How much do your cables effect your tone?

[Barklessdog]

I was reading a cable shoot out in Guitar player and they were rating the cables for tone?

Has anyone really noticed a difference, also some of the cables were well over $100, but rated as high as $23 ones?

Do any of you guys spend over $100 for a cable?

Do cables really effect your tone?

I guess the more expensive ones are better made?

Also they had an article about the Pete Cornish buffering system vs true bypass, he was saying that true bypass in pedals was not good because of the jump in volume when you kick in the pedal. Also the fact with a try bypass, with a number of bypass pedals off turns your system into a super long signal sucking cable?

[Dave W]

The length of cable can certainly affect your tone. But otherwise I don't buy into cable manufacturers' hype, whether it's for musical instruments or home audio.

You might try googling Monster Cable vs. coat hanger.

[Chris P.]

http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/consumer/elixircables/index.html

I heard a very long and difficult story at the Messe about these new Elixir cables and I believed the guy!!! Check the link above.

I use several cables a year. They break down through all kinds of reasons. I buy normal priced ones, mostly Fenders and always for the looks!! So curly or tweed Fender cables.

[Chris P.]

I believe cables affect your sound. But not too much.

A 700 dollar bass is undoubtly double as god as a 350 dollar one. But a 1.500 isn't twice as good as a 700 dollar and a 7.000 bass isn't ten times better. Same with cables, so I use medium priced cables.

[n!k]

I get mine from Butch at www.bayoucables.com

He'll do you right for less.

[chromium]

If you can solder, cables are pretty easy to build.  You can make custom lengths that way too.

Years ago, I just bought a big spool of that Belden instrument cable.  It uses "oxygen free copper" (OFC) for minimal loss - just like Monster, etc... tout.  I used some heat shrink tubing on the ends for strain relief, and the 1/4" plugs I used were just the $1-2 ones at a local electronics parts place.  They've been working fine - I haven't had any crackiling, failures, or tone problems (that weren't self-inflicted  ).

If I was building these now, I would use Switchcraft 280 1/4" TS plugs for the interconnects.  For the synthesizer components that I build and sell, I've been buying these connectors for ~$2/ea in bulk new off Ebay.  Some places will charge $6-$10/ea for these.  I want to replace all the connectors on my cables with Switchcraft ends at some point.

[ramone57]

I get mine from Butch at www.bayoucables.com

He'll do you right for less.

Butch makes the best cables I've ever bought.   

[Barklessdog]

I have Bayou Cables as well, great cables.

[HornetAMX]

I've been using a cable made by Pete Brunelli and it has served me well for over 3 years now.  I use Monster stuff for patching and also have a Monster 500 speaker cable for my rig.  I don't like the stiffness of the Monster cables for instrument cable use though.  I may eventually go wireless for my instrument as I like having the freedom. 

[rahock]

Durability is the thing that I notice most. The real cheapos just don't seem to hold up and the stuff in the medium price range and up do. I had a set of PA cables custom made in about 1971 and they are still going strong, and they have seen outdoor use including being driven over by countless Harely Davidsons and a few cars.
As far as tone goes......I can't tell any difference

Rick

[godofthunder]

 I use Whirlwind cables made right here in Rochester NY ! My brother in law Michael owns the company. He is very generous I get all my cables DIs A/B boxes etc for free, Hey I guess that means I have a endorsement deal ! I finaly hit the big time !

[Freuds_Cat]

OK so the next question is "Can you hear a difference between cable connection and wireless connection?" 

[Chris P.]

Yes. I believe almost all wireless sets lack some low end. But Ashdown claim they found a good way to do it and there's a new system coming up, which is a bit of a secret. I read a lot about it in a special press release and I think it could be very good. I'm going to test it soon.

[rahock]

I don't have much experience with wireless hookups, but first impressions tell me you lose a little bit on both high and low ends. It seems like it can be compensated for easily enough, as long as your amp has the juice to cover the loss. The loss of lows seems most pronounced. Although it's easy to compensate, I still haven't bought one

Rick

[PhilT]

OK so the next question is "Can you hear a difference between cable connection and wireless connection?" 

I couldn't, but I still didn't like it. The wireless gear was just one more thing to worry about, and troubleshoot if there was a problem.