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Post subject: Instrument Cables
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:26 am
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I have been playing for a few years now and never really worried about equipment too much. The other day I was hanging out playing with a couple of guys when one of them said I would get better tone if I upgraded my cables. So I'm trying to decide if I should drop the cash and get better cables. I guess I should mention I am playing an Am. deluxe Strat through a Marshall MG250DFX amp. The only pedal I run right now is a Planet Waves Tuner. So what do you all think. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.


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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:36 am
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if you have the money to drop on higher quality cables, it is definitely worth it. cables will improve your tone. you have to remember that everything in your setup will affect your tone, so if you have the money, it is worth it to improve every aspect of it. even the power cords to your amp can affect your tone.


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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:47 pm
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Agree to Ben. Check several cables at your local daeler, you'll be surprised about the differences, especially when it comes to treble and transparency.

Cheers!
Radi


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Post subject: Re: Instrument Cables
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:26 pm
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You can go to your local electronics shop and pick up some fine cable and connectors and there is usually at least one guy working that is a guitar player who can give you good help with your selections.

Some good legnth of Mogami with a couple of Switch Craft connectors should do the trick at a price you can afford. If you don't do your own soldering ask one of the guys if they can do it for you, it may cost a few extra bones however.

It's not a bad idea to try it youself and practice until you get it nice and clean. It's easy to do, all else you would need is a soldering iron and some solder. If you are unfamiliar with this stuff ask you sales person to direct you to the right stuff.

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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:44 am
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It surprised me as well how much the cable is important. First I had some crappy cable and something was buzzing all the time, but then I bought a Klotz cable and everything has changed. The tone is clearer and there's no more buzzzzzing.


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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:07 am
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radarman has the 411 here. Expensive cable isn't what sounds good. Low-capacitance cable is what sounds good.

Read this article by expert Craig Anderton before you go shopping:

http://www.harmony-central.com/articles ... tar_cords/

Any good-quality low-capacitance cable will sound great with most passive guitars. George L's is a good example of this, but you can buy cheap Belden cable and good Switchcraft jacks and run up your own, just as radarman suggests, for next to nothing, and they will SOUND BETTER than the $50 Monster cable at the store.

Yes, they will. Of all the overpriced cables, Monster is the worst about creating bogus scientific explanations for why you should buy their junk. I actually had a store owner tell me that I should buy an 80 dollar Monster bass cable (just for bass guitar, not for anything else!) with my new bass because the special braiding inside the cable was designed so the high frequencies (which go fast) and the low frequencies (which go slow) from the instrument would reach the amplifier at the same time, thereby eliminating the phase problems that were killing my bass sound (and I didn't even know it!).

If anybody wants to pay 80 bucks for a 10 foot cable so you can repeat that story, knock yourself out. But radarman speaks truth.


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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:05 am
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neutrik connecter are great and so are switch craft. it does make a big difference once you start using lots of pedals like i do


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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:52 am
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Thanks Gravity Jim for the link to the article! And thanks everyone for all the feedback! I spoke today with the soundguy from church an he is going to help me assemble a few cables using the advice you guys gave and the article from Harmony central! I really appreciate this forum and everyone on it! It's nice to be able to hear other peoples thoughts before I spend alot of money. Thanks again!


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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:22 pm
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Good advice here. I have seen some guitar cables that were $400.00 for 10 feet of cable.

I really don't think I'm ready to spend that kind of money on a guitar cable.

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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:25 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
Good advice here. I have seen some guitar cables that were $400.00 for 10 feet of cable.

I really don't think I'm ready to spend that kind of money on a guitar cable.


Chet, that's like saying, "I don't think I'm ready to admit I'm a complete pigeon!"

:D


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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:38 pm
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Personally I wouldn't trust a "music store salesman" as far as I could throw'em.

Here's a couple of tips:

1. Stay away from cables that advertise "Oxygen Free", it's all just bullsh*t, nothing more.

2. Keep your cable as short as possible.


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