The job of a guitar cable is to carry the fragile electric current that your pickups get from the strings to your amp. It may seem like a simple job, but there are all sorts of problems that can get in your signal’s way. Poor connectors, cheap cores, and lack of insulation are all going to create a major loss in signal and in sound quality. When jamming at home or practicing with your band you can usually get away with having a crappy guitar cable, but when you don’t want to sound like that when you have an audience!

As your cable gets longer it becomes more important that it’s made from high quality materials. A cheap guitar cable is prone to signal loss as soon as the current leaves the guitar, and the problem is compounded by longer cables. My practice cables are short since I’m not really doing anything other than playing. My live cables are much longer (30 feet+) so that I can move the stage. It’s worth every penny to buy a high quality guitar cable when you’re dealing with those kind of lengths.

Should you use a straight or right angle guitar cable? There’s a ton of debate around this topic. It’s really a matter of preference, but there are a few solid rules to go by. First, the amp side of the cable should be straight. This will help signal flow at that crucial point and you don’t have to worry too much about your amp getting smacked and breaking the cable. As for the guitar side, if your input jack is perpendicular to the body of the guitar you should use a right angle. Having a straight cable jutting out of the front of a guitar is a recipe to get it broken. If you have a jack that’s recessed into the front a straight cable fits a little better. Input jacks on the guitar’s sides can use either. Fender Telecasters almost always have to have a straight connector because the right angle ones won’t fit into their deep jacks.

Now that you know a bit more about your guitar cable choices you can make a much more educated decision on which is right for you. Save money with your practice cables so you can spend it on your live and recording ones. Spend the money when your sound really counts!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It wasn’t too long ago when most guitarists and bassists weren’t convinced that their cable choices had an effect on their tone. In my opinion, this is because they were too worried about making them last more than a few gigs! Materials and building practices have certainly improved over the last decade or so. Now guitar cables produce much truer sound and last years, instead of weeks.

The best guitar cable is going to be one that is made from a high quality material, like copper, that is thoroughly insulated from interference, has a strong construction that won’t break at the jacks, and (most importantly) you can afford. There are cables that are going to sound like a million bucks, but cost well over $150 for a 20 foot length! That might be the best cable, but I’m not going to be able to afford it!

The ultimate goal of a guitar cable is to move the signal from your guitar to your amp as smooth as possible. Unfortunately, there are thousands of things that can impede that signal along the way. Everything from the cable’s construction to the wiring of the building you’re in will affect the signal and ultimately your tone.

Construction materials of guitar cables will produce different tones. The core’s material has a much more dramatic affect than the end’s material. For example, copper will produce more authentic highs than any alloy will, but gold or nickel plated ends don’t make a big tonal difference. The insulation material will help prevent interference from radio, your amp, and shoddy electrical work. Insulation separates the positive and negative signals inside the cable. Common high quality insulators are PVC and other polymers.

While it’s impossible to pick the best guitar cable what you can do is head down to your local guitar shop and play a bunch on a setup that is similar to yours. You’ll know it when you hear it, and then come back to the web and buy it for a fraction of the price that you would inside the store!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.