Leads

jcoote · 31-08-2006 9:06am #1

i'm gonna buy a new set of leads for my setup.

Anybody got any preference or ideas of whats supposed to be good

Doctor J · 31-08-2006 9:14am

Leaving aside the popular big-brand names, I've heard a lot of good things about this place, not just durability, which seems to be a what the big brands go for, but more in terms of the quality of the cable itself and the clarity of the signal. I was going to get them to sort me out in the not to distant future.

Ancient1 · 31-08-2006 9:37am

Got this article in a HC newsletter, not a bad read.

31-08-2006 9:42am

Planet Waves leads with a lifetime guarantee is where the money's at imo

Ancient1 · 31-08-2006 9:44am

What's the hype with Planet Waves?

I just can't bring myself to dish out €30 for a simple cable.

jcoote · 31-08-2006 9:50am

that looks interesting doc.the online ordering is offline at the minute tho.

i really only need 4 cables (one for the beginning and one for the end of the chain and the same for the loop).

still tho i don't think 120 euro would be spent on the 4 cables tbh

31-08-2006 9:53am

you'll never have to buy another cable though...

if you play guitar for 15 years, thats €2 per year, per cable..

bargain really

Ancient1 · 31-08-2006 9:57am

You could look at it that way.

But I've been using my main lead for 15 years now and never had a bother with it. Now that's quality.

jcoote · 31-08-2006 9:58am

they are nice and quiet i assume

gizmo · 31-08-2006 10:09am

Hrm, I went through 2 "cheap" leads in the past few years until I got a nice mid range Planet Waves last Summer and it hasn't given me a spot of bother since. Signal clarity seems great with no noise and the right angle option is always nice on my SG.

If you want a Planet Waves but don't want to spend a fortune just don't bother with the Ciruit Breaker model, while it may be handy it just seems a little bit overkill imo.

Johnny Storm · 31-08-2006 11:14am

gizmo wrote:

...If you want a Planet Waves but don't want to spend a fortune just don't bother with the Ciruit Breaker model, while it may be handy it just seems a little bit overkill imo.

+1
And its always off when you want it to be on etc.

bombidol · 31-08-2006 11:26am

Either Planet Waves or Monster Cables are the way foreward. think monsters are slightly cheaper but just as good

Ancient1 · 31-08-2006 11:32am

Johnny Storm wrote:

And its always off when you want it to be on etc.

?

You have to quit drinkin, Johnny.

jcoote · 31-08-2006 11:44am

was lookin at these ones

http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_cordial_cbli_3_prsw_prodinfo.html

fish-head · 31-08-2006 12:04pm

Planet Waves have a good cheaper option, about €15 for 10ft, which isn't too bad. They're well made cables. I wouldn't buy one of those uber-expensive leads, I always lose a few cables at every gig due to general disorganisation, chaos and evil people from other bands.

Johnny Storm · 31-08-2006 12:42pm

Ancient1 wrote:

?

You have to quit drinkin, Johnny.

Do you know my wife, then?

Ancient1 · 31-08-2006 12:47pm

I'm familiar with that domestic situation.

Remember Mississippi Fred McDowell singing "I asked her for whiskey, she gave me gasoline"?

gaffmaster · 31-08-2006 1:09pm

hey does anyone know of any good spiral coiled cables like they used in the 60's and 70's. they look cooler!!!

Eoin Madsen · 31-08-2006 1:15pm

They're pretty bad for your signal, so there are no good ones as such. But you can get a poxy one in Maplin as far as I know.

Karl Hungus · 31-08-2006 1:53pm

Another vote for Planet Waves here. They're solid as they come, and they will last you. John Petrucci uses these cables, so you know they're quality. Of course, the fact that I use them should be enough for you.

bombidol · 31-08-2006 1:56pm

yeah they are the way foreward. loosing cables sucks ass. ive lost a few planet waves over the years too.

Sofaspud · 31-08-2006 2:45pm

I have a few planet waves ones, but the bit inside the jack always seems to be breaking itself, I've fixed each of those leads about 20 times each in the past 2 years.

Leem, on the other hand. I bought a leem one a couple of years ago, at a generic price (about 8 quid) and the only problem I've ever had with it was when I seemed to forget that leads aren't infinite length, an ran away from the amp, perpendicular to how the lead was plugged in, and snapped the lead right out of the jack. A wee bit of soldering and all was hoopy, though. 'tis still my lead of choice. It's also a cool transparent-red plastic, and I can see the wiring inside.

jcoote · 31-08-2006 3:23pm

might get some planet waves so sound good

feylya · 31-08-2006 3:45pm

I use Neutrik cables. Steel shells and a mechanism that the more you pull the cable, the more the jack clamps on.

