never buy another speaker cable in your life...

[cephus]

I looked at radio shack dot com and buying the connectors and wire is WAY more expensive than the redneckmetalhead's site. The main reason I made mine was because I needed them that night and the always futtbuck you at GC and samash on stuff like speaker cables. The ends are retarded expensive at RS, like $4/ea and the decent zip cord is $20/50ft or something. Anyway going, Pulsar has some cheap stuff for sure, they just haven't ever answered the phone or returned calls to me before.

But, then again $6.99/25ft speaker cable seems like a hell of a deal.

 

[Thunder33]

I looked at radio shack dot com and buying the connectors and wire is WAY more expensive than the redneckmetalhead's site. The main reason I made mine was because I needed them that night and the always futtbuck you at GC and samash on stuff like speaker cables. The ends are retarded expensive at RS, like $4/ea and the decent zip cord is $20/50ft or something. Anyway going, Pulsar has some cheap stuff for sure, they just haven't ever answered the phone or returned calls to me before.

But, then again $6.99/25ft speaker cable seems like a hell of a deal.

I have dealt with them a couple of times via e-mail and they always responded within 24 hours. Usually within 12. I don't call companies anymore because nobody has real people there.

 

[sk8bobby10]

I know I'm going to sound like an idiot, but I've never looked into it. But whats the difference between speaker and instrument cables?

 

[Farview]

Speaker cable has no shielding and is normally thicker.

 

[Adam P]

I know I'm going to sound like an idiot, but I've never looked into it. But whats the difference between speaker and instrument cables?

A speaker cable is two conductors with no shield, generally of a heavier guage. An instrument is one conductor and a shield, usually of a lighter guage than speaker cable.

 

[ggunn]

A speaker cable is two conductors with no shield, generally of a heavier guage. An instrument is one conductor and a shield, usually of a lighter guage than speaker cable.

And they are not interchangeable. Using a speaker cable for an instrument leaves the "hot" wire of the cable unshielded and vulnerable to pick up noise and RF. Using an instrument cable (especially the cheap molded type) for a speaker is risky because they are not designed to withstand the voltage swings of a speaker output and may short and fry the amp.

 

[andyhix]

And so if I have some 1/4 in jack cables lying around of unknown origin, how can I tell whether it's a speaker cable or instument cable, without disecting it?

 

[Farview]

Unscrew the cover on one of the ends. Look at the wire. If you see two wires with insulation on them, it's a speaker cable.

If you see one wire with insulation and the other looks braided, it's an instrument cable.

Sometimes it says which it is on the cable itself.

 

[Lt. Bob]

just unscrew the cover of the jack and see if it's shielded or not. If it's shielded it's an instrument cable .... if not then it's a speaker cable.
If it's molded ends that you can't unscrew then it's gonna be speaker cable if the cable itself looks like zip cord.

 

[dgatwood]

I looked at radio shack dot com and buying the connectors and wire is WAY more expensive than the redneckmetalhead's site. The main reason I made mine was because I needed them that night and the always futtbuck you at GC and samash on stuff like speaker cables. The ends are retarded expensive at RS, like $4/ea and the decent zip cord is $20/50ft or something. Anyway going, Pulsar has some cheap stuff for sure, they just haven't ever answered the phone or returned calls to me before.

Radio Shack connectors always are overpriced, but they're local. If you order online or buy from some place like Fry's.... $0.99 each for 1/4" connectors.

But, then again $6.99/25ft speaker cable seems like a hell of a deal.

Has to be very light gauge wire for that price. I wouldn't use wire smaller than 12 AWG, and the cheapest I've seen it is about $0.30 a foot in quantities of a thousand feet. The cheapest anyone could build such a cable is well over $6.99.

I'll go you one better. I made some adaptors to convert three prong extension cord ends to 1/4" and banana plugs. I can make a speaker cable any length you want on the spot out of extension cords.

That may be the best idea I've heard in a long time... except that standard extension cords are 14 AWG. Only the really ultra heavy duty ones are 12, and you won't usually find those lying around. (That said, it's still a heck of a lot easier to buy an extra heavy-duty extension cord at your nearest Wal-Mart or drug store or whatever than to buy a speaker cord.)

 

[boingoman]

That may be the best idea I've heard in a long time... except that standard extension cords are 14 AWG.

It's also totally dangerous, and technically illegal to boot. They always seem to be a good idea, until someone plugs 120V AC into their speakers or preamp, or grabs that 1/4" plug that somehow is plugged into the wall. Some company comes along every ten years or so and markets these things. I'd trust myself with them, but wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone else getting their ands on them. I'd rather just carry an extra speaker cable in my extension cord box.

 

[Crash ©]

It's also totally dangerous, and technically illegal to boot. They always seem to be a good idea, until someone plugs 120V AC into their speakers or preamp, or grabs that 1/4" plug that somehow is plugged into the wall. Some company comes along every ten years or so and markets these things. I'd trust myself with them, but wouldn't want to be responsible for anyone else getting their ands on them. .

A voice of reason to the spinning wheels in my head...

I'd think the ONLY way you could do it safely would be to make sure you have BOTH ends in your hand when you plug the adapters on and the wrap 'em with duct tape..

Of course the possibilities of fun watching your friends grabbing the 110vac loaded 1/4" plug are just endless...

Reminds me of the time I was gonna train my grandmothers cats to stay off her screen door.. One lamp cord later the cat never did climb the screen again.. Even if he would have been willing to try it, there was a hole in the screen large enough he would have just fell in...

--
Rob