I have band practice in a few hours. I have two cabs, but only one "power cable" for connecting my head to a cab. can i use a regular guitar (1/4 inch) cable to connect to my other cab for today's practice? Or will that damage anything?
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Can you use a Guitar cable as a speaker cable?
- Thread starter brianbj46
- Start date
Speaker cables have two internal wires, while instrument cables only have one internal wire plus a shielding that wraps around it which is sometimes a foil-like material.
Under higher power when used in place of a speaker cable, the shielding inside an instrument cable may melt causing a short which will cause severe damage to your amp. Don't do it. Ever. You might get by for a little while, but its not worth the risk of killing your amp.
Under higher power when used in place of a speaker cable, the shielding inside an instrument cable may melt causing a short which will cause severe damage to your amp. Don't do it. Ever. You might get by for a little while, but its not worth the risk of killing your amp.
Can you? Yes.
Depending on if you're using stereo cables or mono cables. Stereo have THREE internal wires (positive, negative, & ground), mono has TWO internal wires (positive & negative).
Speaker cables are mono and usually a lot thicker. (QUALITY) Guitar cables are typically stereo and sheilded more heavily. It's done this way to prevent excess noise in the signal.
Edit: if you're using mono cables for guitar, then yeah, you can use that as a speaker cable, but you may want to think about getting a stereo cable for guitar if you're getting a lot of noise in your signal. Mono = tip/sleeve; stereo = tip/ring/sleeve (TRS).
Depending on if you're using stereo cables or mono cables. Stereo have THREE internal wires (positive, negative, & ground), mono has TWO internal wires (positive & negative).
Speaker cables are mono and usually a lot thicker. (QUALITY) Guitar cables are typically stereo and sheilded more heavily. It's done this way to prevent excess noise in the signal.
Edit: if you're using mono cables for guitar, then yeah, you can use that as a speaker cable, but you may want to think about getting a stereo cable for guitar if you're getting a lot of noise in your signal. Mono = tip/sleeve; stereo = tip/ring/sleeve (TRS).
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Totally bad answer. Avoid this person's advice when considering anything that could involve lots of money or danger.
Many years ago, when I and all of my cohorts, didn't know any better, we used guitar cables as speaker cables. I never had a problem that I was aware of. How well things were actually functioning I don't know.
As mentioned above, guitar cables aren't made to carry speaker loads and bands are generally a lot louder and draw more power than the years I refer to above. If you are not playing loud, your risk is low but if you are playing loud, particularly on bass you risk the shorts referred to above. It is also worth repeating what I have been told that the heat generated in the guitar cable can alter its capacitance and affect its ability to function as a good guitar cable.
Now I use 12 guage 3 ft cables for bass. I would probably be fine with 10 ft 14 guage.
Thangfish
...overly qualified for janitorical deployment...
Say WHAT?? 
That's a load of crap.
Have you ever even taken apart or assembled a cable of any type?
A "stereo" cable has no effect on noise.
Post a link where you can get those "quality" stereo guitar cables.
You must be confusing a balanced cable (which can use a trs 1/4" plug configuration) with a "stereo" cable. Doesn't matter anyway... a guitar is not a balanced source, and so noise will not be affected at all.
None of that has anything to do with the matter of using a guitar cable in place of a speaker cable anyway, which IS, as already stated, a bad move.
:scowl:
That's a load of crap.
Have you ever even taken apart or assembled a cable of any type?
A "stereo" cable has no effect on noise.
Post a link where you can get those "quality" stereo guitar cables.
You must be confusing a balanced cable (which can use a trs 1/4" plug configuration) with a "stereo" cable. Doesn't matter anyway... a guitar is not a balanced source, and so noise will not be affected at all.None of that has anything to do with the matter of using a guitar cable in place of a speaker cable anyway, which IS, as already stated, a bad move.
