Really...?!

[gafbass02]

I use monster throughout my rig, patch leads, speaker cables the lot. Not had a problem yet and bought em cheap from the us when the rate was good. They are solid, sound meaty and punchy and look cool. I also have a very short elixir and a long zaolla too. Tbh I can hear differences at home for sure, but by the time I'm playing with a band, no chance! But it was all part of my quest to reduce the nightmare hum I had in one house.

[Pete Academy]

I have heard an A/B test with a cheap lead and a very high quality one and there is a definite improvement in clarity. However, your ears soon become accustomed to it. I think a Whirlwind is probably as good as you need. Reliability is the key factor.

[The Burpster]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='745540' date='Feb 15 2010, 09:07 AM']I have heard an A/B test with a cheap lead and a very high quality one and there is a definite improvement in clarity. However, your ears soon become accustomed to it. I think a Whirlwind is probably as good as you need. Reliability is the key factor.[/quote]

I agree that cheap leads from cheap components are not good.....

However I dont buy into Whirlwinds hype either. My G'tarist used to use Whirlwind and swore buy them. Until he used one of mine made up from the same components as OBBM uses...... ( I believe you will find that these are also 'industry' standard in the TV & radio business)

Guess what he uses now at a 1/3rd the price of Whirlwind.

He also now is convinced his signal is stronger and clearer using Klotz and Neutrik with a bit of 'Bobster mojo' .........

[Dubs]

[quote name='The Burpster' post='745634' date='Feb 15 2010, 10:49 AM']He also now is convinced his signal is stronger and clearer using Klotz and Neutrik with a bit of 'Bobster mojo' ......... [/quote]

I will admit to having a super thick Klotz speakon cable for my rig...

I'll also admit to being tempted to buy that Fender cable on Friday afternoon when I popped into a music store on the way home from work to pick up a new instrument cable and to have a bit of a browse

[MB1]

[quote name='Dubs' post='745360' date='Feb 14 2010, 10:26 PM']VOX make a few nice modern versions of the old coiled leads, in a couple of different colours as well.[/quote]

MB1.
...The Shadows ...even recorded an album in there Honour!..."Rockin' With Curly Leads!"...I kid you not!

[bigjohn]

I use whirlwinds and OBBMs. Every other brand of lead I've ever owned no longer work or I've lost.

I can't tell the difference between the two in terms of tone. My whirlwind is longer. I just pick the shortest one I can than doesn't make me feel like I'm tied to my amp.

I'm quite interested in trying a a coiled lead though. I've never done so I don't know anything about them. Do they have an effect on tone due to being coiled? I've just read that guitar players say the coil bleeds some treble something to do with inductance and that the shielding is necesarilly poorer to allow the lead to coil.

I would like to try one to find out. Any one got any insights?

[discreet]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='742985' date='Feb 12 2010, 12:29 PM']Anyone else do nice ones?[/quote]

[url="http://www.vovox.com/neu/content_e/04_02_15.html"]http://www.vovox.com/neu/content_e/04_02_15.html[/url]

...if you budget £122 for the 6m version (!)

Edited February 15, 2010 by discreet

[Dubs]

[quote name='bigjohn' post='745750' date='Feb 15 2010, 12:25 PM']I'm quite interested in trying a a coiled lead though. I've never done so I don't know anything about them. Do they have an effect on tone due to being coiled? I've just read that guitar players say the coil bleeds some treble something to do with inductance and that the shielding is necesarilly poorer to allow the lead to coil.

I would like to try one to find out. Any one got any insights?[/quote]

My understanding of these is that the treble/tone sucking issues are with the original 60's ones - just poor manufacturing technology etc...

I think the modern equivelents are free of the tone issues and are essentially more about the look than anything else.

[OldGit]

I have a red Vox curly lead for my upright where I don't walk about a lot. It has a nice sound and great bag I have a Sennheiser invisible lead for when I do. That's a lot more money....

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=43343&view=findpost&p=429491"]This Thread here [/url] is about the Fender Gold ironing leads and the difference in use.

Edited February 15, 2010 by OldGit

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='bigjohn' post='745750' date='Feb 15 2010, 12:25 PM']I'm quite interested in trying a a coiled lead though. I would like to try one to find out. Any one got any insights?[/quote]

I used these from about 1975 to 1985. Dreadful for the following reasons:

* Because it's coiled, you end up with a proportionally longer run of cable over a shorter usable distance. Hence, longer lead = greater capacitance = tone suck. And, unless you stre-e-e-e-tch the cable, you're stood only 2 feet from your amp. Golly, it's lonely back here.

