darkagent71
New member
I know somewhat what to look for now cause I've been searching around for like 30 minutes but how can I really tell the difference? and is it unsafe to use an instrument cable between an amp head and cabinet?
Speaker vs instrument cable
- Thread starter darkagent71
- Start date
jimmys69
MOODerator
Some one will show up with the correct info, but the answer is yes. I believe more so for a tube head. Line level shielded cable cannot handle the load that a speaker output is sending. I believe this can damage an amp. I am not educated in this, but I do know that is not a good idea.
darkagent71
New member
Thanks for the quickie. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine in audio and he said that to some extent instrument cables cannot handle the load but he said a 14 gauge should carry the load because the amp is 200 watt and I won't be using all of it anyway so he said I could do either a 14 speaker and so ill probably just grab a 10 dollar 3 footer from guitar center unless anyone thinks that 14 gauge is still a bad idea for some reason. He also said the 14 gauge isn't too high of a gauge for me to not be able to use it as an instrument cable too
jimmys69
MOODerator
Speaker cable is unshielded. You don't want to use speaker cable for an instrument as it will introduce interference noise. 14 gauge is fine for a 3' distance for speakers as far as I know. Once again, I just going on what I have heard. Someone else will give more details I'm sure. 
Farview
Well-known member
Besides the fact that it really can't take the power, an instrument cable is shielded. Speaker cable is more like lamp cord, it's two equal conductors with no shield.
Part of the problem with using instrument cable is the shield wrapped around the single core conductor. That conductor in the middle is a little too small to take the power, so it will heat up and cause resistance to the signal. Since it is wrapped in the shield, the overheated conductor can't shed the heat. This could cause failure, which amplifiers hate.
If you were going to GC to pick up a 3 foot instrument cable, it would make more sense to just pick up a 3 foot speaker cable and do it right.
Part of the problem with using instrument cable is the shield wrapped around the single core conductor. That conductor in the middle is a little too small to take the power, so it will heat up and cause resistance to the signal. Since it is wrapped in the shield, the overheated conductor can't shed the heat. This could cause failure, which amplifiers hate.
If you were going to GC to pick up a 3 foot instrument cable, it would make more sense to just pick up a 3 foot speaker cable and do it right.
HOW TO TELL SPEAKER CABLE FROM INSTRUMENT CABLE:
1. Look closely at the printing along the cable. Sometimes, it will actually TELL you which it is.
2. Unscrew one end, look at the conductors. If one runs down the middle, and the other runs just below a thin layer of insulation, it's shielded instrument cable. If both are insulated on their own (often one insulating jacket will be black, the other white,) are are inside an outer insulating jacket, chances are it's speaker cable. If the ends are shrink-wrapped, you either have to remove the shrink, or try another method.
3. Plug suspect cable between a guitar and amp. If it is noisy, and I do mean NOISY, chances are it's speaker cable.
4. Buy ONLY speaker cable clearly marked along the insulating jacket as "SPEAKER CABLE," and end all guess work. Even better, convert at least one end of your speaker runs to NL4.
1. Look closely at the printing along the cable. Sometimes, it will actually TELL you which it is.
2. Unscrew one end, look at the conductors. If one runs down the middle, and the other runs just below a thin layer of insulation, it's shielded instrument cable. If both are insulated on their own (often one insulating jacket will be black, the other white,) are are inside an outer insulating jacket, chances are it's speaker cable. If the ends are shrink-wrapped, you either have to remove the shrink, or try another method.
3. Plug suspect cable between a guitar and amp. If it is noisy, and I do mean NOISY, chances are it's speaker cable.
4. Buy ONLY speaker cable clearly marked along the insulating jacket as "SPEAKER CABLE," and end all guess work. Even better, convert at least one end of your speaker runs to NL4.
darkagent71
New member
The 14 gauge is a speaker cable but from what I've read it doesnt have as much noise as a standard 16 gauge when used as an instrument cable and can be used as both cause it's a lighter speaker cable but I could be wrong. Don't worry, if its 3 feet I'm going with a stereo and have hardly any use of for a 3 foot instrument cable lol
Guitargodgt
New member
The reason instrument cable is not adaquite as a speaker cable is because the shield is small strands of cable braid and has the potential to short out and fuck your amp up. This isn't my words, this came from Jerry at FJA mods.
The difference in construction is simple:
With guitar cables, you have many braided wires that surround the center core wire. The braid is wired to the sleeve and the center wire is wired up to the tip. I have seen some guitar cables that went a step further and put a twisted pair in the center (so basically mic cable) and wired both center twist wires to the tip and the braid to the sleeve.
Speaker cable: Speaker cable has no shield. It is simply 2 wires twisted together (both insulated from each other) one goes to the sleeve, the other goes to the tip.
XLR/TRS cable: The easiest way to visualize this is combining a speaker cable and a guitar cable together. You have that same braided wires going around either a single twisted pair or around 2 twisted pairs (called quad cable). The braid goes to pin 1, or the sleeve (depending on the connector), the white wire(s) go to pin 2 or the tip and the black wire(s) go to pin 3 or the ring.
The difference in construction is simple:
With guitar cables, you have many braided wires that surround the center core wire. The braid is wired to the sleeve and the center wire is wired up to the tip. I have seen some guitar cables that went a step further and put a twisted pair in the center (so basically mic cable) and wired both center twist wires to the tip and the braid to the sleeve.
Speaker cable: Speaker cable has no shield. It is simply 2 wires twisted together (both insulated from each other) one goes to the sleeve, the other goes to the tip.
XLR/TRS cable: The easiest way to visualize this is combining a speaker cable and a guitar cable together. You have that same braided wires going around either a single twisted pair or around 2 twisted pairs (called quad cable). The braid goes to pin 1, or the sleeve (depending on the connector), the white wire(s) go to pin 2 or the tip and the black wire(s) go to pin 3 or the ring.