Cable from head to cab

[bradly]

this may seem like a dumb question but is the cable going from the cab to the head just supposed to be a standard guitar cable? thanks.

-bradly

 

[MadAudio]

No, you need a speaker cable. A regular guitar cable is not meant to carry the kind of power the amp is sending.

 

[bradly]

thanks man. is there to tell if it is a speaker cable by looking at it?

-bradly

 

[spoonie g]

instrument cable will have a shield, speaker will not. Just go to your local instrument shop and ask for a speaker cable for your head.

 

[MadAudio]

is there to tell if it is a speaker cable by looking at it?

Sometimes, depending on the brand. A speaker cable is usually heavier duty than an instrument cable, typically 14 AWG.

 

[Farview]

If you unscrew the cover on the connector, look at the solder joints. If you see that there are 2 wires, it is a speaker cable. If there is 1 wire and the braided shield, that is a guitar cable.

 

[ggunn]

If you unscrew the cover on the connector, look at the solder joints. If you see that there are 2 wires, it is a speaker cable. If there is 1 wire and the braided shield, that is a guitar cable.

That's if the cable (the "wire") itself is round. If it's obvious from looking at it that the cable is made up of two insulated wires side by side, then it's a speaker cable.

 

[MadAudio]

That's if the cable (the "wire") itself is round. If it's obvious from looking at it that the cable is made up of two insulated wires side by side, then it's a speaker cable.

True, but that type of speaker wire is not usually used for guitar amp/cab set-ups.

 

[bongolation]

On low-wattage guitar rigs, using co-ax isn't actually dangerous, but with a high-output bass or PA rig you can get in serious trouble very fast, which is one reason why more and more bass heads no longer use standard 1/4" phone jacks and have Speakon connectors instead.

The small contact area on a 1/4" phone plug tip is also a problem for hi-wattage rigs.

Don't get skinned on some expensive go-faster speaker cable at the music store.

Here's a good article explaining why.