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Best patch cords for our Effects

duderus

duderus

Supporting Member
Dec 5, 2012
280
64
#1
I am thinking of eventually putting all my pedals on a board that I live with a power supply (not yet determines; probably a voodoo of sort).

I have the Planet wave kit from 10 years ago (looks the same today) and they work fine. However, if I squeeze the pedals onto a board I am not sure on their size being a problem or not. With that being said are they even that good of patch cords? They stick in the sockets and are harder to pull out and sometimes fall apart.

So 1 question:
1.) What are the best effect cables for us bass players and our effects? Tone and Room Saver.
 
#5
Both the George L's and Lava's are great low capacitance, flexible coaxial cable. The Lava's have a slightly lower profile when plugged in so they afford you more space on the board. They are more expensive though, as noted. I have the GL's now and they are good but I'm thinking of switching over to the Lava's... I need the space.

FWIW, I used to be the product specialist for the Planet Waves custom cables line (5+ years ago, no longer with them). They are great high quality cables and connectors, perhaps even better than the others mentioned. The only downside is the form factor - a HUGE downside. sadly, they really missed the mark on that one.

Interestingly, we had a smaller connector and thinnner cable all designed and built but it got used for their A/V product line instead. Consequently, the connectors were mostly RCA's, BNC's and other more audio/visual-centric stuff. It was never really meant for stage or pedal board applications, hence never made it to that market. Would love to see them repurpose that stuff for pedalboards now. If I were still there, I would encourage those guys to take another crack at the connector design and use the thinner cable (it was awesome quality). Seems like low hanging fruit for them now. Oh well, those days are long gone now.

Anyway... hate to derail the thread, just adding some insight from my prev life. I'd go Lava's in hindsight. I kind of feel like I wasted all the money spent on the George L's as I now just want to reboot and go all Lava. Hope that's helpful.
 
#6
I use the Planet Waves because I got a kit when I was in high school and then someone sold me like 2 1/2 more kits for next to nothing in college. But if I were starting today I'd be tempted to go with something with a smaller plug. Probably Lava. Or there are those pancake cables. Those look pretty nice for cramped boards too. That said, apart from the size I'm pretty happy with the Planet Waves. They are stupid easy and as far as solder less goes insanely durable.
 
#7
Are planet waves a higher quality patch? I'm looking into getting some pancake patches, I need the room and I'd like to go with the lavas but man, I can't swing that price tag. I'd be spending $150+ easy with the amount of pedals I have and I just can't see spending that much for patch cables. I'm sure they are high quality but I need something more inexpensive. So, can planet waves compare in quality to the lavas??
 
#11
gregmon79 said:
Are planet waves a higher quality patch? I'm looking into getting some pancake patches, I need the room and I'd like to go with the lavas but man, I can't swing that price tag. I'd be spending $150+ easy with the amount of pedals I have and I just can't see spending that much for patch cables. I'm sure they are high quality but I need something more inexpensive. So, can planet waves compare in quality to the lavas??
Click to expand...

The Planet Waves are great quality cable and connectors. I know from the R&D work from back in the day. Just as good as Lava, no doubt about it.

However, if you can solder well you might just be better served to go that route. I'm terrible at it so I just do the solderless thing. The GLS pancakes are a nice option in terms of form factor. Have not had any personal experience with them though so can't speak to quality.
 
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#12
gregmon79 said:
Question, is it two or just one wire that needs soldering?
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ImageUploadedByTalkBass1365534374.129784.jpg

In my experience they last, are slim, and sound good. Again, sound quality is limited only by the actual cable. A lot of "pro" boards are gls pancakes with audiophile cable.
 
#14
I use mostly the the DiMarzio cables now. They are a little stiff and can be hard to turn if you need to, but they sound fantastic and the connectors are the smallest I have ever seen. They cost about the same as George L or lava and you don't have to manually make them.

I don't like pancake connectors because they are so wide. That makes it very hard to squeeze pedals together if they have offset connectors.
 
#16
I use guitar-cable.com for my cabling supplies. You can choose from a ton of different cable types/brands and pick any type of connector you want. You can either order the parts and put them together yourself (cost effective) or they can make them for you.

The customer service is incredible, as well.
 
#19
Nobody has said Hosa, so let me do it. I use their pancakes for most connections and their molded ones where the pancakes are too wide. I give not a care if I get a little high end roll off from my cables, just means a little less that I have to roll off at the amp. I personally am skeptical that some of these brands, Lava for example, are worth the extra cost especially if you have an active bass.
 
#20
mmbongo said:
I use mostly the the DiMarzio cables now. They are a little stiff and can be hard to turn if you need to, but they sound fantastic and the connectors are the smallest I have ever seen. They cost about the same as George L or lava and you don't have to manually make them.

I don't like pancake connectors because they are so wide. That makes it very hard to squeeze pedals together if they have offset connectors.
Click to expand...

What cables are the best medium that meets the need of not taking up space and tone in your opinion?
 

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