Ditch the 1/4"!

[John F]

I see the PRS Signature cables are made by Van Damme. I may pick up a couple of those. Just need to decide on the connectors and length. I am leaning towards a straight on one end and angle on the other in 25'. I thought about one 18' and one 25' but having too much length is not really an issue. Not enough is an issue.

I picked up 3 PRS cables with the red jacket indicating they switch off/on when unplugged/plugged. 2 have the 90 degree on one end, the other is straight both ends. I like them. They came with integral velcro straps to keep them coiled for storage. I was using Mogami cables, the PRS are noticeably brighter due to the lower capacitance per foot. I think I bought 18 foot each. They definitely changed the sound of my guitars.

 

[László]

I picked up 3 PRS cables with the red jacket indicating they switch off/on when unplugged/plugged. 2 have the 90 degree on one end, the other is straight both ends. I like them. They came with integral velcro straps to keep them coiled for storage. I was using Mogami cables, the PRS are noticeably brighter due to the lower capacitance per foot. I think I bought 18 foot each. They definitely changed the sound of my guitars.

That's what I found, too.

I like that they lay flat and don't tangle easily. Makes life a little easier.

 

[DISTORT6]

That's what I found, too.

I like that they lay flat and don't tangle easily. Makes life a little easier.

Totally agree. It’s very noticeable when you start using them.

 

[JasonE]

Here is a question for the PRS cable guys. Is it really worth the extra money to get the ones with the red ends? I am leaning towards the ones with the regular ends. I think the switched ends are just something else to go wrong and don't really need that feature anyway. You see any other difference between them?

 

[DISTORT6]

Here is a question for the PRS cable guys. Is it really worth the extra money to get the ones with the red ends? I am leaning towards the ones with the regular ends. I think the switched ends are just something else to go wrong and don't really need that feature anyway. You see any other difference between them?

I have the regular ends and have never missed having the other type.

 

[John F]

The switch shuts off the cable when the red end is unplugged from the guitar so you don’t get a loud angry noise. So far they seem great.

 

[László]

Here is a question for the PRS cable guys. Is it really worth the extra money to get the ones with the red ends? I am leaning towards the ones with the regular ends. I think the switched ends are just something else to go wrong and don't really need that feature anyway. You see any other difference between them?

I have both. They sound exactly the same.

They make a darn good silent connector in Liechtenstein (that's where Neutrik is located), and I've had no trouble with mine. It's been in use since PRS introduced them.

However, as with any mechanical part, they're not going to be as bulletproof as the Neutrik plugs that have no moving parts. I've never had a Neutrik plug fail (or a G&H for that matter).

The good news with any silent plug is that they're easily replaced for ten or twelve bucks, and anyone with the most basic soldering skills can do it (there's usually a friend nearby who knows how if you don't). Or you can replace it with a standard Neutrik plug for three or four bucks.

 

[JasonE]

I decided to see if I can turn something that annoys me a little into an advantage. I tend to put thing in my watch list on Reverb that I am researching. The amount of offers I get from doing that is a little annoying. I am usually not ready to make a purchase yet because I am still doing my research. I decided to use this to see if I can get a better deal on these cables (PRS Signature by Van Damme) we have been talking about. I put some of the 18' and 25' cables in my watch list. Boom! I got an offer on the 25' cable. It wasn't a ton off but it more than covered the tax and it came with free shipping. Now all I need is for someone to send me an offer on the 18' cable.

The 25' cable showed up today. I bought the one with the standard ends on it. I can't see me really needing the one with the switched end on it. I have never had a cable with that feature and am not one to just unplug while things are turned on. I felt that having one with the switch on it may cause me to start a bad habit. I plugged straight into my Twin Sister amp with it. I can definitely hear a difference in it. I will be buying an 18' version of the same cable. I am going to set on the ones in my favorites list for a bit to see if I can get another one for a little more off.

 

[DISTORT6]

I decided to see if I can turn something that annoys me a little into an advantage. I tend to put thing in my watch list on Reverb that I am researching. The amount of offers I get from doing that is a little annoying. I am usually not ready to make a purchase yet because I am still doing my research. I decided to use this to see if I can get a better deal on these cables (PRS Signature by Van Damme) we have been talking about. I put some of the 18' and 25' cables in my watch list. Boom! I got an offer on the 25' cable. It wasn't a ton off but it more than covered the tax and it came with free shipping. Now all I need is for someone to send me an offer on the 18' cable.

The 25' cable showed up today. I bought the one with the standard ends on it. I can't see me really needing the one with the switched end on it. I have never had a cable with that feature and am not one to just unplug while things are turned on. I felt that having one with the switch on it may cause me to start a bad habit. I plugged straight into my Twin Sister amp with it. I can definitely hear a difference in it. I will be buying an 18' version of the same cable. I am going to set on the ones in my favorites list for a bit to see if I can get another one for a little more off.

Yeah, I hear ya on the bad habit thing.
I have standby switches and I’m not afraid to use them. That’s a good habit.

 

[László]

I can definitely hear a difference in it.

It's magic, right?

I buy the cables with the standard ends, too; I only have one with the switched end, though I do use it. What I like best about it is the red rubber grip around the plug. Makes it easier for my ancient hands to pull the plug out of a guitar without the plug slipping out of my fingers and falling on the floor.

 

[JasonE]

It's magic, right?

I buy the cables with the standard ends, too; I only have one with the switched end, though I do use it. What I like best about it is the red rubber grip around the plug. Makes it easier for my ancient hands to pull the plug out of a guitar without the plug slipping out of my fingers and falling on the floor.

I ordered the 18 ft. As well. It will be here tomorrow. These should set me up nicely.

 

[László]

I ordered the 18 ft. As well. It will be here tomorrow. These should set me up nicely.

Indeed.

They also last forever. I've had 4-5 of mine since 2009 when they came out. They all work perfectly, and are like new. I don't know if I mentioned it, but Van Damme, who makes the cable in the UK, also did the rewiring of Abbey Road Studio. It's a trustworthy brand.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I read somewhere that Hendrix liked a curly guitar cable because of the sound. (Sorta like an old phone cable that shortens itself when not stretched.) I often wondered if the curly guitar cable has increased inductance as well as a difference in capacitance from a straight cable which affects the sound.

The curled cables he used were chosen due to their higher capacitance, and the rolled off highs they provided. It absolutely worked for him and isn‘t necessarily surprising given his single coils into Marshalls preferences. He also used 55hz cones on his preferred G12H speakers to further tame the highs and move more frequencies lower in the spectrum.

 

[Max Headroom]

I decided to see if I can turn something that annoys me a little into an advantage. I tend to put thing in my watch list on Reverb that I am researching. The amount of offers I get from doing that is a little annoying. I am usually not ready to make a purchase yet because I am still doing my research. I decided to use this to see if I can get a better deal on these cables (PRS Signature by Van Damme) we have been talking about. I put some of the 18' and 25' cables in my watch list. Boom! I got an offer on the 25' cable. It wasn't a ton off but it more than covered the tax and it came with free shipping. Now all I need is for someone to send me an offer on the 18' cable.

The 25' cable showed up today. I bought the one with the standard ends on it. I can't see me really needing the one with the switched end on it. I have never had a cable with that feature and am not one to just unplug while things are turned on. I felt that having one with the switch on it may cause me to start a bad habit. I plugged straight into my Twin Sister amp with it. I can definitely hear a difference in it. I will be buying an 18' version of the same cable. I am going to set on the ones in my favorites list for a bit to see if I can get another one for a little more off.

Great tip.
I did the same last night and woke up to three offers this morning, like yourself saving the tax.
Rather in my pocket for sure!