No matter your skill level or experience level, using high quality cables can make an enormous difference to your tone and overall experience. While low quality cables may compromise it, quality ones provide reliable sound transmission while lasting durability.
Though some companies might claim otherwise, guitar cables cannot add anything substantial to your tone. But they can help reduce capacitance – which causes high frequencies to roll-off as current travels through them – which leads to decreased capacitance.
Length
Many musicians view cables as mere accessories; something to connect their instruments and amplifiers together. But cables play much greater roles than that; a good quality cable can have a dramatic impact on tone production as well as reliably supporting performances.
All cables contain a center conductor that serves as the hub of their signal transmission. Copper is often chosen as the ideal material, making thick and high quality copper cables the best choice to handle the higher frequencies associated with guitars and basses without losing their fidelity.
Insulation protects a cable’s copper core while also minimizing electromagnetic interference (EMI). Insulation material used can vary from plastic or metal; manufacturers may even choose to combine both for maximum results. Plastic insulation offers durable protection but it may not be as flexible, while some cables come equipped with additional layers such as abrasion-proof and moisture-proof materials for additional longevity and durability.
Most bassists and guitarists utilize 1/4″ TS connectors to run their signals from instruments and pedals into an amplifier, though there are speaker cables designed specifically to handle higher power levels if necessary over longer runs than instrument cables. It is generally wise to keep your cables short.
Long cables can increase capacitance and cause distortion to your signal, which in turn decreases its treble output. As such, some guitarists opt to keep their pedalboards as close together as possible so they can use shorter cables between pedals.
However, when necessary longer cables should not be shied away from. Instead it should be considered when choosing your ideal length against what works for your situation; e.g. if playing at a gig requiring constant movement then multiple 10ft cables might be best as enough to last through your set while for home practice or rehearsal purposes, 10 feet may suffice as enough length for most people.
Conductors
Bass cables perform the same basic function as guitar cables: taking electrical signals from pickups and transmitting them to amplifiers. There are numerous configurations of cable available, with premium products often boasting superior tones due to materials used and shielding methods employed; there may also be capacitance differences that impact tone.
A standard 1/4″ instrument cable consists of two conductors: TIP (1) which carries the “hot” or positive audio signal and SLEEVE (2) which carries ground or negative audio signals. This design has been around for decades, and is simple, effective, and durable. A stereo cable adds another third conductor called RING (3) for carrying second channel of audio; this type is often found with electric guitars and basses.
Conductors in cables are typically constructed of either solid or stranded copper wire. Solid conductors tend to be cheaper and easier to work with; however, repeated flexing will quickly wear them down and fatigue them over time. Stranded conductors provide greater flexibility and durability due to being composed of several thin copper wires twisted together into one large wire that offers greater pliability.
Conductors in cables must also be shielded to reduce electromagnetic interference caused by fluorescent lighting, power supplies for amplifiers and other electronic devices. Shielding can be implemented using various techniques ranging from foil, braid or spiral of thin copper wires.
Shielding for bass cables must withstand the forces put upon it by musicians performing live concerts. Shielding must reduce handling noise, protect conductors from strain or damage, and retain its shape after repeated bending. A high-quality cable may even feature an outer jacket woven from abrasion-resistant materials for extra protection.
Shielding
As soon as the strings on a bass guitar or electric guitar vibrate and create a magnetic field, which is detected by your pickups’ magnetics and converted into electrical current. To transport it to your amplifier safely and reliably, its transfer must go via cable or lead; good cables feature shielding to reduce hissing, humming and noise pollution.
Shielding typically comes in two forms, spiral or foil aluminium. Spiral shields feature an intricate spiral design with layers of metal surrounding copper conductors; whilst foil aluminium uses thin yet light foil covers as an effective insulator. While spiral shields tend to be cheaper options for cheap cables, foil aluminium could help improve sound quality by acting as an insulator and providing insulation against hissing or humming noises. For best results and improved sound quality when it comes to shielding cables with hissing or humming, opting for foil aluminium shielding will bring greater benefits than spiral shields alone.
Premium cable manufacturers may claim that their product offers superior tone, but this can often be misleading. To truly test whether an expensive and cheap cable are significantly different in sound quality, simply listen. Capacitance plays the biggest part in shaping your tone rather than shielding.
Capacitance levels on high-quality cables typically fall below that claimed by most brands; however, this may differ depending on where you shop. A reputable manufacturer should have specifications available online that show exactly how much capacitance their cable claims have.
At first, it may be beneficial to remember that bass signals are very weak; any interference that the cable picks up from its surroundings will only amplify further when sent through an amplifier. Unshielded cables often suffer this problem as their large conductors pick up noise easily. Shielding may help mitigate this issue but isn’t guaranteed against being affected by nearby fluorescent lighting fixtures, power supplies or WiFi routers; should this prove unsuccessful then alternative types of cable may be required.
Insulation
As soon as you strike the strings on a bass or guitar, an electrical current is produced that travels through its pickups to your amplifier and ultimately out. To ensure accurate information is transferred accurately, it must travel via cable – its type, length and structure all have an effect on how well your signal sounds.
Insulation around the core of your cable is key in protecting its electrical signals from outside interference, including electromagnetic energy from fluorescent lights or other sources that might sneak through to interfere with them. Older cables often suffer from electromagnetic energy leaking in from these sources, but high-quality cables come equipped with built-in shielding that rejects this noise – and some even provide extra layers of protection that shield their core against electrical and mechanical damage.
Good quality cable will come equipped with a jacket to protect it from dirt, moisture and environmental factors. This jacket could be black in color; rubberized for extra durability; outfitted with woven wrap for visual flair or made out of plastic or vinyl material – depending on its purpose and design – and even affect how flexible the cable is.
Many cables come equipped with a molded strain relief to prevent them from being pulled or bent out of shape at their connections, and with connectors designed to easily insert and secure in input jacks they connect to. These connectors may be made from premium materials like nickel, silver or gold – often soldered together so as to provide a strong hold that won’t dislodge over time.
Not only should an electric bass cable possess these attributes, it should also meet the demands of gigging life. That means traveling long distances without losing clarity or picking up unwanted electrical noise from other equipment in your setup; and can withstand frequent movements or abuse such as being walked on, run over or slammed into doors without losing clarity or picking up unwanted noise from nearby equipment.