!_Brian_! · 31-08-2006 6:30pm

I bought 2 planet waves leads for 60 quid for the lot when I bough my cab 3 years ago, I'm still using the same leads today and after a lot of punishment. Their indestructable!

david · 31-08-2006 9:29pm

Honestly get yourself 30m of this
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_artikel-158881.html
and 8 of these and you'll never need another cable again
http://www.thomann.de/thoiw6_neutrik_np2c_prodinfo.html

Neutrik jacks are as solid as it gets and i've never had any problems with that cable, I use it on 10m runs and its still noiseless/click free.

SirLemonhead · 31-08-2006 10:58pm

feylya wrote:

I use Neutrik cables. Steel shells and a mechanism that the more you pull the cable, the more the jack clamps on.

Neutrik makes cable now?

feylya · 31-08-2006 11:55pm

They sell brand name cables using neutrik jacks and some cable that I think of.

Eoin Madsen · 01-09-2006 12:52pm

I just soldered neutrik jacks onto some Cordial Microphone cable from Thomann. Effective for the most part, but ironically, some of the leads became microphonic.

The Boarder Man · 01-09-2006 1:30pm

I must thanks a certain French gentleman for posting this outtake from an interview with Cesar Diaz (guitar tech for SRV) on another forum:

When we were doing the In Step album with Stevie [Ray Vaughan] , I had an endorsement with Monster Cables. They would send me all of this free stuff and I was very excited because I could manage these things for a guy like Stevie, who really didn’t even know how to wash dishes. All he knew how to do was play the guitar, but God bless him for that, because he really did something with what he knew. Anyway, I took these cables we got to Stevie and he said, “I hate these things.” I asked him, “Why, man, they’re the best cables in the world?” He said, “They pass to much electricity.” Those were his exact words, and I’ll never forget it as long as I live. “They pass too much electricity.”

They were too efficient…

Yeah, so he sent me out to the local Radio Shack and told me to buy every gray coil cord they had – not the black ones, only the gray ones. And I thought, “Hhmm, this freakin’ hick from Dallas is telling me this?” I got them and ran them through my capacitance meter and found out that they added like almost .05 mfd to the signal chain. That made it sound solid – it was like having a tone control, and the brightness and harshness that the Marshalls had was eliminated. There isn’t a single picture of Hendrix… back then they already had high-end cables, but there isn’t a single picture of Hendrix where you see him playing with a straight cable. Why?

So in short; get crap cables or get long cables.

Karl Hungus · 01-09-2006 1:39pm

The Boarder Man wrote:

So in short; get crap cables or get long cables.

Sorry man, but that's a ridiculous thing to say.

That made it sound solid – it was like having a tone control, and the brightness and harshness that the Marshalls had was eliminated.

All well and grand if you want that effect on a Marshall, but what happens when you're using an amp that isn't too bright and harsh for your tastes? Or what if you like your Marshall bright and harsh?

There's way too many variables. Just because using crap cables worked for one man, in one situation, doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone in every situation.

jcoote · 01-09-2006 1:44pm

i agree with KH here consistency is the main thing with any gear.

like even if its consistently crap u can work around it once and not have to adjust the next time u pick up the guitar or whatever

The Boarder Man · 01-09-2006 2:04pm

Ah relax, I only posted it 'cause I thought it was interesting.

Pesonally I get the black Planet Waves cables. They seem reliable, have a lifetime guarantee and are cheaper than most. What's to lose?

Karl Hungus · 01-09-2006 2:05pm

The Boarder Man wrote:

Ah relax, I only posted it 'cause I thought it was interesting.

Oh don't worry, I'm relaxed, I just never pass up the chance to have a good rant.

Ancient1 · 01-09-2006 2:11pm

Great story, Boarder Man! Can you hook me up with a link for the full interview?

Oh, and never mind KH and jcoote. These foos don't know that the word of SRV is the Word of God!

The Boarder Man · 01-09-2006 2:19pm

Ancient1 wrote:

Great story, Boarder Man! Can you hook me up with a link for the full interview?

Unfortunatlely that's all that was posted on the forum I got it from, I can PM the guy and try and find out if you like.

Ancient1 wrote:

Oh, and never mind KH and jcoote. These foos don't know that the word of SRV is the Word of God!

Thanks Ancient, it's too Friday to be getting worked up about anything.

Cheers to all.

jcoote · 01-09-2006 3:00pm

sorry i lost the run of myself there...fridays don'texist when your a shift worker

but yeah planet waves are lookin more appealing

Johnny Storm · 01-09-2006 4:36pm

I read somewhere :rolleyes: that Jimi always used the curly cables because they supposedly cut off a bit of the treble. He certainly always used Marshals, didn't he?

Ancient1 · 01-09-2006 5:11pm

I think we can safely take Stevie, Jimi and EJ out of any equation because their sense and perception of tone was always completely beyond that of mere mortals.

Leads

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