Members Kassanova Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Do you think the more expensive guitar cables/cords are actually worth the money or do you think its just a hustle?I've seen some pretty ridiculously priced cords that claim to be better but to be honest, I haven't run across a cord that made a hugely audible difference.Does anyone think the more expensive cords are more durable or sound better or is it all a scam just to squeeze a few more bucks out of gullible musicians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 It depends what you mean by 'more expensive' there is a massive difference in durability between some piece of {censored} $5 cable and something with good quality jacks and cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kassanova Posted December 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 All cords have varying degrees of quality difference, Melx. I'm talking about the general difference between say, a standard Guitar Center stock cable or a Horizon cable and something like a Moster "rock" series cable. I don't mean cables with plastic tip sleeves that don't unscrew and can't be soldered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HeartfeltDawn Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 All cords have varying degrees of quality difference, Melx. I'm talking about the general difference between say, a standard Guitar Center stock cable or a Horizon cable and something like a Moster "rock" series cable. I don't mean cables with plastic tipsleeves that don't unscrew and can't be soldered. For a long time, I used a couple of Peavey cables from pedals to amps and a 40 ft Yorkville cable I bought five years ago in Canada. I tried out some Klotz 'La Grange' cables a couple of months ago and there is a difference. There are more highs with the Klotz cable. However, I like the sound of the cheaper cables. I like the slightly rolled off highs I get with my gear. The higher end cables seem to have less highs rolled off compared to cheaper cables. I liken it to CDs versus vinyl. Neither format is better than the other. CDs are crystal clear but lack the warmth of vinyl. More expensive cables are crystal clear but I prefer something a bit fuzzier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members H.R. Shove and Stuff Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 I know there is a difference, but it doesn't really matter to me. Cheap - middle of the line cords are easy to get and replace. I don't want to have to tip-toe around everything so I don't make a $500 6" cable go bad, that is just when playing goes from fun to a chore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITEFLY182 Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 I have a Vovox cable that I love. Sounds better to me than the other cables I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sabriel9v Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Planet Waves cables all day, but not the gold tipped kind. Gold is actually a more resistant metal despite being less corrosive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inuitdream Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Lave Clear Connect Cables make a huge difference. Used to use Klotz, which seem compressed and rolls some of the frequencies. Lavas seem to be more balanced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members royal crxsh johnson Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 i like my lava coily and my spectraflex tweeds. cables don't make a huge difference to me. i keep them clean, don't beat them up that much, and they do what they're supposed to. i like the tweed cables because they not only look badass, but they don't get coiled up as easily. i have 3 or 4 of them for jams or just in case. i would like a lava pedalboard kit for neatness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members One Man Banned Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Do you think the more expensive guitar cables/cords are actually worth the money or do you think its just a hustle? I've seen some pretty ridiculously priced cords that claim to be better but to be honest, I haven't run across a cord that made a hugely audible difference. Does anyone think the more expensive cords are more durable or sound better or is it all a scam just to squeeze a few more bucks out of gullible musicians? I used to work for Monster Cable...Do more expensive cables sound better? Yes, sometimes.Are they worth the price? No.When I worked for Monster we could buy a $100 12ft Studio Pro 1000 cable for about $10...and that STILL was a significant markup above cost. Do they sound nice...yes, but not $100 worth of nice. If I had to pay more than $20 or $30 for them, I wouldn't buy them.I can make a cable that sounds better and uses better quality tip ends for about $10-$15...and I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kassanova Posted December 23, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 So, basically the general consensus is that there's a difference but not enough of a difference to warrant the high price tags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flying_Milkman Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I have 0 preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DylanWilde Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 So, basically the general consensus is that there's a difference but not enough of a difference to warrant the high price tags? It's subtle, but noticeable, and, ultimately, there are a few variables. The main issue in all of this is capacitance - its an inherent electrical quality of cables that gradually acts like a capacitor on the signal. It builds up along with cable length and tends to be far more abundant in cheaper cables, whereas more high quality cables are constructed in order to avoid it. Capacitance rolls off the high frequencies and creates a slightly boosted "notch" in the midrange, which then reduces bass response in proportion that frequency bump. In any case, it gradually reduces the fidelity and frequency spread of your signal : if you want a clear, flat, true, hi-fi response from your pickups, then you want as little and as high quality cable as possible. BUT, SRV used coiled cables to give his sound a slight mid boost and round out the high end of his strats. One famous story goes that he literally told his amp tech that high quality cables from Monster (which are, honestly, not even very good) "passed too much electricity. . ." and had him buy cheap, coiled audio cables from a local Radioshack to do a recording session. Jimi also used cheap telephone cord-style coiled cables. So did Paul Kossoff, Marc Bolan, etc.. If you want to change the frequency response of your guitar, maybe boost a certain midrange and intentionally take away fidelity and high end, then try some cheaper or longer lengths of cable. Using cheaper cables with more capacitance can be likened to using a tubescreamer or old school treble booster - it will boost mids and take away high end and bass detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteinbergerHack Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 There are three things you pay for when you buy a cable: 1) Quality construction and reliability 2) High-quality components and cable 3) Name and marketing BS Of these, number (3) will cost you the most, and won't provide ANYTHING of value. From a sound standpoint, a cable can't make any instrument sound "better". It can only degrade the sound. Now, the degradation can come in several forms: 1) Mechanical noise. This can be from a loose-fitting connector, poor solfer joints, or microphonics in a cheap coax cable. 