Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Mogami for no good reason except that they are generally respected and known to be of high quality (and price unfortunately).
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Your favorite instrument cables and why...
- Thread starter capnsandwich
- Start date
Spectraflex braided. Cool colors and no problems with them.
From bass to pedal board, and pedal board to amp, I use livewire.
From pedal to pedal, nothing beats Hosa pancakes!
Both brands are inexpensive, don't break easily, and have a very low noise level. Live wire cables are pushing 6 years, Hosa are on their 5th year
EDIT: Also - a regularly gigging musician. These cables go through a show every other week, and rehearsal twice a week
From pedal to pedal, nothing beats Hosa pancakes!
Both brands are inexpensive, don't break easily, and have a very low noise level. Live wire cables are pushing 6 years, Hosa are on their 5th year
EDIT: Also - a regularly gigging musician. These cables go through a show every other week, and rehearsal twice a week
Gonna disagree with @PullThePlug, the EBS flat patch cables make the Hosa pancakes (or *any* pancake cable) look like a big pile of doodoo...
Haven't yet invested too much in the longer cables, just a few generic ones. And I will be getting a wireless solution, but even that won't stop me from eventually having a few high-quality cables. I would like to know if anyone has any experience with Invalid Link Removed? They are an outfit out of the UK, and the quality and price of their cables seems to me to make the idea of building my own hardly worth it.
Haven't yet invested too much in the longer cables, just a few generic ones. And I will be getting a wireless solution, but even that won't stop me from eventually having a few high-quality cables. I would like to know if anyone has any experience with Invalid Link Removed? They are an outfit out of the UK, and the quality and price of their cables seems to me to make the idea of building my own hardly worth it.
The colorful nylon braided ones seem to last the longest. They don't get accidentally taken by other band members, or other bands during hurried load in's and load outs.
George L. Small, sound great, cut your own and mix and match whatever ends you want- no soldering required.
monster cables. I bought the cable for my bass literally 8 years back. and It just died last practice. I have used it for all practices and shows. which heck could be 10000 plus hours practice and hundreds of shows.never one issue . I go to plug it in and nothing. it was a sad.
They are just cables, I use whatever.
What I use at the moment is one relatively expensive Planet Waves instrument cable going from the end of my signal chain into my amp(s) and then and then one extremely cheap instrument cable going from my bass into my EHX Black Finger, which is the start of my signal path, called The Ssnake (Thomann's budget cables), which I like because the cable is relatively soft and got springs at the end of the jack plug instead of an extension of relatively hard plastic, like the Planet Wave cable has.
I hear no difference to be honest, and at a tenth of the price of what the Planet Waves cable costed me, the The Ssnake cables are what I will be buying in the future.
I am quite sure that the Planet Waves cable is more sturdy build, but not so much that I will actually break 10 The Ssnake cables in it's living time, and therefor much less cost effective.
What I use at the moment is one relatively expensive Planet Waves instrument cable going from the end of my signal chain into my amp(s) and then and then one extremely cheap instrument cable going from my bass into my EHX Black Finger, which is the start of my signal path, called The Ssnake (Thomann's budget cables), which I like because the cable is relatively soft and got springs at the end of the jack plug instead of an extension of relatively hard plastic, like the Planet Wave cable has.
I hear no difference to be honest, and at a tenth of the price of what the Planet Waves cable costed me, the The Ssnake cables are what I will be buying in the future.
I am quite sure that the Planet Waves cable is more sturdy build, but not so much that I will actually break 10 The Ssnake cables in it's living time, and therefor much less cost effective.
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Lava Ultramafic because Bass sounds super clear and rich thru them, also they last and last with no problems, also made by a US Army Vet!
Can't go wrong with Lava Cables!
Can't go wrong with Lava Cables!
I have a Monster cable I practice with that's about 5 years old. It's very stiff... almost like '80's coaxial cable! Lol. Is that normal? I can't remember if it was like that new.
I know there are some great cables out there, and I have made my own in the past...but I'm also in the "Ive had a Monster Cable for 10 years" club.
I think I spent $50 on it...and it MUST have a few thousand hours of use on it...still going. It doesn't get gigged anymore since I switched to wireless, but its still a great cable.
I think I spent $50 on it...and it MUST have a few thousand hours of use on it...still going. It doesn't get gigged anymore since I switched to wireless, but its still a great cable.
Love the look and feel of those Fender tweed cables - and the ones I have anyway don't break that often.
I'm quite insensitive to cables in general, as long as they work and aren't flimsy. Yet, I have never played out without a backup - no mater what the reputation.
That said, after discovering that bongomania comparison website, I tried the Rapco Horizon Standard cable (cheap, low capacitance). It is indeed noticeably brighter. Capacitance does matter. Of course it depends on other things in the equation - it's most noticeable with passive basses plugged straight to amp with a long cable. In an attempt to get the most highs out of my P, I found it made a meaningful contribution.
That said, after discovering that bongomania comparison website, I tried the Rapco Horizon Standard cable (cheap, low capacitance). It is indeed noticeably brighter. Capacitance does matter. Of course it depends on other things in the equation - it's most noticeable with passive basses plugged straight to amp with a long cable. In an attempt to get the most highs out of my P, I found it made a meaningful contribution.
