Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

[That90'sGuy]

I'm just curious because I have a 1x12'' cabinet I'm going to be wiring up and can't find my old speaker cable. Is there anything inherently "wrong" with using guitar cable as speaker wire as long as you're using a thick gauge?

 

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

I would assume there'd be no problem if the guage was thick enough, but I really dought you have a guitar cable with a guage as thick as a speaker cable. I personally wouldn't try it. Not worth risking your amp...

 

[aleclee]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Guitar cables weren't made to handle that much current and could fail. If used with a tube amp, cable failure could take out the output transformer.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Open mouth, insert foot... found my answer here:

http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/techtips/d--02/01/2005

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Guitar cables weren't made to handle that much current and could fail. If used with a tube amp, cable failure could take out the output transformer.

Thanks alec, didn't really think about it before, but you're absolutely correct. I was thinking any thick gauge cable could work for wiring from the speaker to the mono jack, but it looks like I better wait for the right stuff.

 

[flank]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

ive used a speaker cable to connect my guitar by accident once, and it sounded really bad. I asssume the opposite would produce a similar result

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

if it's short enough ,and thick enough (average monster cable ,klotz etc)there is no danger.But if it begins to get thinner ,longer ,and you push it hard ,you can cause harm to your nice equipment!

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Go to Wal-mart and buy some replacement lamp cord. It is the cheapest most effective speaker cable available.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Go to Wal-mart and buy some replacement lamp cord. It is the cheapest most effective speaker cable available.

No way, I call BS. Is lamp cord actually beefy enough to handle it?

I've got some Radio Shack speaker cable floating around, I'll probably just use that, have to find it first though

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Pops wouldn't lie to you, bro.

Shielding is an issue with misusing cables as well.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Scott is right, lampcord is just fine!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

he called you pops, ya old fart he he he!


if you wanna see something cool, use a cheap guitar cord with a powerful amp cranked up. i watched a crown ce4000 blow one of its trannys in a spectacular puff of smoke due to the guy using a guitar cable as a speaker cord. the shielding melted between the ground and the signal wires, shorting the cable.

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

if you wanna see something cool, use a cheap guitar cord with a powerful amp cranked up. i watched a crown ce4000 blow one of its trannys in a spectacular puff of smoke due to the guy using a guitar cable as a speaker cord. the shielding melted between the ground and the signal wires, shorting the cable.

On a related note, I used to work in a car stereo store, as an installer. A buddy of mine had a 1000w RMS amp that he used to drive his subs. And yes it really was 1000w, not one of those cheapos that claim to be 1000w. (it was a fosgate power 1000 back when their amps actually produced more power than they said they did)
Anyways, we used to like hooking up factory speakers that were headed to the trash to it. Never got old.
Better than that, we had a cheap 100w sub, and we spliced an extension cord to it, and plugged it into the wall. Instant 60Hz 3000w power. It almost jumped off the bench (it wasnt in a box) and then the voice coil melted. It was completely seized up. That was fun.

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

No way, I call BS. Is lamp cord actually beefy enough to handle it?

I've got some Radio Shack speaker cable floating around, I'll probably just use that, have to find it first though

I use 12 gage braided wire to make speaker cables that I want most of the time.

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

On a related note, I used to work in a car stereo store, as an installer. A buddy of mine had a 1000w RMS amp that he used to drive his subs. And yes it really was 1000w, not one of those cheapos that claim to be 1000w. (it was a fosgate power 1000 back when their amps actually produced more power than they said they did)
Anyways, we used to like hooking up factory speakers that were headed to the trash to it. Never got old.
Better than that, we had a cheap 100w sub, and we spliced an extension cord to it, and plugged it into the wall. Instant 60Hz 3000w power. It almost jumped off the bench (it wasnt in a box) and then the voice coil melted. It was completely seized up. That was fun.

You guys know how to have fun. Good thing you're not in the military. Imagine: "we had this really big...."

It must be a beautiful sound when a speaker goes in spectacular fashion!

 

[devastone]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

No way, I call BS. Is lamp cord actually beefy enough to handle it?

No BS, Scott wouldn't lie to you. Lamp cord and regular 16 or so gauge speaker wire are basically the same stranded copper wire.

 

[RW James]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

Lamp cord would work - it will most likely be 18 gauge. I wouldn't go any thinner.

To tell you the truth, some of the really big speaker cables, I think are over-sized - but it doesn't hurt to be too big. I've used 14 and 16 gauge without and problem.

I've made my own by going to Lowe's and buying long extension cords - the ones for weed trimmers are best because you can get them in two-conductor size. I got a 100' cord for around $12 or so. Then bought some jacks at Radio Shack and made my own speaker cables. They work great and are a heck of a lot cheaper than speaker cables from the music store.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

All my amps are wired up via old Ext. cords. Need pics? Cheap and effective. Guitar cables are coaxial.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

While I recognize it isn't the "right" thing to do I used a Fender California cable that I replaced the ends on as a speaker cable on my Kustom bass amp for about 3 years. That said, it is a solid state amp.

Luke

 

[RW James]

Re: Have you guys ever used guitar cable for speakers instead of speaker cable?

At our church, someone replaced a speaker cable to one of our floor monitors with a guitar cable - it probably would have gone unnoticed except the monitor amp kept blowing a breaker - and while the sound guy was trying to track down the problem, I looked at the cable and recognized it as a Radio Shack instrument cable. We replaced it with a real speaker cable and the problem was fixed.