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Cables confound me. Are the cheap ones fine? Should I spend $50 on one (or more)?
I have two non cheap cables ($26)... Analogman CBI. I like the connectors but does it sound any different? I dunno...
CBI Ultimate 15 foot Guitar Cable
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10-18-2016 08:50 AM
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Cables sound different, depending on construction and length. I think the issue is to find the one that suits you best in whatever aspect which is important to you. For me this is a Sommer Cable called "the spirit XXL" at the length of about 2m. I think it's got a neutral sound (not coloring the sound) at 2m length. I don't think connectors sound different, at least not as audible as different length's of cables.
Sommer Spirit XXL Instrument Cable | Colorful Weapon
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I've never honestly been able to tell a really good cable from a good cable personally. I don't buy the cheapest ones and I don't buy the crazy expensive ones. My experience with average priced cables is that the more you pay the longer they last, mostly, but they sound the same to me.
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What makes cables sound different when used with "passive" guitars (high impedance output) is their capacitance. There's no magic you can buy into with money. Just get a cable of good construction.
A cable's capacitance is measured in pF per some unit length (feet or meters). So, a 12 feet 25 pF/ft cable will sound the same as a 6 feet 50 pF/ft cable.
You just have to decide what amount of capacitance sounds best to you and your rig
More capacitance will shift the resonant peak and lowpass downwards.
Some more.Last edited by Runepune; 10-18-2016 at 11:04 AM. Reason: Added link
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As someone who went big into the audiophile movement in the 90s, I have stereo equipment with ridiculously expensive cables. Honestly, when I swap in cheap cables...the system sounds the same, even to people with younger ears. Hmm?
I have expensive guitar cables and cheap guitar cables. They sound the same, to me, IF they are the same length. I try to keep my guitar cables 10' or less because the longer cables do audibly roll off the high end with high impedance pickups.
For chicken pickin', a Telecaster and a Fender amp will sound duller if you use a 20' cable or longer, compared to a 10' cable.
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A handy cable capacitance chart here.
For archtop/jazz I go for low capacitance myself. Keeps it smooth and clear. For less hifi, more old school high mid presence, for some distorted single coil setups etc., higher capacitance may fit the bill.
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no need to spend big bucks on cables. Nobody can hear the diff in a blindfold test.
A while back, I someone was banned on the gear page for calling BS on a manufacturer selling boutique power cables. Just more internet snake-oil...
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The only thing matters is whether it's durable. IME, the shrink-wrap ones that look like this:
Originally Posted by tomems
Hold up best. I have a "conquest" branded one that is close to 20 years old and still works. OTOH, I've not had good luck with the ones that look like this holding up (though I do like this kind of outer insulation because it doesn't get twisted and kinked as easily as the rubbery stuff):
As far as the sound is concerned, I'm in the "it doesn't matter" camp. Two cables of the same capacitance (essentially, a function of length) sound the same irrespective of what they're made of, and I've never been able to hear a difference between, say, 15 and 20 feet of cable. Wire is wire.
John
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Indeed Originally Posted by Boston Joe
But speaker cable and low impedance hi-fi connections is a very different scenario. With passive guitars, cable capacitance may make a big difference.
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I once knew a guy who did high-end audio system installations, and built custom connectors out of coat hangers. Originally Posted by Boston Joe
John
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My main concern is that they're well constructed. I prefer ones with the unscrewable connectors so that if they get noisy, I can cut off a few inches and resolder them.
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I use a 10' cable most of the time, and use slightly more expensive ones as they last way longer than cheapos.
like BostonJoe says, usually the core fails near the connector, so you can trim and resolder if needed w/unscrewable connectors like Neutriks
as far as the sound? negligible difference to me.
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I could tell a difference between my old Monster "Jazz" cable and others I've purchased since -- the Monster was "muddy" compared to others.
Most of my cables are from: Death Valley Cable Company, the world's best guitar cable, handmade one at a time Great products, very sturdy!
