Guitar Instrument Cables - what do you all perfer?

[tyt921]

So I did alot of research to these cables on youtube. Other than the static noises some cable makes, I could not hear any tone difference. Some of the other higher end 100-150 dollar cables, I did hear some difference. I might end up going for the mogami because I think its 50 shipped on sweetwater.com and its got that lifetime gaurentee thing, so if it breaks Ill just get a new one from one of ther retailer stores? That how it works? Or do I want to buy it from guitar center?

I have a ESP starter pack free cable (black) Ive used for a while, and then I used the free one that PRS provided, and it sounded a bit cleaner. Interested in how much sound quality it provides when in a actualy test, versus hearing it on youtube etc.

But theres no real way to test them out before you buy them.

Seriously thinking about the fender custom shop ones that cost me less than 12 bucks on ebay...lol shipped too.

**oh there are also these PRS factory refurberished cables (the higher end ones, and not the free one that I got, but its still black!) that go for like 19.99 shipped on ebay, with the option of submiiting an offer for an even lower price.

 

[László]

I thought we were an autonomous collective.

If only!

 

[CoreyT]

Ty, I mentioned earlier that I have both Mogami and the PRS ones.
The only Mogami I use now is a short 10' one that goes from my pedal board to any one of the amps I want to plug into.

Once you use one of those silent Nuetrik ends, you will like how you get no "pop" or noise when plugging/un plugging your guitar.
http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/professional-1/4-plugs/silentplug/

The PRS one is much cheaper than the Mogami Platinum cable that has the same silent end.

This is a different brand, but it shows how the Nuetrik silent end works.

 

[Boogie]

Black ones.

Yeah, I never went back either.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

My favorite is still the (non-silent) PRS cable I got with my TY pack from the Siggy in 2012. I tried a Mogami but I could not justify the price, it did not sound appreciably better to my ears.

I picked up a super duper Monster ultimate whatever on a clearance and I hate it. It's so damn thick and inflexible.

 

[strat63]

Ty, I mentioned earlier that I have both Mogami and the PRS ones.
The only Mogami I use now is a short 10' one that goes from my pedal board to any one of the amps I want to plug into.

Once you use one of those silent Nuetrik ends, you will like how you get no "pop" or noise when plugging/un plugging your guitar.
http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/professional-1/4-plugs/silentplug/

The PRS one is much cheaper than the Mogami Platinum cable that has the same silent end.

This is a different brand, but it shows how the Nuetrik silent end works.

I avoid the pop by stepping on my tuner before switching guitars. It mutes the signal to the amp and has worked quite well for years. I always use Lava cables. They have a wide range available at various price points and the service has been excellent. The ELC has been my cable of choice from Lava

 

[László]

Lava does a nice job - I've had them make some custom cables. I wish they carried the Van Damme, so I could have them make some custom shorties for my board! But what they've used is very good stuff, their Ultramafic. Works great on a pedalboard of course, but a bit too stiff for other uses for me.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just make sure you got 'em plugged in going the right direction, nothing sounds worse than backward installed cables.

 

[ViperDoc]

Monster.

 

[László]

Just make sure you got 'em plugged in going the right direction, nothing sounds worse than backward installed cables.

Pete Cornish, the famous English pedal maker and pedalboard builder whose clients include Pete Townshend, Dickey Betts, Santana, Jimmy Page, Clapton, Sir Paul, Knopfler, Fripp, David Gilmour, and many others makes what he calls a "semi balanced" 2 conductor cable that is actually designed to have one end at the instrument and one at the amp. I'm guessing that these cables have the shield lifted at one end, using the conductors the way Rane used to recommend on their website for avoiding ground loops in studio gear. It's what he supplies to clients using his pedalboards, that are way, way expensive.

This wasn't for "tone," but to prevent noise induced by EMI/RFI.

In fact, Rane used to also recommend that the shield be lifted at one end only, but I don't remember if it was at the amp or instrument end. So much for my memory on this stuff. I mention Rane because they were once known as a very scientific company when it came to solving audio technical issues.

But it's just a guess, as I've never seen or used one. I've always wanted to see what Cornish's thing was about, however.

Cornish is also adamantly opposed to true bypass switching, which makes sense given the length of cable runs his clients often employ on stage.

 

[CoreyT]

Saw this in a newsletter I got over the weekend.
Yeah, it is a Gibson cable, but other cables are mentioned here.
It is a very cool idea.

