Anyone making their own guitar cables??

[Structo]

Years ago when I was into pro-automobile audio I used interconnects that had directional shielding.
There were labels on the cables with arrows on them to show the way the signal should follow.

I know they looked cool and cost a bunch, how much more affective they were at rejecting noise or making it sound better I don't know......

[selloutrr]

I make my star quad instrument cables differently...

18 feet Canare star quad cable. ( or less... ) Rarely longer.
Neutrik or Switchcraft connectors.
Heat shrink tubing.

I pair ( 2 same color ) conductors to tip both ends.

Other pair ( 2 other color ) conductors to sleeve both ends.

Shield to sleeve - One end only.

Good luck

Bob

This is what I do. Works like a charm.

Another trick you can do to increase cable toughness is to build the cable and fill the connector internals with epoxy. It really helps keep those wires from breaking. I really only do this with short stompbox cables though as those see more abuse than my regular cables.

Forget fixing it you'd have to cut back and start all over. what you gain is very little if nothing using epoxy, (some epoxy is even conductive! and or corrosive!) if you tin your connections and make a solid solder point with a lowest possible Ohm ready you will have a solid dependable cable for years to come.


If using quad star cable to get the proper impedance all 4 conductors need to go to tip! the wire wrap or braid ( my preference in instrument cables for the flex.) goes to shield ( ground ) on both ends.

Tip - use a 60/40 or 60/32 kester solder. read up on the melting point of the wires coating, set your iron so you wont melt it. tin your wires, use a vise or wood block to hold the connector put a dab of solder on the connectors terminal not in the hole. place the wire in the hole and solder the wire in place using the solder pad to quickly bond the solder to the housing. repeat, let cool 5 min. ( totally cool! ) read ohms. reflow ground it needed. test continuty close up the cable and enjoy!

[playonit]

I just bought enough cable and plugs to build 4 cables for what it would have cost to buy 1 quality 15' cable at the local guitar farm....... got the Canare quad wire and the Neutrik nx2 plugs shipping today..

[vibratoking]

I wouldn't use epoxy myself. Could be corrosive, conductive, etc...

All my cables fail right at the point where the cable meets the connector, where the cable flexes. I normally just unsolder, cut 6" of the cable, and then resolder. Good as new. It wouldn't be so easy with a bunch of epoxy goo in there.

[rp]

Are we talking L4E6S StarQuad? What's the point of making guitar cables with this? Seems like a lot of trouble, especially now that we know that all 4 cores must go to the tip - yow!

What are people using StarQuad for guitar hearing over GS6? I love the clarity of GS6, but I wouldn't want any more. I knew a tech making guitar cables with the Canare coax video stuff LV77S (?) - too much clarity for me, stiff too.

BTW StarQuad makes a mighty fine hifi interconnect cheap, and their RCAs work nice. GS6 actually makes a very fine very cheap hifi interconnect too.

Structo, sometimes those arrows indicate the shielding, sometimes it is just to keep you always connecting it the same way cause (some say) the wire breaks in with the electron flow direction and it will sound worse if you change it around. Believe what you will.

[jaysg]

Are we talking L4E6S StarQuad? What's the point of making guitar cables with this? Seems like a lot of trouble, especially now that we know that all 4 cores must go to the tip - yow!

What are people using StarQuad for guitar hearing over GS6?

I don't think that's what Cliff and Bob said. selloutr suggested that approach. The Star Quad stuff is cheaper than GS-6, but doesn't have the conductive layer which is there to supress mechanical noise from the braid, as the cable moves around. Trade-offs. I'm interested in the idea though. Please tell us more.

[Zippy]

If using quad star cable to get the proper impedance all 4 conductors need to go to tip!

Why do you suggest that?

What "proper impedance"?

FWIW, if I were connecting the shield on one end only, I would ground it at the amp. That would be the closest to a real ground.

[paulster]

Tip - use a 60/40 or 60/32 kester solder. read up on the melting point of the wires coating, set your iron so you wont melt it. tin your wires, use a vise or wood block to hold the connector put a dab of solder on the connectors terminal not in the hole. place the wire in the hole and solder the wire in place using the solder pad to quickly bond the solder to the housing. repeat, let cool 5 min. ( totally cool! ) read ohms. reflow ground it needed. test continuty close up the cable and enjoy!

And get a flux pen. Essential if you ever do SMD work but a real godsend for soldering connectors.

[Cliff Schecht]

Yeah I was backwards, the lower impedance source would be at the amp side because the ground doesn't have to travel through that 20' of cable before it actually is at ground. The proper impedance thing is BS, this is silver-stranded wire.

[rp]

FWIW, if I were connecting the shield on one end only, I would ground it at the amp. That would be the closest to a real ground.

I do AV work and this comes up often, at least for me - no one else cares much. It's supposed to be at the source, but what if it's 200' of cable back to a rack, you'd think the rack end would be closer to the real ground. I also do Crestron and have never really figured out where to put the drain shield. I usually do it to the power supply, which is usually not the source but it seems more better, as a friend would say, otherwise it's to the source if it's not a home run.

Years ago Stereophile 'discovered' DIY Canare for cheap interconnects. Their recommendation for unbalanced L4E6S was one pair to tip other to sleeve, shield at source. But they're a lame publication so any other info is welcome from me.

Here's Canare's info for XLR hook-up at least. I doubt canare even bothered with unbalanced for straquad but maybe someone has that info.

[Bob Simpson]

I don't usually mark which end of the cord has the shield.

Probably should. Colored heat shrink or something.
In case EJ needs to borrow one.

Normally, it's the straight plug, which would go to the amp input.
Angled goes to my guitar.
Unless it's the strat.

Bob

[Cliff Schecht]

I don't usually mark which end of the cord has the shield.

Probably should. Colored heat shrink or something.
In case EJ needs to borrow one.

Normally, it's the straight plug, which would go to the amp input.
Angled goes to my guitar.
Unless it's the strat.

Bob

[jaysg]

I do AV work and this comes up often...

Do you use the little tip cup things? I've seen them used in Speakon connections, but I don't what to call them so I can order them.

[Aurora]

Now - this is sounding like Stereophile, or any of the hyped-up cable discussions from the HiFi crowd...
While I fully understand the mechanical aspect here, like noise from moving braids etc, your finds are valuable. I don't know the StarQuad cable, but connected as described for balanced interconnects, like XLR cables, the procedure may give some miniscule noise reduction over regular balanced two-conductor cable, but used single ended, or non-balanced, if you connect 1,2,or all 4 to the tip, it just don't matter!
Cable impedance in analog audio cables, even 200' long, is simply a non-topic, - avoiding to use stronger words
Cable resistance may matter, i fused as speaker cables, though.....

[vibratoking]

I don't understand the need for 4 conductors in a guitar connection. In my mind, it is strictly for a balanced connection. The GS-6 is more appropriate for a guitar connection.

Proper impedance? What is that? How can it be called BS when it is not defined? you guys lost me here. The impedance of the connection is fully dominated by the pickups, cable and amp input. The resistance is certainly influenced by the solder connections (the sum of the resistance at the connections) plus the length x area of the center conductor.