Ultra-noober question

[texas twelve]

I am getting my son a bass combo for Christmas. He already has a 12 inch Carvin speaker in a box that I want to use for an extension cab.

 

Danger, warning, ultra-noob question follows: Are instrument cables OK for this, or do I need to use P.A. type speaker cable? Or something else?

[Mudbass]

Instrument cables are not OK to use for speaker connections. Speaker cable is what you want. The wire in instrument cables is only about 22 gauge, much too thin for speaker outputs.

[Kindness]

Despite being basic, it is a good question. The answer is easy to remember, instruments connect with instrument cables and speakers connect with speaker cables. They often look the same, but they in fact different. You need a speaker cable.

[ThudMaker]

I am getting my son a bass combo for Christmas. He already has a 12 inch Carvin speaker in a box that I want to use for an extension cab. Danger, warning, ultra-noob question follows: Are instrument cables OK for this, or do I need to use P.A. type speaker cable? Or something else?

Not knowing the wattage of the combo amp, I'd suggest you will want a 12 gauge speaker cable, 14 gauge minimum, IMHO. Definitely not an instrument cable.

[D Aussie]

 

Despite being basic, it is a good question. The answer is easy to remember, instruments connect with instrument cables and speakers connect with speaker cables. They often look the same, but they in fact different. You need a speaker cable.

 

And wasnt I reminded of that suddenly and quickly the other day when I accidentally used a speaker lead to run from preamp (pod) to power amp.

Gear was feeding back like a bitch!

Ah!

Speaker cable, is not shielded.

 

While on the subject...

Footswitches, the single button ones that come with amps, should they be speaker leads or instrument leads.

[texas twelve]

Super thanks for the quick and helpful replies! Would ya'all suggest buying the cable locally or ordering something from MF or such?

[Kindness]

I would use Bayou Cable online.

[Mudbass]

 

Super thanks for the quick and helpful replies! Would ya'all suggest buying the cable locally or ordering something from MF or such?

 

 

 

Local is fine. There's no magic to speaker cables as long as they're heavy enough for the load.

[Johnny_Crab]

OK question for a great Dad.

Above answers are correct.

 

While on the subject... Footswitches, the single button ones that come with amps, should they be speaker leads or instrument leads.

Most of these are two-wire "click on, click off" type switches in the footswitch. The last one I had to fix(yeah, another task we get sometimes) used what appeared to be 18 gauge wire(2 of them) with a gray PVC jacket around the pair. I'd check the jack on the amp end to make sure it isn't 3 wire or something. If it's a regular 1/4" jack(the end looks like the one below):

 

then it's a two-wire as described above.

 

If it looks like this 1/4" TRS jack at the amp end:

 

then it may be some other mutant switching scheme. If it IS the TRS type, either find a wiring diagram or call the factory or take the original cable apart to see how it was/is wired.