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Agree Originally Posted by agentsmith
Oh yes, you canNobody can hear the diff in a blindfold test. Anybody with a working set of ears will be able to hear the effect of different capacitance, in cable used on guitars with passive pickups. Blind and triple blind. Of course, one would have to compare cables of different capacitance to hear a difference.
Power cables, speaker cables, cables used with low impedance equipment (e.g. guitar with active pickups)...that's a whole nother story.
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What's your preferred length? Mine is 20' (guitar => 10' => pedal board => 10' => amp).
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Why is there anymore discussion after this post? Originally Posted by Boston Joe
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Twice I've paid a premium for a guitar cable; first for the Lava Coily cable, 'cause I like the Orange Color.
Second, for the D'Addario with the 'Geo-Tip', and forgive me for this, but it DOES feel good going in.
That coily cord is very lossy, so I use it with an active sound-hole Fishman I own.
I agree that differences can be heard. The importance of this varies, of course, with the player & circumstance.
Dig that Orange!
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My preference, to a T. Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
If I'm plugging straight into the amp, 15'-20' depending on gig.
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Slightly different: guitar >> 5' >> pedal board (just a few pedals and tuner!) >> 10' >> amp. I don't jump around on stage these days, I'm usually at smaller venues, and "shorter is better" when it comes to cables (according to Internet gurus!). Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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People forget that electric guitar is a very freq limited instrument. A typical guitar speaker puts out almost nothing above 4.5k. Originally Posted by Runepune
Agree
Oh yes, you can Anybody with a working set of ears will be able to hear the effect of different capacitance, in cable used on guitars with passive pickups. Blind and triple blind. Of course, one would have to compare cables of different capacitance to hear a difference.
Power cables, speaker cables, cables used with low impedance equipment (e.g. guitar with active pickups)...that's a whole nother story.
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If you're 10 feet from your amp you can't go over to it without putting down your guitar! Originally Posted by marcwhy
Slightly different: guitar >> 5' >> pedal board (just a few pedals and tuner!) >> 10' >> amp. I don't jump around on stage these days, I'm usually at smaller venues, and "shorter is better" when it comes to cables (according to Internet gurus!).
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You may read past it to find out Originally Posted by Guitarbean25
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Some years ago, when I probably had an excessive amount of spare time, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the guitar electronics, and did some circuit simulations using toe software Spice: I modeled a single coil pickup, volume and tone pots, tone cap, bleed capacitor, cable capacitance, and equivalent input circuit of a typical tube preamplifier; cable resistance and inductance were not modeled at all because it was clear to me that in such a circuit they cannot have any effect on the tone.
I plotted the frequency chart for several values of each component and, not surprisingly, it turned out that every single component had important effects on the frequency response. The cable capacitance had a significant effect on the resonant frequency and peak amplitude of the pickup circuit when the volume and volume pots were at maximum resistance, but was probably inaudible just by turning down the volume or tone a bit.
So, if you usually play guitar with volume and tone at 10, and shape the guitar response with the guitar preamp, and your guitar cable is not too short, then you should be able to hear the difference between a low capacitance (60pF/m) cable and a high capacitance (150pf/m) cable of the same length. The moving resonance peak is usually well below the 3KHz-5KHz rolloff frequency of a typical guitar amp and can be heard, at least if you don't attenuate the highs too much on your amp.
In all other cases robustness and aestetics are more important factors than capacitance, and you can use any cable you like.Last edited by rgiaccio; 10-19-2016 at 11:46 AM.
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Got any data? Originally Posted by Runepune
Agree
Oh yes, you can Anybody with a working set of ears will be able to hear the effect of different capacitance, in cable used on guitars with passive pickups. Blind and triple blind. Of course, one would have to compare cables of different capacitance to hear a difference.
Power cables, speaker cables, cables used with low impedance equipment (e.g. guitar with active pickups)...that's a whole nother story.
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