Cable Recommendations?

[guitarcollection]

I am in the process of wiring up several RM4's, a Mesa Amp Switcher, GSP1101, 10 pedals, etc. all through (2) GCX Audio Switchers, which means a lot of F&*kin' cable. Any recommendations? I was thinking about just buying a 150ft spool of Georgle L's wiring and making the cables up myself. A lot of the runs are about 6ft because they need to go from my pedal board on top of the rack to the GCX's in the rack... multiply that x 10 pedals with each of them requiring a send and return to the GCX and it adds up quickly.....at $20.00 a cable.

Marc in Philly

 

[RD/Rich]

I would highly suggest the George L's and I think RD/Steve uses them as well. I did my rack w/ them earlier this year and for anything in a rack they are great. I wouldn't suggest them for anything going longer than 15' out to a pedal board or as a main cable. They seem to be much better for cables that aren't going to be constantly plugged/unplugged.

 

[SacredGroove]

George L's or any other cable you can make yourself is probably the right route for you because of all the cable you need. It'll make customizing your rack much easier, too.

You may be able to utilize a few snakes--6ch, 8ch, etc. I've done that before and it helps with cable management and cuts down on cost substantially.

Scott

 

[guitarcollection]

Good feedback thus far... I'm looking at $500.00 in cable...crazy!

 

[Drew]

Good feedback thus far... I'm looking at $500.00 in cable...crazy!

Im not surprised at $500. I think I spent $350 on my rack cabling using stock proco cables. Your rig can only be as good as the weakest link right? I think of cables as another componant. Not as sexy as a new preamp or power conditioner but very important imo.
Planet Waves has the "Planet Waves Cable Station Pedalboard Cable Kit" similar concept as the George L's. Use the little MF searchbox above for more details.

Even cheap cables get expensive when you buy a bunch.

 

[fatang]

Man, I'd use anything but George Ls if you can swing it. It's a really thin sounding high capacitance cable. Yes it's easy to work with because of the solderless connectors but there are better sounding options if you're not interested in making permanent runs (ie planet waves or evidence audio monorail).

ProCo isn't bad at all and it's hard to beat their warranty.

If you look at how much we spend on the rest of our rigs, I think you sell yourself short by not using quality cable. If nothing else get really good cables for the longest runs and the others should be ok if in loops. And don't forget good speaker cables either!

Robert

 

[khingpynn]

I'm a fan of Monster Cables Studio Pro 1000's and use them exclusivly.
Head to spkr cab, gtr to effects, effects to amp.
They sound awsome are built really well are worth every penny.
I've installed a 4 inch lenth of clear heat shrink at the connecter to cord transition. This will likely prolong the life at this stress point but it's probably not needed.

My runner up cable is what I used before the SP1000's... Planet Waves non switching cables. A fair cable for the $$$ but tonally not near the SP1000.

Craig

 

[Tube Head]

I use a pair of balanced cables for my series FX loop. It sounds like you would be best off with a georgeL cables kit. In my opinion these are the best sounding cable for the money. I would sugest using the right angle conectors only because they will give you less conection problems than any of the straight conectors.

 

[roodyrocker]

I have a GCX Switcher too. The George L's straight ends actually work out better for this application simply because you have upper and lower rows of 1/4" jacks on the back of the GCX. If you use angled George L's, sometimes they interfere with the other row of jacks. Using the straight ends avoids this :wink: BTW, I mounted all my pedals in a rack drawer which is easier than messing with a pedal board on top of your rack.

 

[brother.mack]

I just completed my new pedal board and used Dimarzio patch leads for it. Its crazy how much of a difference it makes to your tone. Very clean, almost added brightness.

I love 'em but im using a pretty simple setup with no rack stuff. Its all inline apart from my BBE Sonic stomp which is in the loop. A cable like George L's might be better suited as you need because you can make your lengths. As far as i know, Dimarzio only do 18', 10', 1' and 6" but i could be wrong.

They look badass too. When i get a chance ll post some pics of my gear, just for fun.

 

[GtrGeorge!]

My experience is this:
The George L cables do sound better than your garden-variety cable. No doubt about it. They are thinner, too, and weigh a little less, also. If you are going to use alot of cables, the weight does matter a little. Also: you can fix em on the road without a soldering iron.
The price is higher for George Ls than standard cables...but all good cables cost more than crap cables.
BUT....I haven't had the best success with their jacks. I like the design...but I find that if you tug on them improperly, or rough them up with stress..they short out easier than expected. Its not all the time..and in a rack..this may not even apply to you....but from guitar to input I would use something that is GORILLA proof.
We all tend to step on our own cables, etc

PS: if you go wireless...I think that throws all this discussion in the trash. Wireless systems do weird things to your tone.

 

[hotlicks2go]

Go to lavacable.com for info on the most widely used cables. Check out the link Cable Summit in the left colomn and read the review. They do have everything from mild budget Mid level cable, Entry level high end to the Best High end cable. George L's are considered mid level cables. They also make cable to length desired. I did my whole rack to cabniets in Van den Hul. I'll never go back to using anything else.

 

[tritone]

These look interesting but I have no experience with them. I like the concept but it might affect tone compared to hi-end cables. I'd be oppossed to any degradation to tone, but I'm only doing studio recording. In a live rig, any tone degradation might be worth the trade-off for the convenience though.

Chris

http://www.pedalsnake.com/