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As guitarists and bassists, most of our major purchases go towards amps, pedals and other gear, often overlooking what’s connecting it all together: cables.
Cheap and low-quality cables might get the basic job done, but can start to cause problems and wear down in the long run. Plugs often get bent, ends become loose, and wires inside start to either fray or drop the connection. Having to tighten the cable up or adjust it every time you play can get annoying, particularly if you’re performing, as having the sound cutting out in the middle of a song just isn’t an option. A reliable and durable cable should be an important part of your setup.
Sterling By Music Man Mariposa Guitar, Daphne Blue W/ Gig Bag, Cable & Cloth
Style: A cable with an angled 90ยบ plug is a great attribute to go for if you’re worried about keeping your 1/4″ jack intact, or from popping out of the amp mid-performance. Similarly, a sealed-up tip, as opposed to the screw-on type, can provide a more solid and steadier feel, and take rougher treatment on the road. Having some textured crimping on the jack’s end can help secure it in place too when plugged in to a preamp, pedal or regular amp.
Material: Strength and durability matters for the body of the cable itself as well. A simple, flimsy plastic or rubber casing can’t stand up to constant contorting, and will eventually tear open, exposing the wires inside. A cable with tough stitching acts as an outer shell or exoskeleton, and is the way to go if you know it’ll need to take a beating like getting shoved into the van nightly with other gear stacked on top of it (an easily untangle-able cable will save you headaches too).
Length: Length is something to keep in mind. While it doesn’t necessarily affect the sound quality as long as it’s a well-built cable, a too-short cord can be physically limiting, and tether you close to your amp. Get some extra slack, so you’ve got room to move around and get comfortable, especially on stage.
Vox Vgs Rock Guitar/bass Cable (9.8', Black) Vgs030bk B&h Photo
Components: What’s inside counts too. Oxygen-free copper is common, due to its slightly higher conductivity, durability, and resistance to shorting out. It’s also less likely to corrode, and offers some protection from interferences. With a cheaper cable, you’re more likely to get humming and buzzing, while a higher-end cable’s materials give more protection against unwanted signals and noises.
Sound: Finally, last but definitely not least, sound. It may be hard to notice on some of the more common cables, but different builds and brands bring out varying parts of the sound spectrum, some with a focus on mid-range, others on bass or high-end. The ideal one for you is what works best with the style you want to play, and the tone you ultimately want to replicate.
Guitarists might be familiar with them for use as smaller patch cables, but the full-length ones deliver just as well, coming through with crisp clarity and low noise thanks to the high quality pure copper center.
Monster Prolink Bass Instrument Cable
Built with Mogami 2524 wire and Neutrik NP2RX-B ¼ Inch gold plating, the cable contains a 4% silver solder blend made with a nitrogen-assisted soldering process that’s unique to the company. It’s a best bet for bringing the best sound from your instrument to the amp, and staying within your band’s budget too (though if you want to spring for a pricier model, there are plenty of options).
GLS has created a cable that’s tough enough for daily use, flexible for freely moving around the stage, and sounds great too.
They’re protected with a conductive PVC shield as well as an oxygen-free copper insulated shield, and have a nicely low Picofarad rating (the ability of a body to store an electrical charge, where lower is better) at only 38pf.
Sx Pb Style Electric Bass Guitar Pack W/15 Watt Amp Black Sb2skb
They’re also equipped with external and internal rubber heat shrink strain reliefs, as well as a metal clamp strain relief, beefing up its durability and performance to last you years with regular usage.
D’Addario is one of the top producers of musical gear in the world, and has been at it since 1974, though the founding family started making strings as far back as the late 1600s.
Their American Stage collection is specifically designed for the rigors of being on the road, setting up and tearing down every night, with 100% shielded coverage and 95% tinned copper braiding to cut unwanted noises down. The helio-fused soldering sets a strong ground connection, increasing the cable’s durability against wear and tear, while the gold-plated patented Geo-Tip design helps lock in a more stable grip to whatever it’s plugged into.
Best Guitar Cables For Bass: Try These Instrument Cables Now
Signal transfer is crisp too, with low interference so just the tone of your instrument shines through. Plus it’s made in the USA, and guaranteed for life. This is a 10-foot cable though other sizes are available.
