Guitar / Bass Cable

Mickster

Well-known member
Ok...here's the deal. I've been using Monster Cables for some years now. That's the only brand I have. To be honest man.....they really seem to take a beating but.....I hate them because they're so damn stiff and unwieldy. Nit picky right? Well....I did accidentally break one.....my fault.....but I'm not buying another Monster Cable.

So....ordinarily I'd go to GC and check out the cables....but that's out. I checked on-line and there are a lot of brands and prices from cheap to over $100. So guys....what do you recommend? I want a couple flexible cables of 15-20 feet.

$100 each is out. Under that....not cheap....but reasonable please.

Yup...small stuff....but that's my question.

Thanks.....
Mick
 
I've been using GC's 'whatever is on the wall' brand. I think it's Livewire at the moment (checking their web). Over the years I've always used some of the least expensive cables from wherever I was getting my guitars - 20 footers for gigs, jams, real studio and practice.. 10 footers for home studio. They've all been super flexible and never had a problem.

I don't beat up my cables so I can't say how your mileage may vary.
 
I've had my cables for at least a decade and in some cases 2. I have a couple of long ones for when I use the isocab in the kitchen but play from the front room. I don't think I bought any online, I'd just buy them from the shop and hey nonny no.
In the past I've had those super thin cables that look really lame and weedy but they've lasted ! I didn't buy them, they must have come with something I once bought.

---------- Update ----------

Well, that was about as helpful as a buckled wheel in a snowstorm !
 
If I can recall correctly, the only cable(s) I've ever had problems with were the coiled phone cord type. They always had one or two 90° ends that couldn't take the strain of the cord dangling in mid-air.
 
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I still have proco cables from the 80's, assuming they are still in business, I would recommend.
 
I like ProCo cables a lot. Their DynaMike balanced cables have become my preferred XLR cables around my home studio. The connectors are great, the cable is great quality.

Although I'm not sold on their hi-z cables. I had a 20 year old MusicMover that died in a terrifying accident involving a Les Paul, a bad strap, and a concrete floor...but I can't fault the cable for that one. But I did replace it with another MusicMover that I ended up throwing away because it was highly susceptible to static electricity and would crackle when I walked around.

I think that ProCo has abandoned the MusicMover cable and now they have Excellines as their instrument cable, so maybe it's a different story than what I experienced.

Honestly though, I've been using a cheap Monoprice braided instrument cable for a few years now and it's been good to me.
 
I like ProCo cables a lot. Their DynaMike balanced cables have become my preferred XLR cables around my home studio. The connectors are great, the cable is great quality.

Although I'm not sold on their hi-z cables. I had a 20 year old MusicMover that died in a terrifying accident involving a Les Paul, a bad strap, and a concrete floor...but I can't fault the cable for that one. But I did replace it with another MusicMover that I ended up throwing away because it was highly susceptible to static electricity and would crackle when I walked around.

I think that ProCo has abandoned the MusicMover cable and now they have Excellines as their instrument cable, so maybe it's a different story than what I experienced.

Honestly though, I've been using a cheap Monoprice braided instrument cable for a few years now and it's been good to me.

I recommend straplocks for les pauls, especially the older heavy ones. The weight stretches the hole on the strap, on the front strap button of the guitar, and at some point the strap will slip off the strap button and the guitar will hit the floor. That is if the player can't "catch" it before it hit the floor

I don't know if this is what happened to you but I have seen it a lot and it has happened to me as well
 
I recommend straplocks for les pauls, especially the older heavy ones. The weight stretches the hole on the strap, on the front strap button of the guitar, and at some point the strap will slip off the strap button and the guitar will hit the floor. That is if the player can't "catch" it before it hit the floor

I don't know if this is what happened to you but I have seen it a lot and it has happened to me as well

I bought my first set of strap locks that same day :) As soon as I got a hold of myself after the drop, I went straight to the computer and ordered a set.

I think that they're Dunlop, but I can't remember. I'm not crazy about these particular locks. The U-shaped part that attaches to the strap has a bad habit of rotating over time, becoming n-shaped and thus defeating the whole purpose. I've honestly had more drops post-straplock than before! I need to find some with a better design.
 
I recommend straplocks for les pauls, especially the older heavy ones. The weight stretches the hole on the strap, on the front strap button of the guitar, and at some point the strap will slip off the strap button and the guitar will hit the floor. That is if the player can't "catch" it before it hit the floor

I don't know if this is what happened to you but I have seen it a lot and it has happened to me as well

OH YEAH......gotta use strap locks. My old '76 Norlin era LP (HEAVY) stretches pretty much any strap hole....leather or whatever. Almost learned a bad lesson a long time ago. It nearly hit a concrete floor.

Mick

BTW.....thanks to all here who have posted on this thread in answer to my request for advice.
 
I bought my first set of strap locks that same day :) As soon as I got a hold of myself after the drop, I went straight to the computer and ordered a set.

I think that they're Dunlop, but I can't remember. I'm not crazy about these particular locks. The U-shaped part that attaches to the strap has a bad habit of rotating over time, becoming n-shaped and thus defeating the whole purpose. I've honestly had more drops post-straplock than before! I need to find some with a better design.

The straplock set where the strat button on the guitar is the female and the male is mounted to the strap and juat snaps in to the button is the best. You can use the button for a traditional strap or use the strap with the male ends that day in and lock.
I don't use strap locks on my strats...thenare geometrically opposed to falling from the strap.
My Les Paul are ALWAYS locked. The location of the front button on a les paul guarantees it, at some point, will fall if not straplocked.
 
My best cable is made with Mogami 2524 cable with straight Neutrik plugs, one SilentPlug. LOVE it. You can get a 15' cable for about $45 premade, or buy bulk cable and 2 plugs. The 2524 is listed at 39pf/ft which is about average.

I've got a few other cables, one a relatively cheap, very flexible cable that I got from a local music store. The other is a Planet Waves cable with a switch. The Planet waves isn't wire conductor, but a carbon conductor, like a spark plug wire. The problem is that means the connector is a screw on connector that can't tolerate a sudden pull without breaking contact. It can be repaired, but that won't help if you do it during a gig.

I've got strap locks on a few of my guitars, but on ones with good heavy leather straps, I don't have a big problem with the holes stretching. Cheaper straps definitely have the problem. I'm not gigging so they don't get a real workout.
 
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