??? Cables from head to cab...???

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dogbreath
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Dogbreath

Dogbreath

Im an ex-spurt
Guru's of the fretboard...lend me your ear...:D
I know...I know...:rolleyes:

So my son went to a local guit-fiddle shop and the dude there told him that regular patch cables for running from head to cab were a no-no and that he should get these fat (12 gauge, 10 gauge ?) 1/4 "speaker cables". (he emphasized speaker cable) That he would get a cleaner louder sound outta his cab.

All I've ever used was patch cables...? Is the dude legit or pushin for an upsell?

What do you guys use?

Much thanks............Kel
 
The guy's right - you gotta use a speaker cable. You could blow your output tubes or transformer if you use a regular guitar cable. You need two fat (unshielded) copper pipes.

That said, I can't say whether the one he was recommending was overkill or not.
 
wow...I'm a longtime bonehead. :eek:

So what kind do you use? I'm gonna go online and grab some for me n da lad.
Much thanks man.
Kel
 
Yeah, for sure use 2 wire for any speaker cabinet, guitar amp or P.A. mains & monitors. A guy in one of my bands almost blew out his old Bandmaster one night using a co-ax guitar cable.
 
damn...my idiocy knows no bounds...

Thanks man...I'm off to search out da goodz.

(edit...found some good 12 gauge ones ...Thanks guys)
 
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Patch cables, or guitar cords, have a single conductor surrounded by a shield (braided, spiral, or foil); the conductor, wired to the tip of the phone plug, is "hot" and the shield, wired to the shaft, is "cold" or "ground." For such a simple device it has different characteristics from speaker cable, which has two conductors and no shield -- one conductor is "hot" and the other "ground."

I like 14 awg and up for the speaker cable between the head and cab, but some time ago I found 6' 8 (!) awg at Elderly Instruments and I bought a pair. They sure look serious...and, since I have two of 'em, I can hook up my mini-PA (Alesis Studio 12R mixer and Carvin DC1500 stereo power amp) and get 12' of separation. Never fear: for serious venues we use serious PAs, but occasionally the need arises for amplified music/vocals at church.
 
Dogbreath said:
Guru's of the fretboard...lend me your ear...:D
I know...I know...:rolleyes:

So my son went to a local guit-fiddle shop and the dude there told him that regular patch cables for running from head to cab were a no-no and that he should get these fat (12 gauge, 10 gauge ?) 1/4 "speaker cables". (he emphasized speaker cable) That he would get a cleaner louder sound outta his cab.

All I've ever used was patch cables...? Is the dude legit or pushin for an upsell?

What do you guys use?

Much thanks............Kel
Click to expand...

NEVER use instrument cables to run speakers. Instrument cables are designed for very low voltage applications, and especially the cheap ones are built with the idea that if they short out or lose their connection, you just replace them. Speakers run at very much higher voltages, and if you short out the speaker circuit (or in the case of tube amps, open circuit) under power, very expensive repairs ensue.

It is not necessary to buy extremely thick speaker cables, and run like the wind from exotic (read: expensive) "low oxygen", etc. cables. Monster cables are right out. Side by side wires (as opposed to coaxial) of reasonable gauge and good connectors are all that you need.
 
Well, I was gonna blast Moster, but ggunn beat me to it. What he said.
 
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