Cables

mike_l

Who uses what cables?

My main instrument cables are Fender, cos that's what the shop had when I needed some......

The main patch leads on my main (home use) board are from Kabl, and they're great.

I'd recommend both.

I've had Venom cables (and still use a couple) which are ok, until they get stood on (not even heavily), then they ain't.......Break very easily.

 

stickyfiddle

Main cables are a couple of Whirlwind Leaders I've had forever, and a buttload of Kabl stuff. I honestly wouldn't consider anything other than Kabl in future. The Van Damme (iirc!) cable he uses is BRILLIANT. Just heavy enough to lay flat but light enough not to get annoying and coils nicely too. Highly recommended. 

I'm on Bullet Slugs for patch cables. A more robust system than George Ls, and slightly more fiddly but I've had no breaks or crackles in a year, which is worth it imo. 

ZenOvertone

Live - Planet Waves American Stage or Sommer Spirit XXL or VanDamme XKE, all Neutrik ends
Pedals - George L 155 with Hicon pancake jacks soldered.  Also using Neutrik right angle jacks with GL155 at home

Been trying the Bullet coiled cables for the power trio for the look mainly!

I do test & repair them myself too

Sporky

Mostly self made. If I was buying it'd be from Kabl.

Handsome_Chris

From the guitar to rack, I use a Planet Waves thingy I bought about thirteen years ago.  I've been told that they are desperately unreliable, which I may find out if I ever have to buy a replacement.

For pedalboards and racks I'm generally use cross between George L and self made leads.

monquixote

Another very happy Kabl user. 

I don't see the point of buying anything else. 

ourmaninthenorth

Evidence Audio Lyric HG & my real favourite Pete Cornish  - both bought second hand therefore representing fantastic value. 

not_the_dj

A mix of Kabl and Award Session for me.

ICBM

Horizon Vintage II. I've had the same set of half a dozen 10' and a couple of 20' for over fifteen years now, and - finally - one of the plugs on the one I use the most broke recently (I'll repair it). A couple of the others have needed re-soldering at one time or another, but I think that's pretty good considering I use them all the time. They're also good-sounding, resist tangling and kinking, don't pick up stage dirt, and look nice - they're the multicoloured cloth braided ones - all different colours, which has the advantage of being able to easily tell which is going where when you're in a hurry. They weren't even expensive - but don't seem to be available in this country now so I'm not sure what I would do if I needed to replace them!

ragingben

I actually use the Venom patch cables, the right angled ones with the metal connectors. Have done for around 5 years or so (after about the same amount of years using those multi-coloured ones you get in the £1 tub), and I find them to be brilliant, toyuch wood never had one go and they don't break the bank. My main cables are custom-lynx cables, they have been good so far.

digitalscream

The most important cable in my rig is from Kabl - a 4-strand extension loom (1/4" jack plugs on one end, inline sockets on the other) with 3 x mono and 1 x stereo.

That way, I get to just have trailing patch leads from my board (one for the input to the front of the amp, two for the loop, one stereo for the amp footswitch) rather than pulling pedals about trying to plug 'em in.

Everybody said it'd be foolish because it would break easily, but...2 years and many, many gigs in, it's still absolutely fine with not a hint of a problem.

As for the other cables...I can't actually remember

hywelg

I had to rip apart my old pedalboard because Van Damme instrument cable is too lossy. Very significant loss of highs. If you want Van Damme you have to use Lo -Cap  which is just about the lowest pF/m there is at 55. BUT it is way too big for patch leads and you'll struggle to get it through a Neutrik gland. Klotz LaGange is better but I think its now out of production. Cable manufacturers are now becoming aware that us users need to know the capacitance rating and more and more of them are now quoting it in specs. If they don't, be very wary.

I went with George L for a while and difference was very noticeable, however I found them too unreliable. They're OK if you keep your board static but I was always chopping stuff in and out, and then they'd let you down at the least opportune moment.

I'm now using Lava cable. Very much more reliable, not had a problem yet (touch wood).

Jalapeno

KaBL FTW !!!!!

@RobDavies

mudslide73

I just redid my whole board with Rob's stuff... another +1 for KaBL.

octatonic

I make my own from Mogami or Sommer cable and switchcraft plugs.

I have a couple of high priced cables here (Evidence, Cornish etc) and I can hear absolutely no difference between them and my own cables.

I keep my cable runs as short as I can though.

RobDavies

This thread makes me happy in my trousers.

JookyChap

KABL are shit.

OK, joking - I've got a grand total of two leads, a Fender one I've had for aeons and a KABL one that is brilliant and just feels a different class. If ever I need three leads I'll get another Kabl one...

Dave_Mc

not_the_dj said:

A mix of Kabl and Award Session for me.

+1

also have a couple of klotz and a sommer that i picked up to try different things

bntylr

Everything I use is van damme with neutrik jacks

One of the silentjacks too, which I have nothing but praise for. So much easier than the switch I see on the planet waves stuff. Means I don't forget to turn the bugger on either.

mike_l

RobDavies said:

This thread makes me happy in my trousers.

I'm feeling a little sorry for mrs Rob ;-)

hywelg

octatonic said:

I have a couple of high priced cables here (Evidence, Cornish etc) and I can hear absolutely no difference between them and my own cables.

Depends on how you test 'em. The only reliable way is to use a two loop looper, and put one cable in each. Have a mate do it, and then have him stomp on the switches whilst you are playing.

Even the very short time taken for you to swap a cable will make it extremely difficult to hear the very subtle differences in reasonable quality cables. Your memory will likely play tricks on you.

I found it very easy indeed to hear the difference between Van Damme Instrument cable and George L .255. The van Damme was a huge loss when used as patch cables with Neutrik ends (aparently the NP2C is itself quite a high capacitance).