Instrument Cable for rig for a few days.

you have to use a "speaker cable" that's specifically made to go btwn the head/amp and cabinet.

dont use the instrument cable!

 

Nobody told me that til about a week after i got some speaker cable, guess i had a lucky year

 

You always hear about the 100 year old guy who claimed he smoked and drank most of his life. But that doesn't mean smoking and drinking aren't dangerous!

 

this is true, but i was like the guy who started this thread, both have the same connections, whats the difference

but i was enlightened

 

I use only speaker cables for my amps, but I'm not sure why, other than I heard that that is what you're supposed to do. It's kind of like in math class when my teacher told me that if you divide by zero then the world will blow up. "OK, no questions asked" says the 8yo.

What are the technicals details behind using instrument cables for instruments and speaker cables for amps etc.?

What is likely to happen if you don't?

 

I suppose they are refrering to the power and sheer amount of energy being passed down the cable compared to a standard instrument cable.

You think you have 400watts going down a Head -> Cab, then you consider the mV you have coming from your pickups, there is a considerable difference.

Its the same with wiring a house with electrics. Certain ciruits need to be wired in bigger CSA cable compared to others due to the current being drawn.

 

Speaker cables just have 2 leads side by side. Instrument cable have coaxial core wires and shield wires, so they really are built very differently. I'm not sure what the exact physics is, but my understanding is that running too much current through an instrument cable does wierd things to the impedence the amp sees, and you can potentially fry an output device.

 

Was kicked around just recently. Here 'ya go....

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174928

 

Thanks. Good thread.