Not sure where to post this, so... cables

[idiotbear]

OK, I've always used pretty cheap cables, especially on my pedalboard. Would I notice a difference if I traded up significantly? The thing is, if I got good cables from, say, The Lead Factory over here, it'd cost me about £65 ($100) just to connect up my pedals. It'd be closer to £100 (about $140) if I got two ten-footers for amp-to-board and guitar-to-board as well as the patch leads.

Is it worth spending the money? As crazy as it sounds, I'm actually getting CAS (Cable Acquisition Syndrome)!

[daydreamdelay]

I upgraded to George L's a few years ago from the rainbow of 3" cables and to be honest I never noticed any difference sound wise.. the benefit was that I could cut the cables to the length I wanted but the downside came shortly after when the caps would loosen and I'd have to go digging through these cables to find which one had a bad connection.

I ended up buying a bunch of right angle ends and soldering the George L's cable to them which I've been happiest with but it's still a pain in the ass  as a few have gone dead somewhere in the middle :-\

[idiotbear]

Cheers. In the end I compromised and spent £70. I needed new cables anyway, so I thought I'd buy some decent ones. I'll let you know if I notice a difference.

[Sauerkraut]

In my opinion having a pedalboard is a reason for not replacing cheap rainbow cables, as my only problem with them was that they'd break after I stood on them for a bit (not on purpose, I'm just not always in control of what my feet are doing  ), but when you have a pedalboard you're less likely to stand on them, at least I am, so they will do. I also find that when I'm playing a well-grounded guitar it's just as silent when I plug it directly into the amp as when I plug it in via my pedal chain (which means the signal goes through 4 rainbow cables).

[Jay]

I notice a large difference between George L's and other random cables I used previously.  They seem to let a little more sound through across the spectrum.  I'd compare the difference to that of using a non-true bypass pedal.

[pullover]

I upgraded to George L's a few years ago from the rainbow of 3" cables and to be honest I never noticed any difference sound wise.. the benefit was that I could cut the cables to the length I wanted but the downside came shortly after when the caps would loosen and I'd have to go digging through these cables to find which one had a bad connection.

Is there a major design flaw with the George L's connector and cables, or is it something that can be fix with some superglue or locktite? I considered getting these, but maybe not now.

[Jay]

I wouldn't say there is a design flaw.  If you make a good cable (get a good straight cut at the end) and don't abuse it (like yank it out of your amp by the cord) it will maintain itself perfectly fine.  The angle connectors can come unscrewed if they're moved around a lot but the new rubber caps they sell should prevent that.  Unfortunately, the price you pay for the modularity of the cables is that they may end up bad a little more often then a regular cable.  But for better sound, more flexibility, and reasonable price they're far better IMO then anything else on the market despite their shortcomings.  Its way more annoying to me to have to replace a cable then to just unscrew, cut the end, and screw back together. Troubleshooting cables in a pedal board certainly isn't rocket science either.

[daydreamdelay]

Troubleshooting cables in a pedal board certainly isn't rocket science either.

maybe not.. but it sure is a pain in the ass!

it wasn't a constant problem for me but seemed to come up at the worst times.. I'd cut the cables correctly and tightened the screw down nice and tight but every once in a while a cap would loosen up and I'd have a short somewhere to find, it just got old after a while. I never used the plastic covers though so maybe they help, they look like they would.

[pullover]

anyone try the Core X2 kit? 
it seems like a better design, with an allen screw.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=332506

[nealescott]

i haven't tried all of the cables out there, but to me the 2 that have been the most solid, sonically pleasing and reliable are the bullet cables, and the george L's, and they are the only ones i use.

[flatfiver]

I think all the solderless cable kits probably have a tendency to come loose.  The only ones I have first-hand experience with are the Planet Waves and they seem to need trimming and reattachment every now and then.  Plus the connectors are something like $9-$10 each!  And the cable is $1 a foot! $20 for a foot-long cable?!?

Sorry for the rant.  Once I actually get around to setting up my own pedalboard I think I'll just get some bulk wire and plugs and cut/solder it to length.  Or maybe I'll just keep using the foot-long right-angle cables I've been using, which are the same as the longer cables we stock at my store - Neutrik plugs and Horizon wire.