Cable recommendations

Gear Aquisition Syndrome is a serious disorder.... FX etc

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
bender
Darth Fader
Posts: 11986
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:46 pm
Location: Dorkland
Has liked: 427 times
Been liked: 1048 times

Cable recommendations

Post by bender »

This is an old and boring subject, but what are the good cable options these days? I used to buy Freedom and Lava cables from Ryan, but the virtually all the cables I’ve bought since have been disappointingly flimsy.

What are good, solid options these days, that aren’t super expensive?

User avatar
robthemac
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 9586
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:47 pm
Has liked: 1177 times
Been liked: 1577 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by robthemac »

bender wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:54 pm This is an old and boring subject, but what are the good cable options these days? I used to buy Freedom and Lava cables from Ryan, but the virtually all the cables I’ve bought since have been disappointingly flimsy.

What are good, solid options these days, that aren’t super expensive?
I bought some Mogami cable and cheapish Neutrik jacks. Had great results, although I don't gig.

Might have some Planet Waves Custom cables that I could sell.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

Aquila Rossa
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5115
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:53 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 206 times
Been liked: 159 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by Aquila Rossa »

bender wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:54 pm This is an old and boring subject, but what are the good cable options these days? I used to buy Freedom and Lava cables from Ryan, but the virtually all the cables I’ve bought since have been disappointingly flimsy.

What are good, solid options these days, that aren’t super expensive?
My old Freedom cables are still going strong. What is it now? 15 years of enduring my clumsiness?

The cable was called Canare. Switchcraft jacks. I am not sure Switchcraft these days is as good as it used to be. A couple of jacks and toggles have failed on me.
Same with some CTS pots not being what they once were, but that's anecdotal (Dave Friedman discussing it -- he says Alpha pots work better these days -- but Alpha is better for his bottom line, so I would look for corroborating evidence that's true about them versus CTS -- distrust of opinions is now my default setting, no matter whose opinion it is :D ).

Sooner or later I want to buy bulk cable, jacks and heat shrink and wire up a bunch of cables. Edit: I just looked into how much Canare or Mogami cable costs at Pleb prices. Around $600-700 per 100 metres. I've changed my mind (unless somebody flogs off a roll of it cheap)
Last edited by Aquila Rossa on Tue Mar 12, 2024 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 43775
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 8858 times
Been liked: 4588 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by jeremyb »

Planet waves or Ernie ball seem to do the trick for me :-)
Standing on top of the world

User avatar
DongHua
Tokai
Tokai
Posts: 492
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:03 am
Location: Northshore
Has liked: 48 times
Been liked: 72 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by DongHua »

jeremyb wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 10:13 pm Planet waves or Ernie ball seem to do the trick for me :-)
All of my custom series Planet Waves are 20+ years old, heavy user and frequent traveller in most of their life.

I’ve tried those super expensive Analysis Plus, I could easily hear the difference, but worth extra 1k for each cable? Your call.

User avatar
GrantB
ADMIN
Posts: 16626
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 9:04 am
Location: Where I need to be
Has liked: 1524 times
Been liked: 2327 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by GrantB »

jeremyb wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2024 10:13 pm Planet waves or Ernie ball seem to do the trick for me :-)
I got an Ernie ball recently - top notch. Also my planet waves have lasted 100s of gigs and are still my standard.
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

User avatar
bender
Darth Fader
Posts: 11986
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 12:46 pm
Location: Dorkland
Has liked: 427 times
Been liked: 1048 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by bender »

Thanks folks.

My EB cables have been OK, but the braided outer on one of them melted in a few places at an outdoor gig.

I had a couple of EWI cables from Music Planet for a while that were fine- but one of them failed completely last night. The jack housing is pretty rubbish- the jack itself wiggles in the housing.

I try to be careful with my cables, but I’m probably doing something wrong, because after a year or so the jacks get crackly when you bump them. I currently have one cable that doesn’t. I coil them carefully, don’t knot them, pull the jacks out using the housing rather than the cable…

I’m mostly after something solid, and reliable that won’t tangle as soon as I turn my back on it.

I might give planet waves another go- my only experience has been one of theirs with the mute switch, which died pretty quickly. Otherwise, I can make some using Mogami gold and Neutrik jacks for about the same cost.

User avatar
hercules
Tokai
Tokai
Posts: 404
Joined: Mon May 16, 2022 11:12 am
Has liked: 92 times
Been liked: 291 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by hercules »

I am very happy with my Runway Audio custom cables. The casing is very stiff, but it’ll break in over time.

My Freedom cables are still going strong 15 years later too…

User avatar
H671
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2391
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 81 times
Been liked: 274 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by H671 »

My Planet waves are still going after about 15 years. They are used regularly at church. I always keep them coiled & don't do anything special to look after them.
Epiphone Riviera P93 & EJ200CE, Hagstrom Viking Bass, Doubleneck bass/guitar.
Rivera Clubster 45, Carvin AG100D, Ashton BSK158.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 43775
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 8858 times
Been liked: 4588 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by jeremyb »

I do have some of the Ambertec cables too, really nice with the REAN connectors on them: https://www.rubbermonkey.co.nz/Ambertec ... e-Black-3m
Standing on top of the world

murky
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1250
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:13 am
Has liked: 333 times
Been liked: 350 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by murky »

Roll my own here. Bestronics Pro Audio has a super low capacitance cable (0446) - almost as low as the fancy silver studio stuff but not stiff as shit. Add a couple of Switchcraft jacks, and some double wall heat shrink. Done.

NZTone.e
Gibson
Posts: 868
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:40 pm
Has liked: 16 times
Been liked: 72 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by NZTone.e »

Used to use planet waves, never had one fail but gave them all away.

Now I get Waylon Mcpherson to make them, costs the same and I like the reasonably thin cable he uses, doesn’t introduce any noise, takes up less space and I’ve had them for about 5 years and they’re still going so far.

Having said that, I haven’t really used them much in that time, various reasons, not much playing!

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3310
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 86 times
Been liked: 1259 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by NippleWrestler »

Mogami w2524 and Neutrik NP2X is what I've used for ages and ages after I made a bunch of them after my planet waves died (and can't be repaired easily). Turns out their lifetime warranty didn't migrate when Daddario bought them out and instead became a 2 yr warranty.

The Mogami stuff is world class and it doesn't take long to solder a cable together. Also, you can get Techflex and make them any colour you like.

User avatar
robthemac
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 9586
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:47 pm
Has liked: 1177 times
Been liked: 1577 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by robthemac »

NippleWrestler wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 8:47 am Mogami w2524 and Neutrik NP2X is what I've used for ages and ages after I made a bunch of them after my planet waves died (and can't be repaired easily). Turns out their lifetime warranty didn't migrate when Daddario bought them out and instead became a 2 yr warranty.

The Mogami stuff is world class and it doesn't take long to solder a cable together. Also, you can get Techflex and make them any colour you like.
@Ben I have some of the thinner Mogami cable you can have if you want
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

User avatar
Litterick
PRS
PRS
Posts: 967
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2018 1:19 pm
Has liked: 318 times
Been liked: 117 times

Re: Cable recommendations

Post by Litterick »

Van Damme/Neutrik

Post Reply