Lead query

[Hit&Run]

A mate has given me a guitar lead, and I wonder if anyone could shed any light on it, so to speak. Here's the stats:
[list]
[*]It's black
[*]It's got a coloured plastic ring at each jack (green at one end & yellow at the other)
[*]It says "Series X Professional Audio Sound Cable For Electric Guitar"
[/list]

Now, I've got other guitar leads (directional?) where there is a mini guitar icon on one jack plug & a mini speaker icon on the other plug so you know which 'way' to use the cable.

This guitar lead has a speaker graphic on both plugs, so does this mean it's a speaker lead?
The fact the actual cable has "Series X Professional Audio Sound Cable For Electric Guitar" written on it would lead me to believe that it's a guitar cable, but why not have guitar icons on the jack plugs rather than speaker ones?

Has anyone else ever come across this sort of thing before?

Thanks in advance,
H&R

PS here's a couple of photos so you can check out the icons on the jack plugs.

Edited May 14, 2010 by Hit&Run

[Dood]

I think your assumption could well be true. I'd hope that any company worth their weight would mark up their cables correctly - oh unless it's a dodgy far eastern clone make. So my feeling is that it is indeed a speaker lead. you have no real way of telling by sight with moulded plugs that you can't unscrew.

The only reference I have found to Series X Professional Audio is this one so far [url="http://bernsmusic.co.uk/guitars/guitar-accessories/guitar-tuners/planet-waves-guitar-tuner-3m-series-x-pro-jack-lead.htm"]http://bernsmusic.co.uk/guitars/guitar-acc...o-jack-lead.htm[/url] - but it doesn't say any more about the cable itself.

[Mr. Foxen]

Could you check the resistance? If sleeve to sleeve has a higher resistance than the tip to tip, it would indicate one is a screen, whereas a speaker cable should be both the same, as the two cores are identical.

[Hit&Run]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='837138' date='May 14 2010, 01:43 PM']Could you check the resistance?[/quote]
Possibly, if I knew how. What equipment would I need to do this? My lead guitarist may be able to help out.

[url="http://www.stagebox.com/proddetail.asp?pid=152"]This[/url] looks like my cable, so it's not like it's a super premium lead or anything. Still, I don't want to damage anything of mine by using it incorrectly.

Maybe they ran out of correct jack plugs when they were making mine?

I could always carry it as a spare, and hope one of the guitarists needs to use it before I do. Thereby minimising risk to my gear...

Edited May 14, 2010 by Hit&Run

[JDH]

I have a couple of these leads. They look exactly the same as those in your photo's and have the same text printed on the cable. It is a guitar lead, but I agree that the logo is misleading.

It doesn't matter which jack is connected to the amp or guitar!

Cheers

JDH

[4 Strings]

There's no way any damage will be done to amp or guitar by connecting this lead either way round. Might be to your reputation if you insist someone is not using it correctly! I cannot explain the colours of the decorative rings, they will not match many guitars.

The only 'directional lead' for guitars I've come across are those with a 'Silent' plug on one end, the guitar end, which leaves the contact open until its plugged in. This avoids the crunching noises through the amp when the guitar is being plugged in after the amp end with the volume up and reduces the humming if its left unplugged. Its still not a directional lead though, just has different plugs on each end.

I once bought a very expensive hi-fi interconnect lead which was supposed to be directional. Didn't sound any different either way (and I tried to hear the difference), and it turned out the soldering was pants, which would have made a much bigger difference. If anyone tries to sell you a 'directional lead' for your guitar, just go somewhere different.