Best Guitar Cable

[Structo]

Sure you can spend just about any amount of money for a guitar cable.

Several years back when higher end cables became available I bought a Sommer "Spirit" cable.

It was lower capacitance than what I had been using and it just sounded more alive than a cheaper cable that seemed muffled compared to the Sommer cable.

There are a lot of great cables but I think as long as a cable has good shielding and doesn't have microphonic issues when the cable is moved, is a good cable.

But, where you can compromise is the capacitance per foot measurement.

A lower capacitance cable will let more highs through so it is a good choice
if your amp is on the dark side.

If your amp(s) tend to be on the bright side then a higher capacitance cable take some of the ice pick out of the tone.

I believe cables that are below 35pf/ft are low capacitance and above that are average or high capacitance.

The last cable I bought was the Sommer "Grindy Cop Beast".
Seriously, where do they dream up these names?

The "Beast" is a low capacitance cable and it what I use on most of my amps.

The Mogami cables are good, rugged cables and they fall in the average capacitance range.

[Littlewyan]

The two things I was most concerned about was the cable being too stiff and also too low capacitance, believe it or not. If I plug my guitar into any of my amps using short leads (6ft) it sounds terrible. Although I did once try my 30ft Bullet Coily (when it worked ) in series with a cheap 20ft cable and it lost wayyyy too much high end. In series with a 6ft lead was ok though. So any leads with 'ultra-low capacitance' (ha) weren't going to cut it I don't think.

I've ordered a Spectraflex Vintage 18ft Lead. It was only £29 + Postage which is cheap. They're supposed to be pretty dam flexible (hope so considering the name) and lots of people rave about them. It should arrive on Friday . If its a winner I may order another to go from my tuner to my amp, as sometimes I leave the tuner in the chain, but 99% of the time I just plug straight in.

[cbass]

My favorite cable is a radio shack one with gold plugs from the late 80s .

Gonna be a collectors item.

Shoot yea . I went throughal ll my cables a while back and listened to them . I had everything from cheap factory cables to new ones I had mad from mogami and canare wide. The ratshack sounded best . when I measured the capacitance it was less per foot than any other cabnle i had.

[norburybrook]

The two things I was most concerned about was the cable being too stiff and also too low capacitance, believe it or not. If I plug my guitar into any of my amps using short leads (6ft) it sounds terrible. Although I did once try my 30ft Bullet Coily (when it worked ) in series with a cheap 20ft cable and it lost wayyyy too much high end. In series with a 6ft lead was ok though. So any leads with 'ultra-low capacitance' (ha) weren't going to cut it I don't think.

I've ordered a Spectraflex Vintage 18ft Lead. It was only £29 + Postage which is cheap. They're supposed to be pretty dam flexible (hope so considering the name) and lots of people rave about them. It should arrive on Friday . If its a winner I may order another to go from my tuner to my amp, as sometimes I leave the tuner in the chain, but 99% of the time I just plug straight in.

The Van Dammed and Neutrik would have been less than half that price? Why would you buy cables when you can build amps?

Cable is £1.25 per meter and plugs are £2.50 each that's £12 for the same cable that you know will be well made as you've done it yourself.



Marcus

[Littlewyan]

Ah, where do you buy your cable from? I couldn't find it that cheap!

[norburybrook]

Ah, where do you buy your cable from? I couldn't find it that cheap!

Here you go, many colours . £1.10 /metre


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Van-Damme-XKE ... y-N9snPuUg



MC

[randalp3000]

I've been using Dimarzio cables for a few years now. I even chopped one up to wire my pedal board. I really like the sound of these, not to bright and not to dark. Made with silver solder and lifetime guarantee. US cable and ends http://www.dimarzio.com/cables/guitar/guitar-cable

[deiseldave]

When I crunched the numbers (materials, shipping, etc), I found it was going to cost me nearly as much to make cables myself, as to have them made by this guy: http://bayoucables.com/
So, I ordered some from him. When I received the cables, they were all made very well, and I have no complaints.

[Littlewyan]

Its a bit harder for me to use the last two companies listed as I'm in the UK so I'll have to pay high shipping fees and Import VAT.

What is the Van Damme cable like? Is it flexible? Or stiff? My Spectraflex cable arrived last Friday and its great. Sounds ok, not too bright, not too dark and its very flexible and not likely to catch on anything. The real test will be band practice this weekend.