cord length and sound quality... tone

[JcKerr]

Was wondering about my setup... i have really good cords, but i've got 2 twenty some foot cords... one to the stopbox then another to the amp... is that really bad or what... i could get by with alot shorter cords, but would it make any difference?

[GAS Man]

Originally posted by JcKerr Was wondering about my setup... i have really good cords, but i've got 2 twenty some foot cords... one to the stopbox then another to the amp... is that really bad or what... i could get by with alot shorter cords, but would it make any difference?

I don't know. But reminds me of a story.

I've got one old coil cord that makes a guitar sound like {censored}. I don't know how to explain it, but it makes the tone lose definition.

It's orange and has one 90 degree plug. I can' t bring myself to throw it away, but I never use it.

Moral of the story,

Use your ears.

Quality s/b more important than length.

[aero90]

I would agree that quality is more important than length, but length does have an effect. Cable capacitance increases by the foot, and higher capacitance cables cause a downward shift in the resonance frequency of the circuit, resulting in a warmer sound or reduced highs. I would borrow a friends cables to try and see if you can hear a difference before investing in new ones, though.

[JcKerr]

They are good cords.. hot line.. they are all have gold plated connectors.. i've seen them on e-bay and are expensive.. they were a gift .... i guess they're fine!

[jerry_picker]

In the old days, there was this big argument about straight cords vs. coiled "telephone" cords. Something about the coiled wire made an "induction coil" that was supposed to filter out unwanted noise signal (or something).

Mick Taylor used coiled cords when he was with the Stones:


I think that the bottom lines are:
1. Good quality braided wire with coaxial ground braid.
2. Solid solder connections to the plugs.
3. Durable, flexible coating on the wire.
4. Strong, crack-resistant housings on plugs.

[angus_old]

Originally posted by jerry_picker In the old days, there was this big argument about straight cords vs. coiled "telephone" cords. Something about the coiled wire made an "induction coil" that was supposed to filter out unwanted noise signal (or something). Mick Taylor used coiled cords when he was with the Stones:

So did Jimi



I think it was also supposed to kill some of the highs and make the strat less bright/twangy

[TattooedCarrot]

With hi-impedence pickups (passives) you will lose a little signal clarity and high end with very long cords. Not so the case with low impedence like EMG's. A large signal chain can do the same thing, lots of effects and stuff, and then there's the difference on if they are true-bypass or not. In an interview with Warran Haynes' guitar tech, he said they use a couple 25 footers and this is the case with losing some high end, but Warran apprently likes it that way. Gilmour went with EMG's in the 80's and 90's for part of this reason, because he runs so many effects.