What kinda cables do you guys use?

[Logic]

Mr. Blue_Powder

I believe the larger size is to accomodate the metric jacks found in asian guitars. they aren't true ¼ jacks. They are slightly larger. 5.5mm or something.

[Jai0705]

I just use a pretty standard cable. I think they are LiveWire's or something like that, got them all at Guitar Center. They're affordably priced and sound just fine to me. I outfit my whole rig with them. I read somewhere that it's better to use the same brand of cable throughout your rig just to keep things the same. Whether it's true or not, whatever...but I did get a monster speaker cable to run into my extension cabinet, and it works fine too. The only reason I got the monster speaker cable was because I had to get a speaker cable, as opposed to an instrument cable and the LiveWires were only instrument cables.

[Paul Secondino]

I've been using crappy guitar cables for a while now, and i think they're contributing to signal loss, a fuzzy sound, and added hum.

I want nice cables that are durable, long-lasting, and can take alot of abuse, but not too expensive. i don't want professional-quality cables used for recording, just ones for home-use that are good.
i don't wanna spend more than 100$ on 3 cables: 10 ft, 5 ft, pedal-to-pedal.

there are so many brands, which ones do you guys recommend?
(btw, i know that those 3 problems i mentioned above may not be caused by my cables, but i'd still like suggestions)

I spent the last year learning alot about cable qualities, specifications, and idisynchrisies. I have found tha George L's have excellent sound quality but do not handle abuse ver well at all. But they do sound veyr clear and detailed.

Monster Cables were basically decent cables with mediocre plugs. To the benefit of everyone though, Monster redesigned their plugs and is now making a much better product. The sound quality is decent.

Pro Co and Horizon make a medium quality cable. They don't sound great and they don't sound bad.

I now make my own cables. For instrument I use Canare GS-6 and Mogami 2524. I usually use Sweitchcraft 1/4" plugs but sometimes opt for the neutrik connectors depending on what I do with the cable

The Canare GS-6 has a very durable twisted shield that will help the cable take a ton of abuse. The Mogami does not but has a little less capacitance than the Canare which gets you some additional high end in your signal.

If you have a soldering iron and some radio shack solder, you can make a excellent 20 foot cable for under $10.00 whereas monster,George L's will certainly cost more and not sound or perform any better.

If oyu are super anal about best possible tone, then check out teh Evidence Audio line of cable. I tried some HG Lyric cable from them and it sounds great but is very very expensive.

[kenny_u]

Planet Waves. And isn't silver the best conductor? Why gold?

[Big Bad Bill]

Gold is a better conductor than silver because gold atoms are larger and thus the outer electrons are shielded from nuclear attractive forces by the inner electron shells (and the inverse square reduction in the electrostatic force!). Thus the electrons move around more freely in response to an electromotive force and so gold is a better conductor than silver.

I've used every cable with mixed opinions and then I came across the Evidence Audio Lyric HG cable. It's not cheap (50 pounds sterling for 15 ft cable) but it really does sound smoother. The harshness you can sometimes get with distortion seems to have gone and doing an A/B swapping test I think it's fantastic! The core is solid copper rather than thin strands with individually high impedances and the copper is of extremely high quality and free of impurites which allows the signal to pass with less loss.. The solid core does mean it tends to straighten out and is a pig to wrap up (I quite like this though), it's really heavy-startlingly so and is well shielded and covered in an attractive green and black braid.

For use at home/studio where tone is of utmost importance to me, I have never heard anything better. On stage, where tone is usually shot to pieces by the acoustics of the venue I suppose it wouldn't make much difference.

Also owning one is an excellent chat up line with the girls-

"Hey that's an unusually straight, thick cable you have there, Big Bad Bill!"
"I know-it's an Evidence Audio Lyric HG. A whole 15 feet of throbbing power"
"Wow!"
"I know-I don't swim with the rest of the crowd. Now nevermind that, would you like to come back to my place and look at my collection of polycarbonate, titanium and mother of pearl plectra?"

Gentlemen, it never fails..........................

[Paul Secondino]

Gold is a better conductor than silver because gold atoms are larger and thus the outer electrons are shielded from nuclear attractive forces by the inner electron shells (and the inverse square reduction in the electrostatic force!). Thus the electrons move around more freely in response to an electromotive force and so gold is a better conductor than silver.

I've used every cable with mixed opinions and then I came across the Evidence Audio Lyric HG cable. It's not cheap (50 pounds sterling for 15 ft cable) but it really does sound smoother. The harshness you can sometimes get with distortion seems to have gone and doing an A/B swapping test I think it's fantastic! The core is solid copper rather than thin strands with individually high impedances and the copper is of extremely high quality and free of impurites which allows the signal to pass with less loss.. The solid core does mean it tends to straighten out and is a pig to wrap up (I quite like this though), it's really heavy-startlingly so and is well shielded and covered in an attractive green and black braid.

For use at home/studio where tone is of utmost importance to me, I have never heard anything better. On stage, where tone is usually shot to pieces by the acoustics of the venue I suppose it wouldn't make much difference.

Also owning one is an excellent chat up line with the girls-

"Hey that's an unusually straight, thick cable you have there, Big Bad Bill!"
"I know-it's an Evidence Audio Lyric HG. A whole 15 feet of throbbing power"
"Wow!"
"I know-I don't swim with the rest of the crowd. Now nevermind that, would you like to come back to my place and look at my collection of polycarbonate, titanium and mother of pearl plectra?"

Gentlemen, it never fails..........................

Thanks for the dating advice. I never knew

[pagliai]

di marzio

[atifman]

what do you guys think about this article:
http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/cords/index.php

[gilberto]

i use a brazilian brand (santo angelo) for the sheer lack of options

Monster cables' price here in brazil are OUTRAGEOUS

but you can't go wrong with Spectraflex, George L's and Monster Cable

[Big Bad Bill]

Gilberto, have you thought about buying over the Internet? That way you may get something at a more reasonable price.

I've just ordered another Evidence Audio HG Lyric cable-a slightly shorter one for home use. They really do sound better to my ears, but at a price. But then again, how can you put a price on amazing tone...............

Please do try them if you get the chance-they're superb!

PS-no I don't own shares in them!

[Drew]

All you're paying for with Monster is the return policy.

Which isn't a half-bad reason to buy them, IMO.

Myself? Still undecided, but I can definitely NOT recommend planet waves. A downside of their "compression spring" technology is, as they're slightly wider resultingly than your standard cable plug, they'll slightly bend the retainers in your input jack over time, so whenever you use a non-planet waves cable, it'll be too loose. I caugt this before it got too bad, but eventually I'll want to have a new jack thrown into my 7620 just for a bit of extra security while gigging.

-D