The Gibson Memory Cable™ is “Inspiration Insurance”

The cable has a Tascam recorder built into it with memory, and can record up to 13 hours.
Pretty cool since you do not have to setup a separate recorder.

 

[Egads]

That's a pretty cool practice/idea tool. I've got this little Line 6 recorder that hooks up in line (either right out of the guitar, or right before the amp, if you want to include effects) for doing exactly what the Gibson does. I don't use it often, but it's nice when I want to jot something down sonically.

 

[CoreyT]

I found one video on YouTube from the MusikMEsse 2014 music show in Germany.
It will go for around $100, I may pick one up as I am always grabbing a guitar off the wall and playing something during a commercial break if watching live TV, and sometimes I wish I could remember something I had played, and this would be the ticket for it.
Easier than setting up an external recorder.

You can set it so it records continuously, or just when you play.
You can also push the power button once and it will save the file, then create a new one instead of having just one long file.

 

[maxtuna26]

I've always lived on free cables that music shops throw in for me when I make a guitar purchase. That is, until they start giving me connection problems. The first real cable I bought was a Dimarzio Gold Metallic cable, I have since given it to my brother because his Tele needed a straight jack. I bought an Ibanez DS cable. It's great and really cheap, but I chosen a shorter one (10ft I guess) and accidentally had it pulled out from the amp once mid-song. So I went on to buy an even cheaper local branded cable that's like, 25ft long. Never had a problem with it, even though the plug's look screams low quality. I'm thinking about trying out some Kirlin cables, there were a few hanging at the shop and they were selling those for chips. Anyone tried Kirlins before?

 

[helmi]

cables make a TREMENDOUS differance. anybody that doesent think so, go buy 10 different cables and listen to them. my guitar partner was a "oh it's just a cable, i'm not spending that much money. how much of a difference can there be". well one day 1 had about 12 different cables, and kept switching them out without him seeing which brand. his words were," i would of never believed it unless you showed me". (as usual) let me ask a small question? why WOULDN'T you think a cable would make a differance? people who say they dont, are either deaf or in deniall. I dont understand why people plug their $2,000-4,000 guitar into a $1,000 pedalboard then through a $1,500-3,000 amp, and use a $15 cord ? for me, my cables are
1) LAVA elc instrument cables
2)LAVA pedalboaed cables
3)PCNS speaker cables
4)PCNS xlr cables

 

[shinksma]

why WOULDN'T you think a cable would make a differance?

I've been meaning to post in this thread. I guess the thing for me is that while an expensive instrument cable might sound potentially different compared to a $15 (or freebie with purchase) cable, I've apparently adapted and my sound now works for me using those cheaper cables. I know truly cheap, unshielded or "Dollar Store" cables are going to induce a lot of noise, but as long as I'm using a shielded cable I'm OK with what I get at the amp.

And there are far too many "expensive" cables out there that are no better than the cheap ones - they just have thicker rubber trying to look like thicker gauge wire to justify the higher price tags. The truly "better" cables are hard to sort out from the snake-oil versions.

Still, I'd really appreciate it if someone could post some links to studies/papers where frequency response measurements are illustrated for various cables, so that I can see what I might be missing. I'd be willing to spend $50 or $100 on a better cable if I could actually hear the difference. I just haven't so far (but maybe I have cardboard ears).

 

[petpas]

I use fender custom shop performance series instrument cables. They sound great and do not twist. Twisting destroyed many cables I used. And fender cables are affordable.

 

[László]

I've been meaning to post in this thread. I guess the thing for me is that while an expensive instrument cable might sound potentially different compared to a $15 (or freebie with purchase) cable, I've apparently adapted and my sound now works for me using those cheaper cables.

While I tend to use more expensive cables for a variety of reasons, my belief is that if you're happy with what you have, you're in a good place.

I will say this: I have some Mogami and Canare cables that have lasted for 25 years. That's not a bad thing! And it makes them a good investment.

The PRS-branded cables appear to be of similar build quality, and I expect long life from them, too.

 

[ChrisCst22]

After quite a push back from their corporate office (and a cease and desist from Mr. Orville Mogami himself), I had Mogami make me a custom set of "Lefty" cables for my right handed guitars. I swear it's like magic ponies riding a rainbow through a tiny tube of plastic.

 

[Bufford T]

Just ordered some Spectraflex cables, hoping for good things...

Have lots of monster and planet waves, but am pretty lukewarm on both now.
The Planet Waves circuit breaker is pretty a handy though