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Instrument cables rated and compared. A buyers' guide!
- Thread starter bongomania
- Start date
No, they're the thin grey, straight angled cords that only seem to come with the American Vintage Fenders:
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that's the one. i bought one similar off ebay so i would have a backup (i just run bass into amp so i only need 1 cable). great cables, cheap, and super low capacitance from everyhting i've read like 10-15pf.
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Chef
In Memoriam
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I just bought one here:
Fender Replacement 8' Cord Assembly Deluxe | Musician's Friend
A little pricy for what it is, but now I finally have another one. I've been using mine for probably 10yrs now with no issues, so if this one holds up just as well, it's worth it.
What I really like are the non-bulky plugs and they don't tend to tangle...perhaps as a result of their length and gauge. Also, easily repaired. It was a toss up between this and the braided DiMarzio 10ft. The 8ft is perfect for me running from my pedalboard and the plug takes up less space on my PT Nano, so I went Fender.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,593
- 18,613
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
Hello Friends..Check what my friends over at Tsunami Cables are doing for American Veterans. I love these guys and this is a great cause. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Hey Bongomania, is there a piece of electronic testing gear that I could buy to test capacitance of my various cables?? Or is it more complicated than sticking one end of the cable into a piece of gear and taking a reading...??? I'm curious!
The tricky thing with considering these from a DIY standpoint at this time is that the really solidly-assembled ones would require major surgery for me to even "get at" the solder joints. Really I'll have to reserve that angle of inquiry until I have the luxury of destroying the existing assemblies. Of the ones where I was able to access that inner section, many of them even encase the soldered segment in a block of vinyl resin, which is literally not removable--so the only option is to throw away the plug.
That's why (in part) I use George L's. Low capacitance as well, and very rugged. Priced low too!
While there are certainly some inexpensive handheld capacitance meters on the market, at electronics and hobby shops, unfortunately they are wildly inaccurate in the ranges we need to measure. I mean they are useless in this low capacitance range. In order to get a closer to accurate reading, I had to spend about $600 on a meter and find a mu-metal container to minimize impact on the reading from nearby wiring and devices.
Thanks, amigo. I suspected that you would be using high-quality expensive equipment. I've only had a cable go dead on me during a gig once - near the end of a tune, so it only sucked for a minute. I immediately disconnected the offending cord (a 10' one) and substituted a 6' one (it was a tiny stage) and the first thing I noticed was better sound - higher highs and deeper lows - and slightly increased output. No way to tell today what brand the cables were that played into that scenario, but I'm guessing either the 6' one was a higher quality cable to begin with or it just sounded better because of the shorter length.
...Doug in Arizona
I recently picked up some of Stagg's low end 25 footers for ~$10 each shipped and am impressed with the strain relief of them. I also picked up some of their mid range 10 and 20 footers with auto-muting plugs on one end - I can't believe I've lived without those 
! The mid range ones have Chinese Neutrik connectors and the 20's are only $14 each shipped on fleaBay in two packs. I keep having to buy more as all the guitards I play with want 'em too :
2 Stagg NGC6SWR 20 ft Professional Insturment Guitar Cable w Mute Switch 2 Pack | eBay
! The mid range ones have Chinese Neutrik connectors and the 20's are only $14 each shipped on fleaBay in two packs. I keep having to buy more as all the guitards I play with want 'em too :2 Stagg NGC6SWR 20 ft Professional Insturment Guitar Cable w Mute Switch 2 Pack | eBay
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Nope - and my bass is active so really juices the cable as you plug it in.
Chef
In Memoriam
I recently picked up some of Stagg's low end 25 footers for ~$10 each shipped and am impressed with the strain relief of them. I also picked up some of their mid range 10 and 20 footers with auto-muting plugs on one end - I can't believe I've lived without those
2 Stagg NGC6SWR 20 ft Professional Insturment Guitar Cable w Mute Switch 2 Pack | eBay
those are nice, I guess? but 20 feet is too long for me, I'd prefer 15. even 18 seems too long for me...
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So I've just broken a second Live Wire Elite angled jack and I'm not sure what's causing it. Both had the wire sheer off going into the jack, so exactly at the L bend. I wrap my cables loosely by hand to avoid kinds when packing, but this happened on 2 different cables; one that goes from my pedal board to my amp, and one is my instrument cable to the pedals. The instrument cable has a headphone extension cable mated it to it with mesh sleeving for wired IEMs, so not sure if that is causing some twisting or something.
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong, or are right-angle plugs more susceptible to damage? Thanks.
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong, or are right-angle plugs more susceptible to damage? Thanks.
Chef
In Memoriam
I'm about to buy a new round of cable.
I'll probably use the rapco roadhog stuff.
That first post and following reviews are good stuff.
I'll probably use the rapco roadhog stuff.
That first post and following reviews are good stuff.
