jacks. Now of course I am partial to a different jack.

Another selection of critical nature is the jacket color. For my wife and her guitar it is light blue to match the guitar or on rare occasion when the case is by the guitar it must be tweed to match the case.

As for Monster I shall quote my departed Grandmother "Sounds like stuff and nonsense" the closest she ever came to swearing.

 

[mdlewis]

I've been using 16-AWG copper lamp cord for home hi-fi speakers since forever. Nobody's ever noticed or complained.

Same here. Never anything but.

But then I also like to play old 45's and LPs. I can't hear the difference between most cables except when they're failing. And fail they do, so I pay most attention to how durable they are. Monsters are OK, but they're expensive and very bulky.

FWIW, I can hear quite a difference between lengths of cables when I'm going a long distance from one of my passive basses to either the board or the amp. The loss of highs is pretty noticeable. But I think that's pretty well documented.

 

[Lagado]

"The principles underlying propaganda are extremely simple. Find some common desire, some widespread unconscious fear or anxiety; think out some way to relate this wish or fear to the product you have to sell; then build a bridge of verbal or pictorial symbols over which your customer can pass from fact to compensatory dream, and from the dream to the illusion that your product, when purchased, will make the dream come true. They are selling hope."

Aldous Huxley - Brave New World Revisited.

Edward Bernays would not be impressed.

 

[SunByrne]

Marketing wise, maybe it does, but functionally, I see no rational point in this.

That's a pretty accurate description of the entire Monster Cable approach...

 

[nilorius]

I think = NO !!!!