Members datru Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Can I temporarily use an instrument cable as a speaker cable (between amp head and cab) without damaging anything? What is the difference anyway? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JR13 Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 its a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 At low volume it would work. The difference is the thickness of the conductors and therefore amount of current it can carry. Speaker cables carry about 100 times as much current as instrument cables. Depends what amp it is as to what it will take with it when it fails, but worst case it starts a fire which spreads to neighbouring houses, tiggers a wildfire and kills thousands of people. If you don't have speaker cable, use some mains cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EllenGtrGrl Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 I wouldn't recommend it. Even with an amp running at 5 watts, you can burn out the instrument cable. If you're using a tube amp, this little event can do a number on the output transformer. It is also a possible fire hazard, when the cable burns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members datru Posted June 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Depends what amp it is as to what it will take with it when it fails, but worst case it starts a fire which spreads to neighbouring houses, tiggers a wildfire and kills thousands of people. I wish you had posted sooner, now I have a lot of very angry neighbors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 I wish you had posted sooner, now I have a lot of very angry neighbors. Oh well. You survived, that's the most important thing. I guess. Actually, how's the amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 The difference is the thickness of the conductors and therefore amount of current it can carry. Speaker cables carry about 100 times as much current as instrument cables.That's not really... Speaker cables are unshielded with two conductors, with the tip and ring connected to individual, insulated conductors. Instrument cables are a shielded cable with the tip as an insulated signal wire and ring as shield surrounding it. Speaker cables can be super thin, instrument cables can be super thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 That's not really...Speaker cables are unshielded with two conductors, with the tip and ring connected to individual, insulated conductors.Instrument cables are a shielded cable with the tip as an insulated signal wire and ring as shield surrounding it.Speaker cables can be super thin, instrument cables can be super thick.ordinarily, instrument cables are 22-24 gauge and speaker cables are 10-18 gauge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 That's not really...Speaker cables are unshielded with two conductors, with the tip and ring connected to individual, insulated conductors.Instrument cables are a shielded cable with the tip as an insulated signal wire and ring as shield surrounding it.Speaker cables can be super thin, instrument cables can be super thick. So what? The only important difference, when used as a speaker cable is the thickness of the conductors. How you configure those conductors makes no difference. That IS important when used as an instrument cable because you need the shielding to prevent noise, don't need to carry much current and have to be careful about the reactive impedance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wayne2 Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Instrument cable plugged into speaker out: Lots of current through a thin wire produces heat like inside a toaster. Melt the insulation enough and the two wires can touch, creating a short circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarman3001 Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 [video=youtube;IHZbDsP6n6I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 http://www.fender.com/en-DE/news/index.php/?display_article=458 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arr0wHead Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 I'm just here to see the guy fry his amp while the rest of you argue semantics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarman3001 Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 http://www.fender.com/en-DE/news/index.php/?display_article=458 An instrument cable (in cross section, above) is designed to handle low power and high impedance; a speaker cable (in cross section, below) is designed to handle high power and low impedance the impedance is another factor you need to be concerned about. Read this entire link. Or burn yer house down with you in it. I don't really give a flyin' {censored}. It's your house and your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Doctor Morbius Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 I sure wouldn't try it with my gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 ordinarily, instrument cables are 22-24 gauge and speaker cables are 10-18 gauge. You've never seen surround speaker sets that come with those tiny wires? They are just as much speaker cables as the 10 gauge stuff. I have a few speaker wires that look like this ending at a 1/4" jack. I wish more speaker cables were built like that, so you could easily tell which is which. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members datru Posted June 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Oh well. You survived, that's the most important thing. I guess.Actually, how's the amp? Not sure if you are joking or asking. I didn't try it, since I did indeed wait for responses. Or are you asking about my new VHT Standard 12? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrawnHeed Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Thanks, you're a true friend. Not sure if you are joking or asking. I didn't try it, since I did indeed wait for responses. Or are you asking about my new VHT Standard 12? I was joking. But now I'm interested in how you like that amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Arr0wHead Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Thanks, you're a true friend. Point is, the answer is no. You should not use instrument cable for connecting and amplifier to a speaker. Let these guys debate the why or why not of it, and just take away one important fact - that new output transformer will cost several hundred dollars, and it will fry in about 10 seconds if that instrument cable or the load isn't enough. Is it worth that 10 seconds of playing time to risk it? Buy two new speaker cables. One so you can play, and one so you have a backup so you're not tempted to use a guitar cable next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members datru Posted June 16, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 I was joking. But now I'm interested in how you like that amp. I've had tweed amp GAS for a while. When Amazon blew these out I jumped. I really like it. Very responsive, sounds great clean and dirty, takes pedals well. It is loud, louder than my HRD, and has a late break up. Also, it hisses a bit at idle, not bad, but noticeable. Just for kicks, I'm going to try some tube swapping later to see what changes. Great speaker, hand-wired in USA, it's a good value, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GilmourD Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 Here's a good explanation as to why you should NOT use an instrument cable as a speaker cable. http://www.fender.com/news/index.php?display_article=458 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grumphh Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 If you are in a hurry, just unsolder the jacks from your spare instrument cable and solder them to a bit of standard household lamp cord. Sounds every bit as good as a coathanger or the most refined high end speaker wire absurd amounts of money can buy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Belva Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 If you are in a hurry, just unsolder the jacks from your spare instrument cable and solder them to a bit of standard household lamp cord.Sounds every bit as good as a coathanger or the most refined high end speaker wire absurd amounts of money can buy... This times a bazillion. Lamp cord is as good as anything. It's all I'll use because I'm a cheap b@$t@#d. If anybody tries to tell you any different, tell 'em they don't know WFT they're talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verne Andru Posted June 16, 2012 Members Share Posted June 16, 2012 When I worked for a stereo store back in the 70's lamp cord was the standard, regardless the power it was pushing. Monster cable came along for the cork-sniffers [and I did notice a difference] but the bulk of the installs were standard unshielded lamp chord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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