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Best cable for the money?

R

RayO5421

Jan 15, 2007
608
1
34
Toms River NJ
#1
Hello all,
Looking for atleast two instrument cables that will provide a strong and solid connection from my bass, to a Korg pitchblack pedal tuner, to my amp.

I know Monster is what everyone goes to but it seems rather expensive to be spending $50 on a cable. Then again I'd rather spend the extra cash and get the best sound possible than have my playing suffer for a minor issue like the cable I use.

What do you think? Drop the money on two Monster cables? Or should I just go for any random brand with a lifetime guarantee?

Thanks,
Ryan
 
#2
Hi,

I bought the monster cables and wish I saved my money... I tried planet waves and personally think they are better..(plus cheaper). I gig out with the planet waves and leave the monster cables at home...

JMO... good luck,

Bill
 
#7
RayO5421 said:
Hello all,
Looking for atleast two instrument cables that will provide a strong and solid connection from my bass, to a Korg pitchblack pedal tuner, to my amp.

I know Monster is what everyone goes to but it seems rather expensive to be spending $50 on a cable. Then again I'd rather spend the extra cash and get the best sound possible than have my playing suffer for a minor issue like the cable I use.

What do you think? Drop the money on two Monster cables? Or should I just go for any random brand with a lifetime guarantee?

Thanks,
Ryan
Click to expand...

get someone to put one together, it's cheaper, and get them to use neutrik connectors. That's all you need.
 
#10
Check your local shop brand. Ya know, the generic ones that folks scoff at because they aren't pretty. Here in the 'Ville I buy a local shop's brand. Good cable, Neutrik ends, guaranteed for life, no questions asked. Same reason I buy Craftsman hand tools. Ran over it with the lawnmower? No problem.
 
#11
I have used the same planet waves 20 foot with a 90degree for 6 years and i will never use anything else. it seems to have equal or better sound quality than all the monsters i have had except my planet waves isn't broken and has gone through the same beatings as my monsters.
 
#12
Mogami is probably the best value in cables. And if you are industrious, you can order the cable in bulk and use whatever ends you fancy. There are plenty of boutique esoteric cables that really sound terrific (I'm sold on Zaolla), but at some point you have to weigh out value vs. sonic improvement.
 
#15
Gaah instrument cables are such a racket. Total BS. It frustrates me how hard it is to just get something that doesn't feel chintzy, looks decent (i.e. SIMPLE), and works...that isn't $50. That's ********. No matter how many times you slice it. My two cents. I'm sick of it, dude.

ProCo look alright to me...but still too much marketing mamblo jamblo for me.
 
#17
Save your money on cables. Get the cheapest ones that have your desired quality of connectors and are well-built. Don't waste your money on expensive cables. Wire will carry the signal. There are different cables for instruments versus speakers and such, but stick with an affordable instrument cable. Yes, they all do sound the same.
 
#19
Passive instrument signals are colored by cables as pickup inductance reacts with the cable capacitance in the form of resonances. Cables will sound different, but saying which one will work in your context is difficult without knowing the inductance of the pickup, your amplification setup, and your personal coloration preferences. High capacitance cables will drop down your resonance and give you a bit of a boost, but kill highs (ie Monster brand bass cables :D ). If you start boosting high frequencies to get them back, you can effectively add in hiss and other varieties of noise. Total capacitance increases with length and generally with shielding thickness.

I prefer low capacitance cables, as you can have longer runs without detriment. You can also use them with shorter runs and get the same sounds as higher capacitance cables by putting capacitors in parallel with the pickups. It's easy to add capacitance when using a low capacitance cable, but impossible to take it away from a high capacitance one. You can add it in increments and place the resonance where you like it - it comes down to your rig's coloration and your own personal preference.
 

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