2) Induced noise. This comes from poorly-shielded cable. 3) High-frequency rolloff (sounding muddy or muffled). This comes from a cable that has too much capacitance. 4) Cable failure. This can come from cheap components or shoddy constrution. Remember that a lifetime warranty doesn't mean squat when you have a failure in stage in front of a huge crowd or in the middle of an expensive studio session. In the end, a well-constructed cable made from a good coax and good connectors will give long service and excellent sound quality. You don't have to pay a lot for this. In fact, I have seen an awful lot of very expensive cables that actually did a very poor job, and were marketed as being "jazz" cables (i.e., trying to sell the high-frequency loss as being worth something:facepalm:). My personal favorites are Whirlwind "The Leader" cables. I have several that have lasted through decades of heavy use and still sound great. I refuse to let anything from Monster come into my house, and I won't allow any of their cables to be connected to my sound gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteinbergerHack Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Capacitance rolls off the high frequencies and creates a slightly boosted "notch" in the midrange, which then reduces bass response in proportion that frequency bump. Ummm....no. A cable can't "boost" anything - it's not physically possible. If you think this is the case, than I would respectfully ask that you show us how this can be done - equations derived from Faraday's laws would suffice. Any 2nd-year EE student knows this can't be the case. If you happen to LIKE a muddy sound, that's great. I would strongly suggest, however, that it makes a LOT more sense to use a good, predictable cable that doesn't degrade the signal, then use the amp and guitar to control the tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DylanWilde Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Granted these are trying to sell their {censored}:http://www.aqdi.com/cablecap.htmhttp://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2009/03/capacitance-what-is-it-and-how-does-it.htmlhttp://www.lavacable.com/cable101.htmlFrom what I've read, that accentuated and slight frequency bump appears to be factual. Maybe I'm informed incorrectly, and I agree it does seem unlikely that a passive device can create a boost of any sort (only degrade and reduce frequency response), but it seems to be the case from what limited resources there are on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Parah Salin Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I do notice a difference between cords but not enough to justify the high price of some. When shopping for cords I just pick out the ones with lifetime warranties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SteinbergerHack Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Granted these are trying to sell their {censored}: http://www.aqdi.com/cablecap.htmhttp://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2009/03/capacitance-what-is-it-and-how-does-it.htmlhttp://www.lavacable.com/cable101.htmlFrom what I've read, that accentuated and slight frequency bump appears to be factual. Maybe I'm informed incorrectly, and I agree it does seem unlikely that a passive device can create a boost of any sort (only degrade and reduce frequency response), but it seems to be the case from what limited resources there are on the subject. Bull.Stop relying on sales literature and read an engineering or physics text. An entry-level AC Circuits book will show you why this is a bunch of marketing hooey. [Edit: Your second link included this statement that seems to be a bit more accurate:Some manufacturers design cables with a sound in mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musikerochan Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 eh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eor Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 do they sound better? yes. will you notice with a full band, on stage or in the studio? probably not. will anyone other than you notice? no. love,eor durability is another matter, but that's the gist of it. find something that won't break and it is probably good enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members L_Z_nut Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I've had the same 2 Yorkville tweed cables for almost 5yrs now, and they're still going strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Trick Fall Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I had a Dimarzio tweed cable that lasted twelve years a lot of which was spent on beer soaked stages and when it finally broke it was because my strap slipped and the guitar hit the floor cable first which sheared the cable. They aren't super expensive either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AnderMocs Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I've got some lava cables i've been using for two years now. They work fine. I don't buy cables for sound, I buy for durability. A well built cable that will last is probably gonna sound good by proxy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jon Hiller Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 Granted these are trying to sell their {censored}: http://www.aqdi.com/cablecap.htmhttp://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2009/03/capacitance-what-is-it-and-how-does-it.htmlhttp://www.lavacable.com/cable101.html From what I've read, that accentuated and slight frequency bump appears to be factual. Maybe I'm informed incorrectly, and I agree it does seem unlikely that a passive device can create a boost of any sort (only degrade and reduce frequency response), but it seems to be the case from what limited resources there are on the subject. I would submit that maybe that chart doesn't take into account the actual frequency response of the original source, and that what you see as a bump in the mids is actually maybe just that the mids are about the only part of the spectrum that isn't rolled off a bit by the lesser quality wire. Technically it IS impossible for a passive cable to boost a signal, but that doesn't mean it can't roll highs and lows off enough to give you the impression of boosted mids... I usually use Horizon cables, I have a couple of their vintage cables with the woven outer insulation, and I have some of their standard cables, and I also have one of their higher end cables that used to be called the Steve Vai signature cable. Honestly, I can't really hear any difference between them, but I haven't ever seriously compared with the intent of trying to hear a difference, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lilbassdude Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 I can make a cable that sounds better and uses better quality tip ends for about $10-$15...and I do. So what do you use to make your own cables?(question extended to everyone else too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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