Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: kellar on May 24, 2008, 12:58:51 PM
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Alright guys, what's the deal? I have gone through 7 cables in the last 7 or 8 months. They were all bought in the 5-10 euro range and I can't figure out why I am burning through so many. Does anyone else have this problem??
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no just don't buy cheap ones, find ones with neutrik connectors or the planet waves ones
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all the cables I use are the same one's I've used for many years - Van Damme cable and Neutrik connectors, can't go wrong. I pay around £1.30 per metre for the cable and around £2.50 each for the connectors.
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And if you don't make them yourself, ClearTone cables from Award Session are BRILLIANT value for money. Best cables I've found (considerably better than the planet waves - I don't have sound files to back that up, so you'll just have to take my word for it).
I ordered three cables yesterday late afternoon, and they arrived this morning!
Plus you can get them all custom length (I did this to minimise extra cable length and tidy things up a bit).
Do it!
Roo
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In ready made cable I keep Whirlwind and Dimarzio ones in stock
I have used Whirlwind for 20 years and they are still going strong so I am happy to sell them wth confidence
The Dimarzio seem damn well made and Larry Dimarzio is a bit of a cable freak - all hi-fi stuff and the like so I keep them in as well
I do like the braided versions - really cool
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sound interesting how much are they
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all the cables I use are the same one's I've used for many years - Van Damme cable and Neutrik connectors, can't go wrong. I pay around £1.30 per metre for the cable and around £2.50 each for the connectors.
This man knows where it's at :) Although i like switchcraft connectors a little better than the neurtiks. I'm gonna buy a 100m reel of VD cable... works out to about 80p per metre when you buy a reel. The rest of the cable will come in handy in the future too :p
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The Dimarzio seem damn well made and Larry Dimarzio is a bit of a cable freak - all hi-fi stuff and the like so I keep them in as well
I do like the braided versions - really cool
Amen to that. One of the first guitar cables I bought was a DiMarzio, this was about 10 years ago. Two weeks ago, it broke down (the connector was completely disconnected from the cable.) How's that for sturdy construction? I mean, I have used it on every single gig I've played in my life (60 gigs or so) + then hours upon hours of playing at home etc.
And the best part is that they have a lifetime warranty so I'll be getting a free replacement soon :)
On the other hand, I've had two Planet Waves cables gone bad on me in less than a year, I'll be avoiding them in the future. And they're not even cheap :/
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Alright guys, what's the deal? I have gone through 7 cables in the last 7 or 8 months. They were all bought in the 5-10 euro range and I can't figure out why I am burning through so many. Does anyone else have this problem??
Oh and btw, 5-10 euro seems really low if you're looking for quality cables. The ones I've bought have been 20 euro and up.
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I dont know what brand cables mine are, they're just unbranded cable with neutrik jacks. Sound fine to me and have lasted ages.
edit - as soon as i typed this i went to play, and found that one of my cables is broken :lol: All it needs is a resolder on the jack though.
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If you're serious enough about guitar tone to invest money in BKPs then you shouldn't skimp on the cables that are going to carry the tone to your amp.
As Jonathan said, Whirlwind are great cables; sturdy and sound good. I haven't tried DiMarzio but they do seem to get a good rep. I also use a Custom Audio Electronics cable which is very neutral.
I'm keen to try Mogami cables, Evidence Audio and Core One Bullet cables.
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Good stuff guys. It looks like I may have to dig a bit deeper in my pocket for cables for now on. :oops:
I'll check out some of those brands you guys mentioned.
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I'm very tempted by the Fulltone cables i must say - i see them in most gear review videos!
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I use Planet Waves with circuit breakers. I'm tempted by the ClearTone ones, I think I'll get one next time I need a cable.
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they do work well the circuit breaker...have had one for a few years no probs
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I'm very happy with my Spectraflex.
Better cables do miracles for your sound. They last longer too. So they're well worth the money.
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I use Planet Waves with circuit breakers. I'm tempted by the ClearTone ones, I think I'll get one next time I need a cable.
Do it! Great service, fantastic price, and a really nice quality cable! Can't say fairer than that! No point in spending a fortune on cables when you get van damme flex and neutriks all made up for the price that Award Session do it!
ClearTone ftw!
Roo
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ClearTone are superb.
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At the moment I've got lots of different cables in my rig: Van Damme's, Monster, Planet Waves', and some no-namers as well.
The Van Damme's are great, certainly the best of the the ones I have, but I'm going to upgrade to Evidence cables throughout very soon. Heard nothing but good things, and I have a guy that can hook me up with some for cheap..
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I bought 2 Whirlwind cables in '95 & they've been going strong ever since.
When I first started I used to go through loads of cheap leads. Buying decent leads save you shed loads of money in the long run.
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When I first started I used to go through loads of cheap leads.
Buying decent leads save you shed loads of money in the long run.
AMEN!
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I've got 3 or 4 cables which came free with Fender guitars - they seem to be identical to my old Whirlwind "The Leader" which is still fine after 20+ years. I think that was the last cable I actually bought.
I also have one of those curly grey Radio Shack ones which - apparently - SRV was very keen on. It takes out some of the treble, I notice.
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+1 on the positive comments about the Whirlwind Leader. I have one that I bought in 1991, it's been dragged across the filthiest rehearsal room floors, twisted/coiled into all sorts of shapes, stuffed into countless gigbags etc, but there's still hardly a mark on it & it works great.
Most of the cables I use now are Spectraflex. Really good high quality cables & you can buy them direct (+ I like the cool colours :-))
The one "premium" brand I don't like are Monster. Nothing wrong with the quality of the tone (or rather, the effect the cable has on the tone), but IMO there's a fundamental flaw in their design/construction: The cable enters the plug through a hole that's wider than the cable itself & there's no moulded sleeve or spring to stop you putting direct pressure on the solder joints (the cable is "held" by the crimped end of the jack arrangement just like any cheapo £3 cable). So it's easy (esp when you have sweaty hands) to accidentally yank on the cable when unplugging it, plus the cable can work loose in the joint with constant movement. IMO a >£40 cable should be damn near indestructible as well as carry the signal well.
Basically, I'd use Monster for "static" arrangements (e.g. patch cables on a pedal board, or in the back of a rack) where the cable never moves, but for guitar->amp I'd want something with a sturdier moulded plug & flush-fitting cable.
Goddam, look how much I typed about cables - I'm such an anorak :roll: :lol: :)
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I'm a bit anal with cables, so I am using Vovox cable, very very expensive, but I hear and feel a real difference, they are just great, punchy, musical etc... what should I say?
80 EUR for a cable is a but crazy I admit, especially watching what s§%&/ f$%& cheap cable Hendrix, Page etc were using back in the days and got the tones from heaven, angels, god and all the other holy spirits.