:scowl:
+1. I played for years before I was ever aware there was a difference. But now that I am, I certainly use the appropriate cable for the application and recommend the same.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I did the same thing back in the day - but back then, I was using amps with relatively low power output (30-100 watts). These days, like many of you, I'm playing through an amp that is far more powerful (1,900 watts into a 2-ohm load).
I could be wrong, but something tells me there's a greater likelihood of overheating an instrument cable used between an amp and cabinet today than there was several decades ago.
From an engineering standpoint, the only thing wrong with using guitar cables for speakers is that the wire is too small, and the power loss (and resultant cable heating) will be substantial. Despite all the doom-speakers, and nay sayers, this CAN NOT and WILL NOT damage an amp! Period! For low power (10 to 20 watts tops), you will be fine. Higher, and the cable will get hot, and may ultimately fail . . . it if fails into a short, then hope your amp has good protection circuitry (most good ones do). Note that this risk is NOT necessarily due to the cable, but can happen if ANY cable shorts . . . . The shielding issues and cable type are totally irrelevant GOING THIS WAY. IE, the shielding is totally unnecessary on speaker cables, but will not hurt. The reverse (speaker cable on a guitar) is NOT true, and will suck dead bunnies through a straw . . . . .
So, my advice would be:
On small amps, or low volumes, this is totally zero risk and OK.
On intermediate powers, watch it carefully . . . .
On high power systems, best to not go there . . the cable will probably fail, and you will be just as SOL as if you had not tried to use it.
- Tim
So, my advice would be:
On small amps, or low volumes, this is totally zero risk and OK.
On intermediate powers, watch it carefully . . . .
On high power systems, best to not go there . . the cable will probably fail, and you will be just as SOL as if you had not tried to use it.
- Tim
I was wondering about speaker vs. instrument cable when I bought my amp/cab a few months ago. Oddly enough, the "search" function worked wonders.
There is ONLY one answer....NO (end of discussion)
Just don't do it!!!...use the right (recommended) cable for the job
Bass to Amp - Sheilded
Bass Head to Cabinet - Unsheilded
Simple to make, and will cost you far less than a new amp, when you finally screw up the one you currently aren't using the right cables on.
It's your money.
I'm shocked by some of these answers. Others are exactly on the money...
Just don't do it!!!...use the right (recommended) cable for the job
Bass to Amp - Sheilded
Bass Head to Cabinet - Unsheilded
Simple to make, and will cost you far less than a new amp, when you finally screw up the one you currently aren't using the right cables on.
It's your money.
I'm shocked by some of these answers. Others are exactly on the money...
The question isn't are you supposed to...of course you're not supposed to because it affects your amp's and speaker's performance. But you certainly CAN. And guess what...I'm doing it right now, sitting here with bass in hand, SWR Workingman's amp hooked up to some crappy speakers to practice with. Been using this setup for years just to practice with. And guess what, the world hasn't ended, armageddon isn't happening (at least from what I can tell), and my amp and speakers have certainly not blown up.
What's a speaker cable do? It carries an amplified signal from your amp to your speakers. What is required to do this? A path for electrons to flow through. It doesn't matter what kind of wire or cable is used although it will certainly affect the performance of your amp and speakers if the proper cable isn't used.
I'm not recommending to do this but it's certainly possible. So for everyone that says you can't and not to take my advice because I'm like the uni-bomber living in a shack out in the woods, go back to college and study electrical engineering for a few years. I know it's helped me out more than a few times.
What's a speaker cable do? It carries an amplified signal from your amp to your speakers. What is required to do this? A path for electrons to flow through. It doesn't matter what kind of wire or cable is used although it will certainly affect the performance of your amp and speakers if the proper cable isn't used.
I'm not recommending to do this but it's certainly possible. So for everyone that says you can't and not to take my advice because I'm like the uni-bomber living in a shack out in the woods, go back to college and study electrical engineering for a few years. I know it's helped me out more than a few times.
Sure you can do it and it will work - but this is one reason for not buying used gear and knowing the history of how it's been used... 
