Speaker Cable a Must!

[BassmanPaul]

Fires just add to the drama of a good live gig.

Tell that to the folk in who survived the Grenfell Tower inferno!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Tell that to the folk in who survived the Grenfell Tower inferno!

 

[S-Bigbottom]

I was using a basic 6ft instrument cable.

WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB, this is why.

Though they look the same on the outside an Instrument Cable has one conductor wire connected to the tip of the plug and the shielding is connected to the sleeve.
While a Speaker Cable has two identical sized conductor wires inside.

Always make sure you use a cable that says, Speaker Cable on it to hook up a speaker to an amp.

 

[Munjibunga]

You're a very lucky person. Using an instrument cable for a speaker application is almost certain death for an amp if used at normal power for any length of time.

Most of my speaker cables are 12 gauge, but I prefer my ProCo Guardian Fat Max 8 gauge cables. Just their diameter intimidates guitar players. @agedhorse will back me up on this.

 

[Munjibunga]

WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB, this is why.

Though they look the same on the outside an Instrument Cable has one conductor wire connected to the tip of the plug and the shielding is connected to the sleeve.
While a Speaker Cable has two identical sized conductor wires inside.

View attachment 3040387

View attachment 3040388

Always make sure you use a cable that says, Speaker Cable on it to hook up a speaker to an amp.

This post should be stickied.

 

[evadbazz]

You're a very lucky person. Using an instrument cable for a speaker application is almost certain death for an amp if used at normal power for any length of time.

Most of my speaker cables are 12 gauge, but I prefer my ProCo Guardian Fat Max 8 gauge cables. Just their diameter intimidates guitar players. @agedhorse will back me up on this.

Yeah I'm lucky. The only reason I didn't burn the amp up is I played very little the first couple days I had it. Most certainly would have been toast at a live gig.

 

[agedhorse]

^^^^ Agree.

I had my older Ampeg BA115 amp apart last night and found that the wire from the PCB connector to the speaker appears to be about 20 gauge.

Probably 18 gauge (typically easier to meet the mechanical safety agency specs without additional efforts), which is going t o be way plenty big for that application.

 

[sigterm]

Correct, in spite of much advertising regarding the magic properties of some speaker cables, replacing a defective or broken one with any properly functioning speaker cable will give the same improved results.

But the Victor Wooten power cable really works right? Right? It'll make me tone sound alive with the sound of music? It's rated for hospital use even

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Fires just add to the drama of a good live gig.

Small fires, that is.

 

[lug]

Yer lucky you din't get blowed up, stumble about, and fall off the edge of the world!

 

[BassmanPaul]

This post should be stickied.

Jeez! What was mine? Chopped liver? LOL

 

[edro]

Big cable is the way to go. As Aged said, short and real big can be overkill and unnecessary for short runs.

That being said, I personally like fat cable simply for durability. Chances are that cable is going to get bumped, wadded up, etc...

Thicker cable is going to be more durable and stronger. Thick braid (thick cable) is going to help prevent too small radius in coiling (wadding with some folks) which will help prevent breakage withing the braid. If some copper fibers are broken, you are starting with a LOT more braid content so it won't make a difference in load capability and the cable will not figure into the equations you don't want cable to be part of....

The speaker cable is a transmission line and the goal is no loss. You want it to have as close to zero Ω as possible. So, you need appropriate cable cross sectional area for that current level...

The other way is to prevent loss not feasible in this application.

Never skimp on cables. Buy one & done cables....

 

[edro]

But the Victor Wooten power cable really works right? Right? It'll make me tone sound alive with the sound of music? It's rated for hospital use even

Oh my homey jeebus....

On another note, if you plug your speaker cable in backwards, does the speaker cabinet implode?

 

[sigterm]

Oh my homey jeebus....

On another note, if you plug your speaker cable in backwards, does the speaker cabinet implode?

That's why you always want to make sure you get a directional cable. You don't want to put all the watts right back into your amp!

 

[agedhorse]

When cables get too big, they can easily cause damage to connectors as they are heavier and stick out farther. I have seen connectors and lighter weight jack plates damaged from oversized cables.

 

[eldorado2001]

Probably 18 gauge (typically easier to meet the mechanical safety agency specs without additional efforts), which is going t o be way plenty big for that application.

Could be 18 but it's the wimpiest 18ga I've seen yet.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

When cables get too big, they can easily cause damage to connectors as they are heavier and stick out farther. I have seen connectors and lighter weight jack plates damaged from oversized cables.

Is the brand name Goldilocks taken for cables yet? (Obviously locking Speakon connectors only, with gold plating).

 

[higain617]

Aren't speaker cable ends also grounded differently than instrument cables? Either way, make sure the jacket says speaker.

 

[agedhorse]

Electrically they are wired the same, but some properties are different

 

[Peteyboy]

Is the brand name Goldilocks taken for cables yet? (Obviously locking Speakon connectors only, with gold plating).