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Does anyone have any opinions on brands of patch cables in between effects?
There are osme AXL ones on Ebay for a decent price, never heard of them---MusiciansFriend has Dimarzios, but its 10 bucks for each 6 " cable, 12 bucks for the 12 inchers....there's also those George L's kits that everyone is raving about but I'm not a mechanical person at all...are they easy to put together?
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I don't know abut anything high quality, but I was at a guitar store and found a set of 11 for $5, so that what I use
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... nad this should probably go to effects, well, is is amps and accesories, so I have no idea. MODS!
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it's about cables, so I'll leave it. I bought a pack of short (12"?) cables off of eBay for like $10 + s/h and I've been pretty happy with them. Also, I've been told the George Ls aren't hard to put together...it's like "cut...crimp" something like that...haha.
AXL is the company that owns Johnson Guitars (or maybe it's the other way around...I never figured that out)
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I don't know a whole lot about different brands, but I know that George L's have gotten a lot of good reviews. From what I understand they are extremely easy to put together - solderless connections. Just strip the wire and screw on the end, and since you can make the wires whatever length you need, it cuts down a lot on wire clutter. I know that I will likely get a bunch and do all my effects with them sometime in the next year or two.
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Originally Posted by PianoMan I don't know a whole lot about different brands, but I know that George L's have gotten a lot of good reviews. From what I understand they are extremely easy to put together - solderless connections. Just strip the wire and screw on the end, and since you can make the wires whatever length you need, it cuts down a lot on wire clutter. I know that I will likely get a bunch and do all my effects with them sometime in the next year or two.
George L's are one of the best ways to go. I use them for my board and for my guitar cable. But, you don't even have to strip the wire. Just cut to length, push the cable ends ALL THE WAY IN, bend the cord in the slot and tighten the thumbscrews. No soldering mess at all. Easier than changing strings!
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I'm in the same dilemma as presumably many here. I want to get some good quality connectors for my pedal board. I currently have, in my arsenal, a kit of "Hosa" connects that are patch-bay grade, not instrument cable type . . . a Fender Electro-Volt 6" patch . . . and a few assorted 6" 'straight-straight' instrument cables. I want to upgrade to a consistent set for the pedalboard I'm assembling, with quality to match or exceed the Monster Cables I'm currently using guitar > effects > amps (after all, these will change, but the pedalboard cables will not). I saw the Dimarzios, and they appeared to be what I was looking for, but at $10 a piece they add up quite quickly. Musicians Friend also offers the Fenders, which arent nearly flexible enough, and dont seem to be any better quality than the average store-brand instrument cable. Their third offering is a Live Wire 6" patch . . . I dont see what makes it any different than the Fenders. What I was really looking for was, say, a kit that offered 5 of the Dimarzios for $35, or something.
Speaking of kits, many people are fans of the George Ls. For $50 for 10 ends, that's 5 cables, they are the same price as the Dimarzios, and you have to put them together. It's supposedly very easy, but can you really trust anything that screws together with no stripping and no solder? Possibly, but at that price . . .
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Originally Posted by mt_spiffy
Speaking of kits, many people are fans of the George Ls. For $50 for 10 ends, that's 5 cables, they are the same price as the Dimarzios, and you have to put them together. It's supposedly very easy, but can you really trust anything that screws together with no stripping and no solder? Possibly, but at that price . . .
I've been using them over a year now with NO problems. I would think that experience would speak for itself. And is not "supposedly" easy, it is easy. Like I said just above, it's easier than changing strings. But then again, you've never tried them so why listen to me? I've only been playing over 35 years.
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For $50 for 10 ends, that's 5 cables, they are the same price as the Dimarzios, and you have to put them together. It's supposedly very easy, but can you really trust anything that screws together with no stripping and no solder? Possibly, but at that price . . .
From waht I understand you also get a ton of extra cable length and get some more ends from them to use for your Guitar to effect in and effect out to amp cables.
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As far as noise is concerned, the shorter the length the better. Don't make a 12" cable a part of your regular set up if a 6" cable will do the job. I don't have a pedal board (because I don't have many pedals, mainly), and so I use 12" cable so that I can space out the few pedals I have in my area the way I like them. If I had a pedal board, I'd be looking for shorter cables, possibly even direct (solid, inflexible) connections.
Nate
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Originally Posted by Hopeful I've been using them over a year now with NO problems. I would think that experience would speak for itself. And is not "supposedly" easy, it is easy. Like I said just above, it's easier than changing strings. But then again, you've never tried them so why listen to me? I've only been playing over 35 years.
Woah, no need to get defensive. I dont doubt they are easy to assemble. I dont doubt they have worked very well for a large number of people who use them. I do wonder if they can stand up to all the same abuse and reliability of cables with soldered connections and strain relief . . . but the bottom line for me, for what they cost, I'd rather get pre-made cables.
With the kit, you get 10 ends, or enough for 5 cables, which works out to $10 per cable. However it includes 10' of cable. So if you're making 6" patch cables, you use 2 1/2 feet, leaving 7 1/2 feet left for 15 more cables. So, you need 30 more ends. At $4 a piece, that's $120, so you've spent a total of $170, and made 20 6" patch cables. That works out to $8.5 a cable.
