Double Bass realist lifeline wearing out?

[speedydee]

i have a problem that is driving me crazy -

my realist lifeline works with some 1/4 cables but not others.
all of my 1/4 cables that do not work with my lifeline work with my electric basses.

any ideas as to what might be going on here?
is it just wearing out and some cables have a better connection than others?
the problem does not seem to be related to brand of cable.

 

[Francois Blais]

Are these cables the same brand, so the same plugs types/brands ?

 

[speedydee]

Are these cables the same brand, so the same plugs types/brands ?

all different - one planet waves works, one doesn't. one ernie ball works, one doesn't. etc . . .

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I have a Planet Waves cable that won’t work with Lifelines and I’ve tried a few. The tip is maybe just .5mm shorter than my other cables and the Jack may contact the actual tip rather than click along the side like in a guitar.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Sometime in the last 15 years, some genius designed a new cable tip that is supposed to fit tighter on a certain kind of connection. It probably does that for that type of connection, but for other connections, for instance, that of the full circle and I’m guessing also the lifeline, it actually fits worse and can cut out or not work at all. The only solution I have found is to find a cable that works for the pick up you have, and use it exclusively. I use a pro co cable with Neutrik connectors, and there are no problems. If I use a different cable, especially a contemporary one, it’s a crapshoot.

 

[speedydee]

ok, great. this at least makes me much less confused/frustrated. thanks everyone!

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I haven’t researched to issue too much, but I think it may have been Monster (of course) who came up with this new tip style. I remember getting the hard sell on it at least a decade ago and buying an expensive cable only to have it not work on my DBs. I ended up giving it to my colleague because it worked fine on his guitar.

The tip looks a little more round and squat than a regular old style tip. I suspect that it might fit more snugly on the type of jack that has a long pressure type connection for the tip, the exposed kind that you can bend back into a tighter connection on older BGs when you remove the pick guard. But I’ve found that they are dicey for cylinder type jacks.

 

[Don Hergert]

Could this also be a problem of mono vs stereo plogs and sockets?

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Could this also be a problem of mono vs stereo plogs and sockets?

Or balanced (TRS) vs unbalanced (TS)? And yes, stereo (TRS) are unbalanced.

Cheap jacks on equipment may also contribute to the problem.
IMO, Switchcraft is the gold standard. Anything that varies from their design is more prone to problems.

 

[Jefenator]

I wish plugs were plugs. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the reality.
I used to have a cable for every instrument - or at least each good gig bag.
I've gotten away from that but I still have a cable for dedicated for DB which thankfully seems to be compatible with the jacks for my pickups.
I am partial to genuine Neutrik plugs but have also had luck with G&H & Switchcraft.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

D’Addario’s American Stage cables have a D’Addario-designed/Neutrik-manufactured Geo-Tip (see Product Features on that page). It has a bit of an extension of the dip behind the tip to better grab onto jacks of varying tolerances. I’ve been happy with them.

 

[CryingBass]

Wait until we are all driving electric cars with different connectors. And you thought phones were bad?

AKA, I think it is Monster cables that are most-often problematic in this regard, and are not recommended often for that and many other reasons...

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

D’Addario’s American Stage cables have a D’Addario-designed/Neutrik-manufactured Geo-Tip (see Product Features on that page). It has a bit of an extension of the dip behind the tip to better grab onto jacks of varying tolerances. I’ve been happy with them.

Those are among the cables that don’t work with my Full Circle.

 

[jj.833]

Interesting! I'll treasure my old Cordial cable for another twenty years then. As for Lifeline (or Copperhead), I never had any problem with it, using any cheap or expensive cable I piled up over the years. I say check the connectors visually, and if you find no algorithm to the problem, contact the realistacoustic.com. The female connector can have a fault too. Hope you solve it, the Realist is cool stuff!

 

[Sam Reese]

I've experienced the shorting out of my older Lifeline-rigged bass. One solution was to swap the L-shaped end for the straight end. I must remark that I tie off my cable on the end pin; "the New York tie" as my luthier described it- stating that it is far cheaper to replace a 'cheap' cable than an expensive pickup/bridge setup. With judicious tying, I can get a very forgiving tension entering the 1/4" jack. I've been slowly abandoning the L-connector in favor of straight, but like the look of the L-connector on my bass.

 

[dylanjohnson]

I haven’t researched to issue too much, but I think it may have been Monster (of course) who came up with this new tip style. I remember getting the hard sell on it at least a decade ago and buying an expensive cable only to have it not work on my DBs. I ended up giving it to my colleague because it worked fine on his guitar.

The tip looks a little more round and squat than a regular old style tip. I suspect that it might fit more snugly on the type of jack that has a long pressure type connection for the tip, the exposed kind that you can bend back into a tighter connection on older BGs when you remove the pick guard. But I’ve found that they are dicey for cylinder type jacks.

I had some Monster cables that ruined the jacks of a few pickups I owned. I loved them otherwise.