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What instrument cables do you use?

#101
Meddle said:
I had that attitude for a while. However I avoid seiled jacks, overly thin cables (that tend to rustle), or overly long cables. I have something crazy like a 10m cable that has crazy high frequency roll off. Great for recording warmer tones I suppose. With guitar it is a nightmare; I will happily record a simple A/B to prove it isn't just me. :D

The claim that Monster cables are designed to wear out jacks, or force you to stick with the brand as other cables will fall out of jacks, if true, is disgusting. I would avoid this brand for having such terrible ethics.
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I think we agree, but my statement stands if we talk normal cable lengths. Length is not something money can fix, it's about physics - longer cable, higher impedance.

Besides - as discussed on these forums - boutique cables tend to have higher impedance, causing a roll off - that's where the myth of "more bass" originates..
 
#102
I use a Planet Waves cable, probably because it was the only stereo cable I could find online for my needs (Rickenbacker to two amps). The cable seems well built and very robust. Would recommend.
 
#104
I use a Monster cable. I bought a 21' back in the 90s when I worked at guitar center for cost ($18 at the time) I've not paid for a replacement since. I think I've gone through about 9 or so since that time, but it's always pretty low hassle to get it replaced at any dealer.

However, I just bought 150' of Belden cable that I'm going to get some connectors for and do up a bunch of new ones, so the Monster will get replaced and then put away for backup...
 
#105
Exxcell said:
I make my own.
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What do you make your own out of?? Is there a particualr brand you buy the materials from? What kind of connectors are used?

I have been using assorted cords throughout the years. Some monster, I dont like them, some cheapy GC ones, some Fender colored ones. I really like the braided cables quite honestly. They arent as prone to get tangled up and they seem to last longer for me. I am actually going to sub this thread. I want to find a cable that is going to actually last me a few years. Any suggestions??
 
#106
TigerInATrance said:
I use a Monster cable. I bought a 21' back in the 90s when I worked at guitar center for cost ($18 at the time) I've not paid for a replacement since. I think I've gone through about 9 or so since that time, but it's always pretty low hassle to get it replaced at any dealer.

However, I just bought 150' of Belden cable that I'm going to get some connectors for and do up a bunch of new ones, so the Monster will get replaced and then put away for backup...
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WHAAAAA??!! Seriously, Belden?? I never heard of that before. I work at Napa too so I could get a great discount on the stuff. How are you doing this good sir? What connectors are you using?
 
#108
As others have said: for bass, especially active bass, it doesn't matter as long as you avoid the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. Currently in my collection:

  • Mogami Gold (for the warranty)
  • ProCo
  • GeorgeL (see below)
  • Unknown brand I got on sale at a local store (Atomic Music)
  • I still have a Whirlwind cable, and a contemporary that has a red end and a blue end (I forget the brand). Both work fine after decades

All of the above sound great, zero difference in tone.

I will NEVER use Monster. One of the guitarists I play with swears by them -- he also bought a Furman power conditioner believing it would alleviate the noise problems he was having at a club we regularly play (of course it did not). Anyway, he's had to cash in on the Monster warranty twice, so that does not give me any confidence in the cable.

As for GeorgeL cable: I love them because they are so easy to coil and take so little room, and their standard straight plug is so small it's almost like using a right-angle, however they do have downsides. First, at a dock bar gig I was playing, I was careless and let the cable end slip through the timbers on the dock. It got wet, and obviously I should have disassembled it to dry it because the cable soon failed, with the set screw becoming rusted (dirty water?!). Second, at a regular bar gig, the clumsy-ass singer trod heavily on my cable. The cable yanked out of the plug (with the plug remaining in the bass), even though I'd looped it through my strap. I assume that's because the GeorgeLs are so flexible and skinny and slippery; I believe a standard cable would have caught in the strap. Both are freak occurrences, but even so I've switched to standard right-angle cables since the second event.
 