Or, if like me, you only need 3 cables . . . that's $17 a piece, or $13 a piece if I include a spare. I can buy the Dimarzio's for $30, or $40 including a spare. That's still a bit much.
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Originally Posted by mt_spiffy I do wonder if they can stand up to all the same abuse and reliability of cables with soldered connections and strain relief . . . but the bottom line for me, for what they cost, I'd rather get pre-made cables. i'd imagine they'd hold up just as well if not better...it's not hard to break a solder joint.
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Originally Posted by mt_spiffy I do wonder if they can stand up to all the same abuse and reliability of cables with soldered connections and strain relief . . . but the bottom line for me, for what they cost, I'd rather get pre-made cables.
With the kit, you get 10 ends, or enough for 5 cables, which works out to $10 per cable. However it includes 10' of cable. So if you're making 6" patch cables, you use 2 1/2 feet, leaving 7 1/2 feet left for 15 more cables. So, you need 30 more ends. At $4 a piece, that's $120, so you've spent a total of $170, and made 20 6" patch cables. That works out to $8.5 a cable.
Or, if like me, you only need 3 cables . . . that's $17 a piece, or $13 a piece if I include a spare. I can buy the Dimarzio's for $30, or $40 including a spare. That's still a bit much.
If you envision making 20 6" cables, that might indeed be your cost. But if you're only making 3, 4 or 5, here's the beauty of George L's. You do not use the remaining 7.5'. Rather, you keep them in case you need to make a replacement, since all things electric have a possibility of failing. With George L's, it's far less likely for the hardware to fail and more likely that the wire will fail. In that event, unscrew the thumbscrews and remove the cable, cut another 6" length or whatever you need, push it back into the plugs and screw them back in with the thumbscrew. You actually have a 90 degree joint formed by the cable that locks it into place in the plug. You will have a replacement in less than 2 minutes. There is no driving time or gas spent going to the music store to call on a replacement guarantee, which does add up.
And guess what! You have the ability to do this 14 more times if you had to. Quite frankly, the George L connections will withstand more pulling pressure than a soldered end, because it is not going to move around or bend like a soldered end. In addition, there is nothing between the plug and the cable wire like you have in a standard end; thus, there are less parts to fail. Having gone through cables that failed for whatever reason, I am so glad someone thought of an easier, more cost effective (in the long run) way to keep me plugged in!
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I hope this isnt perceived as I'm arguing with you . . .
Originally Posted by Hopeful If you envision making 20 6" cables, that might indeed be your cost. But if you're only making 3, 4 or 5, here's the beauty of George L's. You do not use the remaining 7.5'. Rather, you keep them in case you need to make a replacement, since all things electric have a possibility of failing. With George L's, it's far less likely for the hardware to fail and more likely that the wire will fail. In that event, unscrew the thumbscrews and remove the cable, cut another 6" length or whatever you need, push it back into the plugs and screw them back in with the thumbscrew. You actually have a 90 degree joint formed by the cable that locks it into place in the plug. You will have a replacement in less than 2 minutes. There is no driving time or gas spent going to the music store to call on a replacement guarantee, which does add up.
I understand, but I am perceiving an option where I dont need to worry about repair or replacement. I am building a pedalboard where my select few pedals will be mounted permanently, and so the patch cables will not see much abuse. That having been said, I definitely dont want them to be the weak link in the setup, and especially as they will be permanent, I want to use the best patch cables within reason. I like the Dimarzios, but $30 for 3 6" cables seems a bit much. I was looking for some of approximate or equal quality, but a better deal. The George L's cost more, unless I forsee eventually needing 5 or more cables I dont know why I'd consider them.
Still looking for a better deal on the Dimarzio's, or something just as good.
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Originally Posted by mt_spiffy I hope this isnt perceived as I'm arguing with you . . .
I understand, but I am perceiving an option where I dont need to worry about repair or replacement. I am building a pedalboard where my select few pedals will be mounted permanently, and so the patch cables will not see much abuse. That having been said, I definitely dont want them to be the weak link in the setup, and especially as they will be permanent, I want to use the best patch cables within reason. I like the Dimarzios, but $30 for 3 6" cables seems a bit much. I was looking for some of approximate or equal quality, but a better deal. The George L's cost more, unless I forsee eventually needing 5 or more cables I dont know why I'd consider them.
Still looking for a better deal on the Dimarzio's, or something just as good.
Let me explain how I look at it. I'm looking at it in the long term - 2 to 3 years down the road. Last night, I decided I did not like the way my board was set up, so I rearranged all the pedals on my board. I have a compressor, Tonebone Classic, Blues Driver, EQ, Delay and Tuner that I connect on my board. With these many pedals plus my amp footswitch, the last thing I need is a lot of clutter. I redid my whole board in about 1/2 hour - changed out some old velcro, changed the lengths of two of my cables and now have it in a more logical (to me) setup with little excess cable messing it up. I didn't have to go out and waste time or spend more to get new lengths. Try doing this with any other brand.
However, what's missed in all of this discussion is the fact that George L's have been judged to be one of the best brands of cables in the industry, I think even beating out what you're looking at. Why wouldn't you want one of the best, even if it costs a little more now, but be cheaper in the long run? That is, unless you know for a certainty you will never change your board and that your cable will NEVER fail. In all my experience, cables and cords have been the least reliable part of my setup.
Now, can you tell me what your board will consist of?