Interesting cable design

[greiswig]

A friend of mine showed me a guitar cable that he'd made that was pretty strange. It basically is a two-conductor shielded cable. Conductor one is the tip. At the "Amp end," the shield and the second conductor are connected to sleeve. At the "guitar end," only the second conductor hooks up to sleeve...he "doesn't want signal riding on the sleeve."

The tip conductor is several wires of individually-insulated copper, "maximizing the skin effect."

We compared it to a cheesy cable I have, and it did sound better. 'Course the cheesy cable was longer, and I usually use a Bill Lawrence low-cap cable instead, but...I was trying to make him feel better for several hours worth of work he'd obviously done. Didn't compare it against the better cable.

Anyway, wondering if anyone here has heard of such a grounding scheme in particular, and if there is any merit whatsoever to it?

Boots on,

[billyz]

That is a fairly common method of shielding in Hi end audio cables and does work.

[Structo]

Interesting if not a bit unconverntional.

How is the guitar grounded so it doesn't hum?

[Cliff Schecht]

There are 2 conductors AND an outer foil/shield. One conductor is signal, the other is ground and the shield only gets connected to one side of the cable, the other side is left floating. In effect, you have that huge shield in the cable acting as to keep out external noise. I think using the two inner conductors as opposed to the inner conductor and shield would decrease overall capacitance as well.

[selloutrr]

Just have to point out that this works in a perminant install such as hi fi. And yes it will still conduct signal on a guitar cord because you have the basic requirement to operate an isolated hot and a ground completing the circuit. Though if your friend was to hook that cable up backwards he just introduced an antenna for every am radio signal in a 20 mile radius. Make sure you mark which end is which.

[greiswig]

Just have to point out that this works in a perminant install such as hi fi. And yes it will still conduct signal on a guitar cord because you have the basic requirement to operate an isolated hot and a ground completing the circuit. Though if your friend was to hook that cable up backwards he just introduced an antenna for every am radio signal in a 20 mile radius. Make sure you mark which end is which.

Actually, that was one of the interesting things about it: I did try it backward to see the effect, and there wasn't one...just as quiet in either direction. Almost made me wonder if he'd miswired something, because I expected the same thing: an antenna being made out of the shield.

Thanks for the info, all!

[selloutrr]

might have just been lucky and not pointing in the right direction.

maybe you needed to be standing on one foot?

[jaysg]

There have been discussions of directional guitar cords at the Gear Page. Iirc, the Lava cable guy usually chimes in.

[Aurora]

Actually, that was one of the interesting things about it: I did try it backward to see the effect, and there wasn't one...just as quiet in either direction. Almost made me wonder if he'd miswired something, because I expected the same thing: an antenna being made out of the shield.

Thanks for the info, all!

The antenna issue is partly urban myth....unless you are in a fairly strong noise filed.
The general spec for a cable like this is to connect the screen at the send end - in this case the guitar end.....
This may - or may not- be an improvement, in some cases.....