Boutique cables

[ShieldsCW]

I've noticed that no matter what cable I use, my guitar sounds like a guitar. I've also found no correlation between price and longevity in approximately 30 years of using cables and being around people who also use cables.

For the price of one fancy cable, I can buy a few regular cables and have a backup for my "inferior" choice. I can even go crazy and get color-coded cables based on where they go in the rehearsal room and live cases. I can't imagine wasting money on "special" cables for live gigs where you have no control over the cable quality of everything else in the chain between you and the audience. I'd even question doing so on recordings (unless you only allow people to listen to your music if they come to your house and use your sound system lol)

If I can't get a good guitar tone with a "normal" cable, I'd question my listening skills and ability to develop good guitar tone.

Hey, if you enjoy building your own cables, do your thing. We all have hobbies.

 

[tedtan]

I've noticed that no matter what guitar I use, my guitar sounds like a guitar. I've also found no correlation between price and longevity in approximately 30 years of using guitars and being around people who also use guitars.

For the price of one fancy guitar, I can buy a few regular guitars and have a backup for my "inferior" choice. I can even go crazy and get color-coded guitars based on where they go in the rehearsal room and live cases.

If I can't get a good guitar tone with a "normal" guitar, I'd question my listening skills and ability to develop good guitar tone.

Fixed that for you.

Note the same can apply to amps, pickups, FX, modelers, speaker cabs, speakers, picks, strings, straps, etc., yet people still have preferences based on a number of things. It’s human nature.

 

[RevDrucifer]

There are quite a few rabbit holes I refuse to go down, this being one of them.

I go on Amazon, type in 1/4” instrument cable and buy the first 4-6 pack that costs around $35-$40 bucks. I think they’re normally Seismic Audio. Occasionally one will shit the bed so I just cut the jack off, re-solder it and move on with my life.

 

[MatrixClaw]

Almost none of the "high end" companies are actually making their own cables. They're buying the the cable in bulk, slapping some ends on them and their label and reselling them for 4x the price. Buy the OEM cable and solder some Neutrik ends on them and you can get the same cable for A LOT less if you really want to go with the expensive stuff.

 

[JediMasterThrash]

Even sound quality being equal, I think the biggest reason to pick a cable is durability. Anytime I bought the standard cheap cables, the stress release is bad, causing the cables to pull out from the connector. The solder joints from the tip to cable go bad over time, causing a slow degredation in tone. The cable kinks more easily causing damage to the wires. And the scratchy-pop from hot-plugging (gotta love the noise-free connectors). And this is all just from bedroom playing, not even live use.

 

[spudmunkey]

Almost none of the "high end" companies are actually making their own cables. They're buying the the cable in bulk, slapping some ends on them and their label and reselling them for 4x the price. Buy the OEM cable and solder some Neutrik ends on them and you can get the same cable for A LOT less if you really want to go with the expensive stuff.

Oh, for sure. There are some though that can offer custom-made lengths, some offer unique custom colors, offer mixing and matching different plugs, different strain relief design, etc. And of course, they could all be done by someone with a soldering iron and a heat gun...but I have zero interest in doing that. Same with fried foods. Could I do it at home? Sure. Do I want to? Nope.

 

[Drew]

The things I'd pay for in a cable:

*durability/reliability
*warranty
*ease of "handling" - how easily it gets tanged, mostly.

Beyond that there isn't really much of any measurable, quantifiable difference between same-length cables, but some of the non-sonic factors can still be important, IMO.

 

[JSanta]

I've been using Whirlwind cables ever since I first started playing. Matter of fact, the cables I used for all of the live shows and recording I did almost 20 years ago are still the same ones I use today. Love that they are made right in my hometown, and the quality has been great. https://www.whirlwindusa.com/

 

[SamSam]

Premade I'll take Sommer over anything else, the carbon lined models have lasted me years. In fact the only cable I've broken in the last five years was my "boutique" vovox instrument cable. I should repair it really.

