monster tone

[seymourstiletto]

can i get some opinions on cables? i have always used the cheap ones but to be honest i never even thought of shelling out the cash to get monster or zaolla cables. but now that i have the amp i've always wanted and the line of pedals. i'm curious if it would be worth getting off my wallet for some new high end cables.

 

[boogiemon]

can i get some opinions on cables? i have always used the cheap ones but to be honest i never even thought of shelling out the cash to get monster or zaolla cables. but now that i have the amp i've always wanted and the line of pedals. i'm curious if it would be worth getting off my wallet for some new high end cables.

absolutely, at least for the longer run(s). My signal path includes no effects so your mileage may differ, but i noticed a big improvement in tone when i got a good cable.

 

[jab]

i'll go ahead and offer the unpopular opinion here: I don't really notice a difference in quality of cables except for better cables last longer. I always buy middle of the road, not the cheapest, not the best. In fact I use wireless gigging and it still sounds the same to me.

 

[camsna]

mogami 2524

Redco.com

It's the choice of the pros and really affordable!!!

 

[zappaslaughter]

I'm with Jab. I notice no difference in sound. I just found my monster cable has lasted longer. many peeps on this forum swear it makes a difference, but I don't hear it.

 

[fishyfishfish]

I notice a little more clarity on longer runs. But nothing that would merit over $50.00 for a twenty footer. Buy a spool and make your own.

 

[Ang3lus]

i bought a Van den hul cable from www.lavacable.com
i have to say it brings out the natural tone of the guitar now and also brings it up front, definitley made a difference.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

When I had the music store, we sold tons of Planet Waves Classic cables.

They are around $20 and very flexible, and have a lifetime warranty. I really like them.
They have a flange on the ground part of the cable that really makes a great connection to the guitar and amp.

A lot of our customers would ask if the cables had a built in treble circuit.


I think that the higher end cables do make a huge difference if you are using long runs, lots of effects, or have older equipment. Where you will most likely hear the difference is in the type of tones you are using. If you use a lot of distortion, you may not notice an increase in headroom.

A good friend of mine uses the Mogami cord for recording and he said the difference is night and day in his tone. He compared it to a fresh set of batteries in a flashlight.





I design and install Home Theaters, and I know for a fact that there is less noise and much better sound associated with higher end or better made wire.

Monster Cable is mostly hype and advertising, but there are many companies out there that are making some really good wire for much cheaper.


I have to agree that middle of the road is the best bang for the buck.

 

[SeasonOfPain]

I haven't tried the Mogami guitar cable, but Planet Waves cables cut out a lot more EMI when I use them between my guitar and pedals. With a Monster cable I tend to get more interference and buzz.

 

[Monsta-Tone]

That makes +2 for Planet Waves. Great cables for great prices!

 

[MetalMatt]

I vote for Planet Waves too.

I was running a cheap no-name cable from my guitar to amp, I thought it sounded fine. Got a PW cable and BAM! (throws salt onto food) I have more clarity from my guitar.

Monster is a joke. All I get from them broken ends and the radio. They should make radio antennas :lol: Plus they sue anybody with the name Monster... :roll:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Which PW cable did you get?

I have some of the gold plated ones, some of the Circuit Breaker ones and some of the Classic series.

I really like the circuit breaker cords when I'm fixing amps, because I can turn it off without unplugging the cord. Seems kind of lazy, but it saves time. It's really handy when trying out different pedals or guitars too. Like a 2nd Standby switch.

 

[camsna]

I have a GRIP of the PW cable. Sounds good to be sure!

But get the Mogami 2524.

Best balance of tone vs. $$$. The higher end stuff is more expensive than it's worth, in my opinion (Evidence Lyric, etc...).

Cable absolutely DOES impact your tone. Noise, interference, but most of all - cable stores energy which leads to a loss of clarity and definition. If you're plugging straight into your amp with less than 20 feet of cable - you won't notice a HUGE difference cable to cable. Or if your signal hits a buffer before everything else. But if you've got a pedalboard (even a small one), a rack, lots of connections - good cabling does a lot for your tone! And I'm no cork-sniffing 'audiophile' by ANY strech But enough experience and listening have shown that good cable is ALWAYS a good investment! The Mogami sounds great and is a little darker (but still super sweet!) than George L's, which are super bright (VERY low capacitance). And the last thing you want to do with these bright Mk. series amps is make them brighter!!!

Also - try replacing your speaker cable. Whoa baby. The only Evidence cable I'll use (it's the only one that's worth it) is their Siren (II) speaker cable. It opens your sound WAY up!!!

 

[Monsta-Tone]

I've been using the PW gold plated 14 guage speaker cables. They are really nice.


The storing of energy is due to the capacitance of the insulator between the shield and the center conductor. It's called a "Dielectric."

Un even or poor capacitance is really noticable in video cables. If a coax cable is squashed, you'll start to loose the higher channels and the audio on the music channels will be broken up pretty badly.

 

[Esromeron]

I've been using DiMarzio cables lately, and they sound great for a decent price.

Also +1 on what camsna said about speaker cables. This is definitely where you want to spend a little extra.

 

[electrickn]

I use the Mogami 2524's too (with the Neutrik ends,) I really like them. Definately worth the money.

 

[Sustain]

mogami 2524 all the way. Their price is jacked up if you buy in a store, like guitar center, but if you buy them from there you can cut the ends off and walk in and get a free replacement for life.

I buy mine online, I give like 20-30 dollars for a cable that sells at GC for 80 dollars.

Monster cables are better than trash, but not as good as Mogami. They DO COLOR YOUR SOUND.

Some sales people call this a product enhancement, like its a feature.....where I come from this is called "distortion". Not the good kind either.

I like my sound to come out of the other end of the cable completely unadulterated from how it went in.