Guitar Cables (Guide): Capacitance, Connectors, and Contact Cleaning. BEST BRANDS: Cordial, Sommer Cable, Planet Waves, Neutrik, Hicon…
The good performance of an audio chain is affected by all the components that form part of that chain, and each of these elements significantly influences the quality of the sound. Strings, pickups, pedals, amplifier, speakers, and of course the cables responsible for transporting the signal throughout the circuit.
A good cable should transport the signal from our guitar, as close as possible to how it came out of the instrument, and without unwanted loss of some frequencies. The cable must also be well protected against noises caused by interference that sneaks unnecessarily into our audio, and will noticeably affect the quality of our sound.
Sometimes we pay all our attention to the quality of our guitar, or our pedals and amplifier, and we neglect the quality of our cabling. But when it comes to investing in our equipment, we must compensate for that investment in all its components. Although precisely to have good cabling we will not need a great economic effort.
The Care and Keeping of Guitar Cables
It never hurts to treat our cables well in order to get the most out of our investment. We should avoid pulling on the cable to disconnect it, and try not to hit the plugs against the floor or any other part (something that happens quite frequently).
It would also be a good idea to clean the plugs well if they have collected some dust or dirt, before inserting them into their corresponding connector.
We must be especially careful with the connectors, because they are responsible for the most important function of the cable. They are responsible for linking some elements with others, and are the point most prone to deterioration and causing problems.
So treat your plugs like they’re jewels. In fact, we even have 24-carat gold-plated connectors, and this is the most valuable part of the entire cable.
We can find connectors on the market that cannot be disassembled, forming the entire cable in one piece. But there are also detachable connectors with the advantage of being able to re-solder the cable to the connector, or even to be able to get rid of any damaged part of our cable.
Angled Guitar Cables
These connectors can also be found straight, or angled so that the cable is more suitable for some guitar models such as SG or Les Paul. Although for other models such as Stratocaster, the straight plug would be more appropriate.
The angled jack connector is essential for the connections between our pedals. However, if we have a lot of pedals and we need every inch of our pedal board, even this angled plug can take up more space than necessary. But we can always opt for very small angled connectors, which allow us to put our pedals a little closer together.
This space gained may seem like a small thing, but by using narrower connectors we can have the option of placing more pedals in the same space, depending on the size of the pedalboard.
The high impedance signal coming out of our guitar is very prone to interference, which is why it is vital that our cables have optimal insulation.
This high impedance signal has a very weak voltage, which must travel all the way to the amplifier. So the shorter this path, the less degraded the signal will be, and the less likely it will be to pick up interference.
Therefore, our cables should be tailored to our needs and nothing more. For example, a distance of 4 or 5 metres will not present any major problems. But from these measurements, it is not a bad idea to adjust the cable length to what is strictly necessary. It is not advisable to add additional metres of cable, in case we need more length in the future. In that case, it would be better to have several cables with different measurements.
Long Cables and Buffer
If we need long cables with a consequent loss of tone, we can always install a buffer pedal in our effects chain to push the signal to the amplifier, in case our guitar has passive pickups.
But we don’t have to rush out and buy a buffer either, as some pedals, especially those from the Boss brand, work through Buffer. Therefore, we may already have a buffer installed in our effects chain, and perhaps we didn’t even realize it.
Many people are wary of the quality of the components in a mass-produced cable, and choose to make their own instrument cables themselves, to ensure that the quality of this component is completely optimal.
Guitar Cable Capacitance
If we are going to assemble our own instrument cables, we should first find out the capacitance of the cable, measured in picofarads (pF).
The higher the capacitance, the greater the loss of high frequencies as we increase the length of the cable. Therefore, what we are most interested in is that the cable has the lowest possible capacitance. Something that generally characterizes a good guitar cable is having a low capacitance.
A cable would be considered low capacitance when it is 100 pF per meter of cable, and high capacitance when it is 130 pF/meter.
For example, in the Cordial brand (one of the best brands in the sector) we can find electric guitar cables with a very low capacitance of only 88 pF/m. Something that provides high brightness and clarity.
Another manufacturer to consider is the Sommer Cable brand. A manufacturer that also stands out for the very low capacitance of its cables and for the quality of its products.
Some of you might think that having a high-end cable will cost you a lot of money. But although they are not cheap, they are not inaccessible either. It would cost approximately $2.50 per meter of cable for both brands.
Guitar Cable Connectors
Neutrik Connectors
When it comes to connectors, the manufacturer that enjoys the greatest recognition is Neutrik. This company develops high-quality connectors at a reasonable price for its standard models, and at a relatively affordable price for its high-end gold-plated models, with a “Silent” system that allows you to change guitars without the annoying noise when removing or inserting the connector.
Although if we have a volume pedal we can also disconnect a standard cable, without any noise.
Some plugs also incorporate a switch to mute the sound when we are going to remove the connector from the guitar with the amplifier on.
Hicon Connectors
Another connector manufacturer worth considering is the Hicon brand, with a very reduced angled system and at a very interesting price.
These connectors may seem a bit strange, but they have a quality that can satisfy the most demanding guitarist. When you have one of these in your hand you will understand perfectly, due to the robustness and confidence they transmit.
Hicon also has models with gold-plated tips, but they keep the selling price fairly controlled.
Some of the brands mentioned above are also leaders in the mass production of instrument cables, such as Cordial and Sommer Cable. The manufacturer Cordial collaborates with the connector brand Neutrik to develop the complete product, and the brand Sommer Cable with the Hicon connectors.
Planet Waves Cables
We also have great brands of electric guitar cables, which manufacture their products independently, such as Planet Waves. Brand that belongs to the group of companies of the legendary string manufacturer D’Addario.
Planet Waves produces flexible but robust cables, and they mount connectors that attest to their quality at first glance. For example, you can get a 3-meter cable with gold-plated plugs for less than $25.
This cable has a shielded end for greater protection against interference. This end must be connected to the amplifier to divert external noise to the amplifier grounded, thereby further reducing interference.
Contact Cleaning
If our plug does not make good contact with the guitar connector and makes noise, the female connector may be dirty or has a little rust. To solve this problem, you only have to make a tube with fine sandpaper (for example, 800 grit sandpaper) and insert it several times inside the connector to remove dirt or rust.
To finish the job, we apply a little bit of residue 0 contact cleaner to the connector. It is important that it is residue 0, because, for example, residue 1 contains a little lubricant that can stain our guitar. In any case, it is not necessary to overuse the contact cleaner even if it is residue 0.
Guitar Cables vs Speaker Cables
Another important tip is to never connect a guitar cable to between the amplifier and a cabinet. Although at first glance the speaker cables may look the same and can be accidentally swapped, internally they are very different.
Regarding the signal cable, the speaker cable is thicker and not shielded. A large amount of electric current flows through this cable, which the guitar cable cannot handle.
If we connect a speaker cable to the guitar, there will be noises due to the lack of shielding, but there will be no problems with breakdowns. If we connect a signal cable as a speaker cable between the amplifier and a cabinet, the breakdowns can be disastrous.
At low volume levels the cable may be able to handle it relatively well, but if we turn up the volume too much the cable may burn, and this can cause damage to both the amplifier and the speakers.