* If two players are using them, the opportunity for a mighty tangle is squared rather than doubled. Spaghetti disaster. Three coily cables onstage is entirely unthinkable.

* Because they're usually suspended in mid-air between the amp and the player, they bounce around, thus putting pressure on the jack connectors. In the old days the wires soldered straight onto the jack with little or no support. Hence high failure rate. Modern versions would hopefully be well clamped. Hopefully.

* When the cable is at 'full stretchy-stretch' the jack suddenly flies out of the amp and hits you in the back of the head like a speeding bullet. Get used to saying "Ouch! That [i]smarts[/i]!".

* Worse still, the airborne jack hurtles past you and takes out some punter's eye, leading to embarrassment and / or litigation.

* So you end up passing the cable through something like an amp carry-handle. Thus decreasing the usable distance. You're now strapped to the front of your amp. My, what a lot of dust. Must give it a good clean sometime.

* So you buy an even longer coily-cable. Your bass now sounds like the singing mice in 'Babe'.

But they look great, so ignore all the above.

Edited February 15, 2010 by skankdelvar

[discreet]

Ha, ha! Skank, this is all so true!

[Al Heeley]

Heh! There will always be inductance, resistance and capacitance in any length of conductive material. Those of you who can recall O-level physics may have learnt about LCR circuits. Santana got PRS to design a little 'sweet switch' in his PRS supposedly to help improve clarity of tone when he used a really long cable on stage.
The balance of inductance, capacitance and resistance dies cause some interplay with transmission frequencies so in theory it may be possible to specifically design a cable to preserve mid or high range for a guitar or help preserve lower frequencies for bass. But you'll probably need a good oscilloscope to notice any difference, I would very much douby my ears are good enough to be able to hear anything different.
What musicians most want is no drop-off of signal whatever the frequency, bass or lead, rather than paying to use a special frequency-tuned conductive cable. Most amps and instruments have treble and bass controls that can assist with tone shaping. I would not spend £30 to try to achieve this. I would however spend up to £30 on a really good quality robust cable with good quality jack plugs.

[bumnote]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='745790' date='Feb 15 2010, 01:02 PM']I used these from about 1975 to 1985. Dreadful for the following reasons:

But they look great, so ignore all the above.[/quote]

Methinks your tongue was somewhat in your cheek

I have a nice red one that I think I got from maplins some while ago, and Ive used others in the past.

I normally use a wireless but I usually put the curly one by my amp in case of a wireless problem [rare]

I fitted a neutrik right angle one end and a straight tother. There is no appreciable difference in sound between that or a conventional cable. [Cant remember what my others are but they are good quality cables]

I have never had a problem of the plug pulling out of the bass as I always loop behind the strap or had it pull out from the amp.

I hate cables round my feet which is one of the reasons i use a wireless, the other is electrical safety. Im not playing the Albert Hall so the backline is never that far behind me and I find the curly lead works fine if I use it.

[OldGit]

"But they look great, so ignore all the above. "

Skank plays a trump card!

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='discreet' post='745752' date='Feb 15 2010, 12:26 PM'][url="http://www.vovox.com/neu/content_e/04_02_15.html"]http://www.vovox.com/neu/content_e/04_02_15.html[/url]

...if you budget £122 for the 6m version (!)[/quote]


That's a bit steep!! and they're not even in funky colours.

[discreet]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='746047' date='Feb 15 2010, 04:24 PM']That's a bit steep!! and they're not even in funky colours.[/quote]

Hmm... OK then, how about one of these?

[url="http://bit.ly/neonpink"]http://bit.ly/neonpink[/url]

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='discreet' post='746096' date='Feb 15 2010, 04:55 PM']Hmm... OK then, how about one of these?

[url="http://bit.ly/neonpink"]http://bit.ly/neonpink[/url][/quote]

Now we're talking

[Dubs]

[quote name='discreet' post='746096' date='Feb 15 2010, 04:55 PM']Hmm... OK then, how about one of these?

[url="http://bit.ly/neonpink"]http://bit.ly/neonpink[/url][/quote]

nice! At least you know when your guitarist has nicked your lead!!

[Doddy]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='742985' date='Feb 12 2010, 12:29 PM']I like fabric covered cables like that. They don't tangle so much. Bass tone ...Shmone.

Anyone else do nice ones?[/quote]


Ahem..........Spectraflex.





Shameless endorsee plug over.