It is easy for a guitarist to overlook the bundle of wires that feed life into their amplifier, but in reality, a guitar cable plays a huge role in determining the overall sound and tonal quality of your guitar. This is why it is important to choose a guitar cable that meets both your audio demands and your budget.
Although we can’t all afford to buy the expensive cables a true audiophile might, that doesn’t mean we can’t get great tones out of a reasonably priced guitar cable.
A guitar cable, just like any piece of musical equipment, comes in a wide range of qualities spanning from superlative, to just plain awful. Even if your budget is a little bit tight, you definitely want to stay away from the low end cables as they won’t even be worth the little you pay for them. Here some things to look out for when determining the quality of a guitar cable.
- Low Microphonic Characteristics – This means that the cable should not easily produce audible noises from your amplifier when hit on the ground, or moved during playing. (A low quality cable will often times make a “thud” noise when hit off of the ground)
- Sturdy Plugs – I recommend purchasing a cable with coated ends, so that the persistent bending of the cable at the ends that occurs during playing does not affec your sound.
- Sturdy Look – This is one of those cases where you can judge a book by its cover. If it looks cheap, then it probably is cheap and you want to avoid it. Look for a quality coating on the wires, and sturdy end plugs.
- Quality Brand Name – A brand can only become well known for quality products in one way; Making quality products.
- Lack of Tone Loss – There should not be a noticeable loss in tone when using a cable that is a reasonable length of 20ft or less.
Often times guitarists are not used to hearing the highest of highs and the lowest of lows when playing, which can result in a sound that appears to be more harsh than one is used to. Purchasing such a cable could also result in having to re-adjust all of your amp settings and effects pedals to account for the additional tone. A small amount of signal loss that comes with a good quality guitar cable can actually be a good thing. This loss, or depletion of signal often adds a warmth to your sound.In conclusion, it is important to get the cable that best suits your playing needs. Experiment with a few, and don’t stop until you find the perfect one.
Player Tip: If your high quality guitar cable is starting to lose some its sound, try cleaning the end plugs. Over time the plugs can develop a layer of tarnish that depletes your tone. I recommend using any standard contact cleaner for this.
