What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Gearjoneser said:
IMO, the best cables are made this way. Techflex braiding keeps cables from getting tangled, looks great, makes them more durable.

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Yup, makes 'em a bit less flexible but they don't tangle, roll-up easy and look nice!
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Agileguy_101 said:
I've been using Spectraflex cables (18' and 21') for about a year now and they're excellent. They've very sturdy and they sound fine. For ~$30 a pop, they can't be beat IMO.

I did just get two 10' Planet Waves cables and they seem nice.
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+1 for Spectraflex. I have a couple of 18 footers that are about 20 years old and still going strong.
Mogami is another good brand. I have a 10 footer that has taken some abuse and hasn't failed.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I've had very good results with Dimarzio and Lava. So far I've had the Dimarzio braided instrument cable, Lava Clear Connect, Lava ELC and Lava Soar. The Soar had the least treble loss, and has the most clarity among the bunch. I stuck with the Lava ELCs because I cannot live with the stiffness of the Soar. The Dimarzio cables are great. I especially love their patch cables.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

For what it's worth, I have a 20 year old Spectraflex cable that still works and looks like new. I have several newer ones purchased in recent years and other than color I couldn't tell a difference between them in form or function.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

aleclee said:
Divine Noise for me. I was introduced to Gil when I reviewed a cable for TGP. TGP editorial policies don't allow reviewers to keep the items they review so I paid full price for it. Great components, dead quiet, and you have to love a builder whose warranty reads like this:
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gil has made me speaker, guitar and pedal cables for a couple of years now. super-great guy. and his prices are very reasonable for hand-made stuff that's guaranteed for life.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I've got a couple of Planet Waves for the longer runs, but have ended up with a whole bunch of the short Fender jobs with right angle connectors for patching pedals together. I've not found reason to complain about any of those so far.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I usually use a 20' Planet Waves circuit breaker cable from guitar to pedalboard, and then a 20' green Spectraflex from pedalboard to amp. I couldn't say if it's voodoo or cable quality, being accustomed to the lengths or what, but I feel a little different about my sound when I substitute either of those for one of the cheap cables I have lying around. These two always sound good to me. The PW was very stiff at first but after lots of jams and several gigs, it loosened up just enough to retain the stiffness I associate with a durable cable while giving me that broken-in feel. The circuit breaker switch is really great, I love being able to hit a button at the jack instead of having to put my amp on standby first.

That said, I did have to replace the PW once; I think I was little too hard on it one long weekend when boozing was involved. Popped in at Long & McQuade and voila, fresh new identical cable, and I've had no issues since that time early last year. That to me is well worth the price.

Two years ago I also ordered a whole bunch of Neutrik right-angle plugs and bulk Mogami mini cable to make some custom lengths for my effects loop. I honestly don't know if mini vs. regular size cable would make a difference, but whether these homemade cables are used in the loop or for straight guitar-to-amp, they have always sounded great. As others have said, you can seriously save a lot of cash doing it this way and the advantage is if anything ever stops working (if you step on the cable too close to the plug and it pulls the lead loose from the solder joint :P ) all you have to do is unscrew the end, resolder and you've got a fully-functioning cable again. Plus I think it's just plain fun to assemble your own cables. I like to think of it as adding mojo to your rig.

Sorry for the long post - Mogami would be a great way to get started if you'd like to try a solid, great sounding DIY project before shelling out for a pricey, higher-end cable. Oh, and, they will last, they are very flexible (even new), and dead quiet in all scenarios I've put them through.
 
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Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I love my planet waves with the little off and on button.

Other then that I prefer the ones on sale.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Mogami gold mostly, have a few Planet Waves and Whirlwind ones as well, they're mostly the higher end cables not the cheap assed **** you get in guitar shops. Noiseless, clear clarity in the tone.

The Mogami's I've had for 3 years now without any issues, been toured, gigged and recorded with and they've never let me down. Same for the PW and WW branded ones.

+1 on the lifetime guarantee, its an investment for life or at least a very long time playing guitar, I'd rather spend a bit more on one cable that I'm going to use for life rather than have to replace every 2 years.

Also very important you coil them properly so the wiring inside doesn't get mis-wired and messed up.

So I'd say buy the best you can afford.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I bought a few Monsters (the "Rock" kind) back when I started playing, and I never had any problems with them, though I've never compared them to other high-end cables. If it's true that GC isn't carrying them anymore, then I won't be buying any more of them; the free replacement policy was a critical consideration (as it should be).
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I have been using the live wire elite and they seem to be okay. They are a little thicker and less flexible but they have held up good for the last few years.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Klotz Lagrange. Accept no substitutes...ever!
67pf/m capacitance, including jacks, and fantastic build quality.
Cheap too, comparatively speaking. Much cheaper than monster etc...
I've spent some time sourcing the materials to make my own, and I can produce exact replicas for half the price.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I was always soldering my own cables = zero failure, so far. I use Klotz cables and Neutrik plugs. They will outlast me.

Also, for recording I started to like Vovox cables. They tend to open up the sound. The downfall is continuous mechanical failure, the solid wire material tends to break after the solder joint and I'm also not a fan of their plugs. The sound is great anyway.
 
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Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

I still use a couple of 1990s Whirlwinds in my live rig - they are just as good today as when I first got them. Have some Monster cables too, and use those when running sound, etc. I don't get caught up in the tone-wars - provided my guitar gets to the amp clean, I'm all set. Rock on!
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

Normally, I will use my Shure wireless system, If i need a cable, I will buy some high quality Microphone cable and some Neutrik connectors and make my own up.
 
Re: What instrument cable brand do you prefer?

DeadandBuried said:
Mogami gold mostly, have a few Planet Waves and Whirlwind ones as well, they're mostly the higher end cables not the cheap assed **** you get in guitar shops. Noiseless, clear clarity in the tone.

The Mogami's I've had for 3 years now without any issues, been toured, gigged and recorded with and they've never let me down. Same for the PW and WW branded ones.

+1 on the lifetime guarantee, its an investment for life or at least a very long time playing guitar, I'd rather spend a bit more on one cable that I'm going to use for life rather than have to replace every 2 years.

Also very important you coil them properly so the wiring inside doesn't get mis-wired and messed up.

So I'd say buy the best you can afford.
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Didn't tried the Gold one but, I did intensive comparison with lots of cables, from the cheapest to the expensivest (Vovox, Evidence The Lyric II) and, clearly Vovox and Evidence are in the top of the pyramid.
Tested with long runs and 12 pedals in a pedalboard!.
But, Mogami 2524 bulk cable is just slightly (a pinch) less defined than those two and, its price drops down very dramatically.
So, I am building my own cables with Mogami 2524 and good Neutrik jacks.
My Evidence Audio Lyric II brook very soon. My Mogami are still working flawless.
 
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