Monoprice’s cable does more than just get the job done. Gold-plated connectors at each tip are smooth and corrosion-free, with a straight 1/4″ TS plug at one end and one right-angle 1/4″ TS plug at the other. The blue-braided cloth jacket protects the body all over (and is also aesthetically pleasing too), significantly more so than a plastic coating.
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Amazon.com: Jolgoo 1/4 Inch Cable Guitar Cable 10 Ft Straight To Right Angle 1/4 Inch 6.35mm Plug Bass Keyboard Instrument Cable Blue And Black Tweed Cloth Jacket, Electric Mandolin, Pro Audio
Fantasia Returns: The 'American Idol' Winner on Turning Down Oprah, Surviving an Overdose and Acting Her Heart Out in 'The Color Purple'Guitar cables and instrument cables may not be the flashiest part of your rig, but they undoubtedly do the behind-the-scenes work and are a critical and often overlooked link in your sound chain.
While players are always looking for the perfect bass and amp, often going to great lengths to find the best design, woods, weight, and wattage, they often overlook instrument cables.
Over the years we have had the opportunity to test out cables, as well as talk with many bass players about their gear, including the types of instrument cables they use to get their sound. Our ‘best of’ list comes from those conversations and in-house tests.
Boss Bic 25 Instrument Cable, 25ft Straight/straight
We had the pleasure of interviewing Asterope’s Dariush Rad, the President and CEO ofAsterope Premium Audio Cables. This guy KNOWS his stuff! In the video, Dariush shared information on signal optimization and the scientific details that go into the Asterope line.
Asterope MI and Pro Audio cables feature unique technology that delivers unsurpassed performance, with an aesthetic and rugged design.All audio cables are built with a unique architectural structure, are made with extremely pure conductive materials, and undergo a series of proprietary processes to reduce the overall noise bed created by “arcing“. These unique designs, materials, and processes help maximize signal inductance and the fluidity of electron flow, preserving the integrity of the data (sonic) packets being delivered by the wire.
If you don’t know Keith Stickney, owner of Tsunami Cables, you need to! We have covered Tsunami extensively over the years and know that Keith is a great guy who builds a VERY solid product, including custom options.
Do Expensive Guitar Cables Really Sound Better?
Tsunami Cables are designed to eliminate the need for having two sets of audio cables (an industry standard). Using a cable for studio recording and another for the road. Our cables are designed to handle both the road and the studio.
We had the opportunity to cover Rattlesnake at the 2020 Winter NAMM show. They take pride that their cables are milled in the United States and are hand assembled in Missoula, Montana.
Founder Hank Donovan, “I hate cables that tend to be noisy due to poor shielding or worse, cease to work due to the shielding being weak or easily broken. The cables we use have a strong heavily braided copper shielding with 95% coverage. This makes the cable super heavy duty… and quiet!”
Electric Bass Guitar 5 Strings Full Size P Bass India
We recently had the pleasure of doing a video interview with “Ace of Cups” Bassist Denise Kaufman, who sang the praises of Cordial Cables. Andrew Gouche is also an endorsee,
All CORDIAL cables are custom designed. The technical design of the individual cable types and the choice of materials react, for example, to the rigors of everyday stage work to the same degree as the high-end demands of recording studios.
Founded in 1992, Analysis Plusis a scientific research and design company now focused primarily on two markets: Music and Pro Audio industries and high-end Home Audio.
Review: Iconic Sound Lightlead
The PJB BI-12 Shielded Bass Cable has not only one shielded cable but three. By the combination of carefully chosen materials such as 99.999% oxygen-free pure copper and PTFE die-electric insulation, the BI-12 unleashes the true tone from your bass and gives you a whole new experience. The PJB 4′ Speaker Cable (SS-4) has the lowest possible internal resistance for efficient power transfer.
GREAT back-story… Lava Cable creator and founder Mark Stoddarddeployed to Afghanistan with a U.S. Army Special Forces Battalionas a Detachment Commander within weeks offorming his new company in June 2004. Excited about getting his business up and running, he took a roll of Canare GS-6
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