- Jan 26, 2014
- 1,525
- 1,946
- Disclosures
- I teach lessons and perform live music in and around San Diego CA. Sometimes I even make money doing it!
I use Live Wires most of the time due to the no questions asked return policy, I live fairly close to GC and my gigs are usually seated and very low impact on cables. They're generally well made anyway, I've never had one break on me.
Nowadays when I need a premium quality custom length cable I make it myself with Canare cable and Neutrik or Switchcraft connectors. Back before I knew how to do that, I used an expensive-at-the-time spectraflex that I've had some 20 years now and still works perfectly. I'm not opposed to buying premium, well built cables off the shelf, as long as you understand that's why to buy them, and that premium cables aren't magical signal conduits. After a certain price they're just silly.
Nowadays when I need a premium quality custom length cable I make it myself with Canare cable and Neutrik or Switchcraft connectors. Back before I knew how to do that, I used an expensive-at-the-time spectraflex that I've had some 20 years now and still works perfectly. I'm not opposed to buying premium, well built cables off the shelf, as long as you understand that's why to buy them, and that premium cables aren't magical signal conduits. After a certain price they're just silly.
A second here for TB'er Exaltbass, Dave makes the best cables I have ever used, quiet, durable and great looking. I've had some of them for over seven years. I had him make my speaker and mic cables too. Color choice is a nice option, plus very reasonable cost, super fast service. Highly recommended.
for instrument cable, I like the ones that GC sells with the blue shrink wrap on each end b/c GC is happy to give me a new cable if one turns up flaky. I like the idea of a the uber-expensive cables that have all kinds of technology and marketing hoopla, but think that the difference in sound quality is not trumped by free warranty replacement.
I solder up my own patch cables. - Which you didn't ask about, but could apply to instrument cables as well.
If you go that route, theres good youtube out there on how to do it, which is how I learned. Here are a few things that may not be covered, or may not be stressed as important:
Use a soldering iron that has an adjustable temperature dial. I can't tell you how happy I am not to be struggling with my little radio shack, no temperature control, cheapo-soldering iron.
Get good quality, made for electronics silver-bearing solder.
Get some liquid flux that you can squirt a few drops onto the connection you are about to make.
Get a cable tester. Berenger makes a pretty good one. It's one more thing to buy, but gives you assurance that you didn't just solder up a buzz factory.
Hope this helps, and isn't too far from the original question!!
I solder up my own patch cables. - Which you didn't ask about, but could apply to instrument cables as well.
If you go that route, theres good youtube out there on how to do it, which is how I learned. Here are a few things that may not be covered, or may not be stressed as important:
Use a soldering iron that has an adjustable temperature dial. I can't tell you how happy I am not to be struggling with my little radio shack, no temperature control, cheapo-soldering iron.
Get good quality, made for electronics silver-bearing solder.
Get some liquid flux that you can squirt a few drops onto the connection you are about to make.
Get a cable tester. Berenger makes a pretty good one. It's one more thing to buy, but gives you assurance that you didn't just solder up a buzz factory.
Hope this helps, and isn't too far from the original question!!
I roll my own with Canare L-2T2S mic cable and Switchcraft 226 right-angle plugs. I like the Canare because it’s really supple and lies nice and flat on the floor. Tying the two internal conductors together increases reliability, as if one breaks the other is still intact. In addition, right-angled plug ends relieve virtually all stress to the cable that you get from a straight plug. It all adds up to a cable that should last virtually forever, barring a hit from something sharp and heavy.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club #133
Fretless Club #943
Big Cabs Club #23
My Basses
Pedulla Club #45
I don't know the brand. My instrument cables are from GC and carry a lifetime warranty and they've never given me a moment of agita when i take one in to get a replacement. They once gave me a couple of 20 foot cables because the 15 footers i was having problems with were not in stock.
My 1/4 to 1/4 speaker cables are also GC, also with an easy return policy, but since they live off the floor and are not under foot all the time, i've never had to replace one. My first set of speakon cables were made from a ten foot cable cut in half and a couple of plugs added. I had one plug with a wire clamp screw that kept coming loose and i needed something to bring a sweetwater order up to free shipping so i snagged a 3 and 6 foot 12 ga heavy duty speakon cable(s) and so far they've been fully functional and faultless. I dropped a little locktite on the problem screw and carry the 5 footers as backups, but so far i've never needed them.
My 1/4 to 1/4 speaker cables are also GC, also with an easy return policy, but since they live off the floor and are not under foot all the time, i've never had to replace one. My first set of speakon cables were made from a ten foot cable cut in half and a couple of plugs added. I had one plug with a wire clamp screw that kept coming loose and i needed something to bring a sweetwater order up to free shipping so i snagged a 3 and 6 foot 12 ga heavy duty speakon cable(s) and so far they've been fully functional and faultless. I dropped a little locktite on the problem screw and carry the 5 footers as backups, but so far i've never needed them.
