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Silktone Instrument Cables
How Clear is Your Signal Path?
by Chris Loeffler
There are two types of new instrument cables that cross my desk- “me toos” that focus on price or quality, and those looking to change the way cables work. Silktone, new cable maker and soon-to-be boutique amp builder, comes rolling into the world of guitar accessories with their new cable line with the specific goal of improving the way your pickups talk to your amp.
Silktone’s product differentiator for their cable line is being a “first-of-its-kind” premium dual conductor guitar/instrument cable. By combining solid and stranded conductors, Silktone aims to strike a no-compromise balance of flexibility and tone. The theory is that whereas other cables pass the return through the shield, Silktone isolates the return and signal paths from the shield via dual copper conductors to keep the signal path pure.
What You Need to Know
Maybe the term “pulling a blanket off the speaker” to describe the difference would be an overstatement, but there is certainly “more” to the Silktone cables, even as they stacked before and after a pedalboard.
When compared to similar length George L’s, the effect was similar; whereas the Monster Jazz was muddy in the mids, the George L’s had a more neutral and transparent EQ effect but still seemed to exhibit less presence and a slight drop in feel and immediacy. It’s felt more than heard in this comparison, but I was certainly able to get more out of the amp’s overdrive with the Silktone.
Limitations
None that I could find. Maybe introducing a line specific to pedal-boards in 6” right-right configurations?
Conclusion
Every component of your signal chain truly does make a difference, and Silktone cables are proof positive. While there is always a point where buffers and long signal chains will blunt the edge of any technology, why wouldn’t you want to give your tone every chance possible to shine? Plugging directly into my amp and letting it crank was a visceral experience, and made me a convert.
Resources
Silktone Instrument Cables Product Page
Buy Silktone Instrument Cables on Reverb.com
___________________________________________________
Chris Loeffler is a multi-instrumentalist and the Content Strategist of Harmony Central. In addition to his ten years experience as an online guitar merchandiser, marketing strategist, and community director he has worked as an international exporter, website consultant and brand manager. When he’s not working he can be found playing music, geeking out on guitar pedals and amps, and brewing tasty beer.
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So, after 2 months, he didn't put any warning about that. And the worst part: he didn't refund my shipping costs. I just used the cables at home. I shipped them back less than 48h from the time I received them. I lost 21 dollars and if I knew that, I didn't have bought them. If you want to see the video as well as a detailed comparison on the video description: https://youtu.be/rbBElgKJU1c
As just one example, ProCo was making cables of similar electrical construction (two conductors - hot and ground - plus braided shield connected at only one end) for guitar use back in the '70's. And those in the know were building their own well before that.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. See Transperformance vs. G-Force. See AKG D200 vs. Shure KSM8. While the misrepresentations are not egregious, and are really unrelated to the performance of the products themselves, the false claims of 'first' just cheapen the brands.