THE BEST GUITAR CABLE
Jump on any gear forum and you’re bound to see debates about “the best guitar cable”. There are myriad claims, “information” and people will fight to the virtual death over issues like capacitance, tone suck, conductive plating, directional current, tone, presence and the ever important cryogenically frozen reverse oxidized double spec phase inverted technology! Needless to say, it can be overwhelming. I get it, you care about your guitar tone and you want the best tool for it. I care about tone as well and I’m here to help. You know what else I care about? I care about durability. I care that my cable is going to work every single time in any situation. I don’t ever want to have to think about my cable. I just want to plug it in, play some music and literally
never dedicate a single shred of mental energy to worrying about a cable not working. In fact, I would go so far as to say, that if you’re thinking about your cables while you’re supposed to be playing music, then you’re doing it wrong. But first… Let’s back this crazy train up and learn some basics. There are essential 3 different types of cables involved in the signal path of your guitar rig. These are instrument cables, patch cables and speaker cables. We’ll lump effects loop cables in with instrument cables since they are practically serving the same purpose. You might have a pedal on your rig that has an XLR involved but this isn’t part of the chain that manages your proverbial tone. Also, I’m a guitarist and I will be referring to guitar rigs in relation to these cables but the same ideas can be applied to any passive instrument and much can be applied to active instruments as well. Instrument Cables: One end goes in the guitar jack. The other goes into your amp or first pedal in the chain etc. These cables are unbalanced (as opposed to a 3 conductor balanced mic cable) and generally have two conductors. The center conductor is surrounded by the ground. This shields from EMF (electric and magnetic fields) and RF (radio frequencies). The conductors in instrument cables are typically a very small gauge. The signal generated by the magnetic output of a pickup is minimal and you don’t need much to carry it along the line. Also, thin conductors make for flexible cables that are nice to use. Instrument cables typically have a thick insulator to protect it from wear and tear. The outside diameter of a cable has no bearing on the gauge of the center conductors. It’s just rubber or plastic molded around the conductor to protect it. So what makes the best guitar cable? Read on!
Patch Cables: These work on the exact same two conductor principle as an instrument cable but they are designed to be small and compact. The idea behind these is to connect a chain of pedals while keeping things neat. Many brands of patch cables have a very thin insulator (the rubber stuff on the outside). This is simply because they aren’t going to be experiencing much movement and don’t need to be durable like a guitar cable that’s getting dragged around and stepped on. Speaker Cables: These are an entirely different cable. They are not shielded like an instrument cable, are a larger gauge than a guitar cable and they are designed to carry much more current. How much current you ask? Well, I could tell you a story of the time I licked the end of a monitor cable in hopes of discovering if any signal was coming through. We had a dead monitor on stage and we didn’t know if it was getting signal from the amps. I thought to myself, “I wonder if I could feel it, like a 9V battery, if licked it.”. Turns out the sound guy had cranked the track he was playing up through that mix at the same time I licked it. It was at maximum power amp output and you guessed it, I zapped the living hell out of my tongue. This was circa 1998 and I still remember it vividly. So yeah… Speaker cables are designed to carry a lot of current. Do not use them for a guitar cable and vice versa. Also, don’t lick them.
SALVAGE CUSTOM PEDALBOARD
Ok Daniel, that’s neat and all but what about tone!?! Well kids I’ll tell you. Line level cables (instrument and patch) do in fact affect your tone. I’ve tried it and you can absolutely tell a difference between most cables. Granted, that difference is extremely minimal and the subtleties would be 110% irrelevant in nearly every practical application but hey… You can hear
it. Like I said, I’ve tried it. I made 6 different cables from different brands of wire and tested them against the 8 or so high end cables I have in the collection. (Mogami, Lava, Planet Waves, Evidence Audio, Canare, Monster, Fender etc.) Shoot, I even took them up to David Ryan Harris’s studio and we geeked out for a couple hours trying different cables with different guitars into different amps. Our conclusion: Yeah… There’s a subtle difference I guess… What is the difference between different brands of guitar cables? Here it is:Subtleties. High end content is the easiest to hear and theres is a subtle difference in presence from cable to cable (Or maybe I was just drinking the Kool Aid while testing). The point is, it’s so damn subtle that there’s no practical application. Not to mention the fact that, once your signal hits the first active circuit of your signal chain the signal is converted from a high impedance signal to a lower impedance signal and all nuance is wiped out. Example: Your tuner first in the chain. Yep, your tuner alone completely turns the great cable debate into a moot point. Literally, the only time ANYONE can tell a difference in cable tone is in a controlled environment like a studio plugged directly into an amp. Even then, it’s very minimal. As another nail in the coffin, many people prefer a darker tone and would have zero benefit from pristinely maintained high end. In other words, a crusty old coiled cable from Radio Shack might be a better choice for your overall tone. There is no “right way” to do it, just your way. Here are the benchmarks for the best guitar cable. • •
It passes signal It’s durable
That’s pretty much it. Any cable that will consistently pass signal and won’t break down is a good cable. You get bonus points for having a cool looking
cable but really all you need is something that will last. I’ve had discussions with guys who are happy to buy a $25 cable with a lifetime warranty and keep replacing it when it dies. To me, that makes no sense. I very often play guitar for money. I could never, in good continence, show up to a gig with gear that I know may break down. I mean seriously people. You’re playing a song and the last thing anyone hears of you is the delay and verb trails proclaiming the dying moments of your piece of crap cable. I can hear it now! *CRACKLE
SALVAGE CUSTOM INTEX CABLE
I personally use the American Stage series for my guitar to my pedalboard. I really like the jack design, it’s very high quality and wraps easily and the right angle plug works for my Jaguar and SG front mounted jacks. Since the Jag is my main jam it’s just easier to use the American Stage. Wondering why I’m not praising a Salvage cable that I sell? Because I’m just being real with you. Don’t get me wrong. I love Intex Cables. They are simply the most durable cable in the universe, they look damn sexy, and they were my favorite in the sound quality tests we ran. They just had a nice balanced vibe. Naturally, that goes out the window but still… There’s a little piece of me that believes