Instrument cables

B

bammbamm

Experienced
Just want to pick you guys' brain and experience on this. I'm in the market to buy some new guitar cables and there are quite a few choices. I've seen some interesting ones like Death Valley Cable: Death Valley Cable Company, the world's best guitar cable, handmade one at a time

There are also Mogami, Monster Cable, and Planet waves as a choice. I heard that they are quality as well.

Which do you think is the best bang for your buck on cables out there?
 
bit of a contentious subject this, but: -
many agree that it's a waste of money buying the very expensive stuff. however, others will swear by their megabucks boutique cord.

many experts say the only thing (or the main thing, then) that alters the tone is capacitance, so a cheap cable can sound just as good as a $1000 one.
personally, i just use cleartone cables (basically just van damme cable & neutrik connectors). inexpensive, sound suits my taste & well made imo.
 
hideous said:
(basically just van damme cable & neutrik connectors). inexpensive, sound suits my taste & well made imo.
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Which is all that matters
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I use Canare cable with nuetrik ends. Nothing too fancy ad has been bullet proof for years. Not a fan of spending big bucks on that stuff. There's been some threads on the forum over time that went way into this. I would search those out.
 
I use Conquest 25ft cables. Best sounding cable I've used and won't break the bank. Also, I recently upgraded to a line 6 g90 and I'm a little torn. Itt doesn't quite doing the same, but the cable emulation gets pretty damned close.
 
I always used some 20$ cables from a local audio electronics store. Nothing fancy. A/B checked with some 100$ cables from a friend and couldn't hear any difference. Even recording the signal send from a looper through DAW and comparing the waveform (to avoid my ears tricking me) by reversing one of them didn't show any difference in signal (both signals cancelled out almost perfectly leaving only some noise floor).

Biggest factor when buying cables is the durability of the plugs and how well they seat in the jacks. I'd say grab one in the range of 20-30 dollars, they are usually very well made. Also check how much cable length you really need (keep the cable short, but long enough so that you can move freely on stage).
Remember: if a 20$ cable breaks after a year and a 100$ cable breaks after 5 years, you paid the same. But chances are your 20$ cable will also survive 5 years if you don't use it as a bullwhip...
 
@OP: can you go to a shop and try some cables with your guitar? To me there are pretty clear differences, especially using a distorted sound.

If you are going to use the cable during live gigs prefer hevy duty components: for example Neutrik jack and thicker cables.
 
The only way I am able to tell the difference between a $5 cable and a $50 cable is by the balance of my savings account.
 
The BEST cables out there... by far... also hand made- one at a time, made in the USA...

DiMarzio Chrome Cables...

I love them (their other cables are great but i think the chrome and gold are the coolest)
 
Only things you need to consider is durability and total capacitance. The expensive cable business are the biggest bullshitters in the audio industry. And they know it.
 
Agree that the most significant factor is the quality of construction. Flexible cable that doesn't twist up into a mess and sturdy connectors, most important to me. Most of the nonsense that the manufacturers describe wouldn't apply at audio frequencies, maybe at UHF or microwave frequencies, but not at 20 kHz and below.
 
I use Divine Noise cables. Their bulletproof construction and lack of microphonics sold me when I reviewed one for TGP's webzine. I liked it so much, I paid full price for the review item (TGP Webzine policy does not allow for freebies for reviewers).
 
I've been consistently using and gigging with a Radio Shack gold tipped instrument cable that I bought in 1994. Amazing that it has lasted that long. Now I probably have jinxed it and it will fail next time I use it.
 
Trazan said:
Only things you need to consider is durability and total capacitance. The expensive cable business are the biggest bullshitters in the audio industry. And they know it.
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+1 I use the Elixir low capaitance cables, which they don't make anymore. :(
 
I use the Pro-Co Kevlar Cables. They come with a Lifetime Guarantee, never had a problem.
 
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