DIY Cables?

[mwiles30]

I was thinking today, "Hmm, I'm 18, and I make my own cables. Am I unique?"

Which leads me to wonder, are there any other bassists out there (of any age) who make there own cables?

 

[Beyer160]

Soldering is an essential skill for any musician who plays an electric instrument, you're fortunate to have learned early!

Some of my cables are DIY, some I bought premade because I got them cheaper than I could buy the parts.

 

[FanOfAlice]

i was making cables when i was 15

 

[mwiles30]

Cool. I'm actually glad other people do it. Nowadays, you can actually buy a spool of Belden cable and a bunch of Switchcraft ends, and in the end save money, and get custom cables.

Buying them just doesn' do it for me anymore.

 

[Craig_S]

I cut the f&%# out of my left hand middle finger, when I was 16, while repairing a mic cable. Still have the scar. Right down to the bone. I still repaired the cable and I finished the night too (tough bastard that I once was ). Don't ever use your buck knife as a replacement for a proper screwdriver.

If you're going to play regularly, you'll need at least two spare cables for every one you use. You'll save a lot if you learn to make and repair your cables.

 

[dregsfan]

I've been making my own cables for many years. It has taken that many years to get good at soldering. It seems to be something that is easily done poorly, and difficult to do well/properly. I finally enjoy the soldering and to choose your type of cable and plugs, and lengths etc. is kinda fun. .........I'm obviously hard up for entertainment. - ha

 

[mwiles30]

It's kind of a sense of accomplishment for me. Amongst my guitar and bass possessing friends, it's kind of a one-up on them.

Sounds kinda stupid, but it's all in good fun.

 

[JTE]

Until my eyes got too bad to make good solder joints I made my own cables. Belden cable and Switchcraft 280 plugs, a solder jig and my Weller.

jte

 

[Trevorus]

I make my own cables sometimes. I used to work at a music store where we got Fender Vintage Voltage cables back all the time, and we'd just send back the packaging for our warranty reimbursement. It was always the ends going bad, so I'd slap some new ends on it, and I've been using those cables for probably near 5 years.

 

[greenboy]

As a PA guy as well as a bassist I've made tons of instrument, balanced, and speaker cables using the same raw wire (Belden, Canare, Horizon, etc) and connectors (Neutrik, Switchcraft) as the majority of good pro cable companies use. I've also got a lot of their product in the steamer trunk. Important to choose low capacitance wiring with braided shield rather than foil/barewire shield so that it doesn't load passive pickups/basses excessively nor crackle when moved about on stage.

 

[ulrich]

As a PA guy as well as a bassist I've made tons of instrument, balanced, and speaker cables using the same raw wire (Belden, Canare, Horizon, etc) and connectors (Neutrik, Switchcraft) as the majority of good pro cable companies use. I've also got a lot of their product in the steamer trunk. Important to choose low capacitance wiring with braided shield rather than foil/barewire shield so that it doesn't load passive pickups/basses excessively nor crackle when moved about on stage.

LOL the above is true for me as well. Though, I go with Canare, Mogami, and G&H, Neutrik, Switchcraft.

I like being able to make exactly the cable I want. The perfect length, one right angle or two, pin one lift...

Soldering is a great skill to have. Complete bass re-wire, with star ground, remove and replace dead pre-amp power switch... The list goes on.

When I was a teen, I'd convert old radios, and cassette players, to practice amps.

 

[primedynasty]

i have been soldering for a while, redid all the wiring in my p-bass, added another 9v to my spector, and have made two effects pedals as well as numerous car repairs. Where do you guys get your materials? I definitely want to make my own cables instead of buying them. I saw a video on youtube where this guy used neutrik ends that seemed really nice, but he didn't mention a source for them.

 

[greenboy]

I haven't bothered to save links. I just google and recognize some previous sources that were good and competively priced near the top of the search, often weighting shipping prices and geographic locale as determinants.

 

[Craig_S]

When I was a teen, I'd convert old radios, and cassette players, to practice amps.

Ha! That's cool! I ripped the speakers in my parent's old RCA console to shreds, using it as an amp. I rigged a removable 1/4" jack that plugged in where the needle cartridge went. They never knew.

 

[ulrich]

G&H are hard to find. I get them here: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/teemsenterprises_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

Switchcraft, Nuetrik, Mogami, and Canare, I just buy locally. Pacific Radio in Burbank or Hollywood, or Leo's Pro Audio, in Oakland.

When shopping for cable, ask about "short ends." You can get good discounts on the random lengths left over from big reels.

 

[mjolnir]

I was thinking today, "Hmm, I'm 18, and I make my own cables. Am I unique?"

Which leads me to wonder, are there any other bassists out there (of any age) who make there own cables?

I've been doing general sound stuff since I was around 12, had to learn to make new cables quick considering I was breaking so many old ones...

 

[Scorsa]

Im 15 and i just started making little patch cables and such.

 

[ulrich]

Ha! That's cool! I ripped the speakers in my parent's old RCA console to shreds, using it as an amp. I rigged a removable 1/4" jack that plugged in where the needle cartridge went. They never knew.

Nice. The RIAA EQ must have given an amusing bass boost.

 

[Craig_S]

Nice. The RIAA EQ must have given an amusing bass boost.

Fart city. The speakers were jumping so much the cone was flapping like rolling Rs. Awesome distortion too! when I was 14, anyway. Oh, man!

 

[rokkitt]

I gotta start doing this.