 

[-Cetanu-]

Sommer LLX. Anything Sommer with Neutrik or Hicon jacks tbh. My oldest Spirit is easily 15 years old.

 

[JediMasterThrash]

Speaking of companies that just take OEM cables and slap neutrix connectors on them, that's exactly what I use. Pro Audio LA. I find the prices actually very reasonable, a third the cost of buying a branded "mogami" cable, and you can configure them to any length, any straight/right angle/TS/TRS connector, etc. You can pick the specific cable grade, etc. It was by far the most economical method to get everyuthing I need for my rig cut to the exact length, all the right angles for the pedalboard just where I needed them.

Not to mention the frankenstein connections due to all the irritating boutique pedal manufacturers. You gotta love a straight up digitech or boss pedal, connectors on the side, power out the back, standard footprint. But those boutique ones, some need a TRS for stereo, some out the back, some out the side, etc. It's a pile of special cable connectors to get them wired up in order.

 

[eddyrox]

What are some of your favorite boutique cable brands?

Do you find any of them have features/construction better than the higher end "mass produced" cables from Mogami, George L, etc or mid-tier Fender, Monster, etc?

Have any of you gotten your hands on multiple boutique brands and been able to speak to any differences between them?

A couple of brands off the top of my head:
Rattlesnake Cable Company
Happy Cables

Thoughts? Experiences? Warnings?

Rattlesnake - had an end go bad within a month after receiving.... and while nice and helpful, the hassle of packing, sending, etc....
Mogami 2524 done up by Dave Phillips at Rack Systems, and a Belden 8412.....DONE and highly recommended. both with silent 90 degree Neutrik ends.

Mogami is my "always/go to" since it's even sounding and works with modelers and real amps...
the Belden is basically a mic cable (IIRC someone correct me) and allegedly used by Pete Cornish... YMMV - im kinda out on this, but its a flavor of lower mids that is sometimes necessary when playing modelers if i need more of an EQ hump

 

[ShredmasterD]

I found fulltone gold standards to be my favorite. They are long since discounted , ever before his meltdown, but I bought up a bunch and still have some in the packaging.

 

[-Cetanu-]

Anything pricier than a Sommer LLX is not worth my money. Specially considering it's one of the lowest capacitance cables on the market.

LLX is just a top notch cable. Had a Mogami 3368 and Belden 8218 for a comparison. Both are good but the LLX is better overall IMO. Lower capacitance, better handling/more robust, and better price.

 

[Scottosan]

You can make your own for about $1 per foot plus $4-6 per jack

Mogami Instrument Cable | Redco Audio

TS Connectors | Redco Audio

 

[BabUShka]

Ive had a lot of cables and always thought that with my descent soldering skills I didnt need expensive cables..
Then I bought a Planed Waves cable, after that a Monster and Armor Gold cable a couple of years back and realised how good they are. Had those for a while now, still working - no issues.

Rumors said you could use the Armor Gold as towing cable, and plug your guitar into the same cable afterwards

 

[Fenriswolf]

I used to have a cable that I got from my dad when I first started playing guitar, and by the time I broke it, that cable had to be around 20 years old. I replaced it with a cheapo and it never sounded right, but I'm sure that was just a psychological thing because I didn't have a thing I've had since I started playing.

Now I use Fender cables because the make tweed ones and that shit looks fancy AF.

 

[Marked Man]

I use Klotz La Grange for the following reasons:

- Low capacitance.
- Locally available.
- Reasonably priced. I usually buy a 9m one and cut it in half then solder some Neutrik plugs. Cheaper than buying two 4.5m cables.

There's a lot of cable companies out there and my advice is to avoid any that don't list their capacitance/feet or meter specs. While some of them make a good product, marketing with mystery specs is straight up bullshit. Most cables are nothing more than Neutrik or Switchcraft plugs and cable of varying capabilities.

Klotz is my #1 cable also.