#111
For those rolling their own, if you haven't used Redco's standard instrument cable you owe it to yourself to try it. It's an almost exact copy of Mogami W2524 for $.19 less per foot.

I started using the stuff recently and discovered that the proco cables I have cause a lot of treble roll off on guitar. Of course, not as big of a deal for bass, but for the price and quality it's tough to justify using anything else. The stuff coils up well at the end of the night, isn't too bulky, and does what a cable is supposed to do without worrying about losing your $100 boutique cable. You can make half dozen of these things for the price of one GC snakeoil version. Then again, you can also make half dozen Mogami cables for $.19 more per foot and save tons over retail...
 
#112
I have used Planet Waves, but I've had a few go bad over the years. Despite their warranty, I moved on. I used a Monster bass cable for a while, but when I A/B'd it with a different cable, the Monster sounded like it put a blanket over my amp.

Lately, I've been finding reputable folks on eBay who make cables with Canare and Mogami cable with Neutrik ends and I've been very happy.
 
#113
blowinblue said:
No problem, my friend. I got that. I was trying to have some fun at the expense of all the 'cable freaks' that take this subject so seriously. I think we agree, it's best not to get into deep discussion with either side when it comes to instrument, speaker, interconnect, or power cables. I just do what I do (cable-wise) and let others do the same. :)

M. M.
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The list of things to never discuss in company:

Cables, Fridges, P-basses, Powerstrips with exceptional features, and Wood matters. :)

Religion and Politics are okay. ;)
 
#116
MarTONEbass said:
I have used Planet Waves, but I've had a few go bad over the years. Despite their warranty, I moved on. I used a Monster bass cable for a while, but when I A/B'd it with a different cable, the Monster sounded like it put a blanket over my amp.

Lately, I've been finding reputable folks on eBay who make cables with Canare and Mogami cable with Neutrik ends and I've been very happy.
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Per my earlier post on capacitance, the Monster Bass cable has a capacitance level through the roof. Interesting marketing ploy, since that cable will suck most of the top end out of your signal (even with an active bass that is somewhat immune to cable capacitance levels), and will 'fool the ear' into hearing more low end, hence the 'bass specific cable' (interestingly, some who try the George L's, which are on the other extreme of capacitance, have commented that they sound a bit 'low end shy'. This again is the ear fooling the listener into hearing less low end due to the addition of top end they aren't used to).

The other Monster cables sound pretty much like most other cables, and are fine, but I can kind of see why some would not like this company much.
 
#118
I don't hear any of that with my Monster cables my ears must be bad? I don't hear any high end loss or extra low end and I have tried them all but folks who don't like them won't be convinced to use them and folks like me who use them and are happy won't be convinced not to use them regardless of test data.
 
#119
George L's....great quality and no signal loss or change of tone.
(used to use Monster cable's but the gave me signal loss on the hi end so when I found these they were great. Just an FYI)
 
#120
mjac28 said:
I don't hear any of that with my Monster cables my ears must be bad? I don't hear any high end loss or extra low end and I have tried them all but folks who don't like them won't be convinced to use them and folks like me who use them and are happy won't be convinced not to use them regardless of test data.
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The only Monster cable with that mega capacitance is the one branded as a 'Bass Cable'. The other Monster cables sound quite normal.

The Monster Bass Cable, IMO and IME is literally the only cable I've ever heard where you can 'hear the cable' (again, due to the capacitance level... the only thing a cable can do is impact the top end of the frequency range, which is why most cables sound identical).

I always found the Monster cables to be high quality, and unless you get some super duper high end model, the 'normal' Monster cables are priced decently IMO. No harm no foul.

I would just recommend those who have only tried the Monster Bass cable to not judge the other versions of their cables based on that one (which of course, does not sound 'bad' per se, just 'dark', which some might like, and others that play old flatwounds or whatever might not even notice, since they aren't putting much top end into the cable to start with).

Just like Bose, those who don't dig Monster's pricing and business model can choose not to give them any money. Nothing wrong with that! Plenty of almost identical options out there.
 

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