Building Patch Cable

[yano]

I'm in the market for several (at least 4) fairly long patch cables (15-20) feet.  Is it worth it to build your own?

Are there any places on the internet which sell spools of patch cable that you can just cut and add plugs to? A brief look at mouser didn't reveal much.

Any thoughts on the matter?

[blabj]

you could always get some audiophools cabling, cheapest around!  :lol:
theres a place near me, in england, that sells spools of it... but i dont spose that would be much help, as it would cost alot to get it shipped  
sorry
callum

[petemoore]

When I had the Belden Shielded cable and the Switchcraft Plugs.
 These days it's worth the extra few buxx to get a nice one, expecially but not exclusively on the guitar side.

[bwanasonic]

http://georgels.com/

Kerry M

[Peter Snowberg]

I've only heard good things about GeorgeL's cable, but I would never trust an unsoldered plug. I would say, pick up a bunch of that cable and some Switchcraft or Neutrik plugs.

You would probably be able to get cables cheaper, but they probably won't be nearly as good.

Take care,
-Peter

[PB Wilson]

I just ordered some Neutrik plugs (a pair for just over $7) and got some George L cable (under $1/foot). Not very expensive and should be a top notch addition to my setup. It makes me wonder why some cables cost so much.

[niftydog]

Switchcraft or Neutrik

Do my eyes deceive me?!  Switchcraft and Neutrik in the same sentence?!?!

That's like trying to choose between battery chicken gizards and prime freerange lamb backstrap fillets!

Neutrik are great, but if you're soldering is questionable there's little benefit from spending a small fortune on them!

[Peter Snowberg]

It makes me wonder why some cables cost so much.

You could try entering the construction costs into this project tool and figure out how many cables you would have to sell to make any kind of profit. That might answer things a little more.

Because of the large labor to resale cost ratio, cables are very often something you can DIY with lower cost. In addition you know they're done right.


Take care,
-Peter

[travissk]

I've heard a few people recommend George L's cable (you can buy it by the foot) with neutrik jacks, or failing that, belkin cable with neutrik jacks.

I have a set of George L's patch cables I've been meaning to set up properly, but I just haven't had the time or need to make a new set of pedal patch cables over the past month. I'll let everyone know how it goes when I finally get around to it

[LP Hovercraft]

What is the recommended gauge of the center conductor?  I suspect that the shielded wire I've cannibalized off of of Roland DPDT switchers is a bit thin (tastes like 28-30 gauge).   Is there a brand that offers tinned conductors?  I haven't delved too far into this.

[yano]

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&Product_ID=121739

How does this look? Think it would make pretty good patch? I don't really know what sort of specifics are good.

[Peter Snowberg]

That looks good.

Watch out for any cable that isn't specifically specified for audio use. I used some old Apple LocalTalk cables once that looked nice, but they were so microphonic that dragging the cable across the floor made amazing amounts of noise and they turned out to be totally unusable.

Take care,
-Peter

[ErikMiller]

This is one of those things that I consider to be like cloning current Boss production pedals. It can be done, but don't do it to try to save money.

In recent years, inexpensive house brand cables have gotten pretty good:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040217013306198144206003162558/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/333210/

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040217013306198144206003162558/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/330077/

My favorite is the "tweed" type, or what I think of as the "old clothes iron" type. Cloth covering on the insulation:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040217013306198144206003162558/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/330075/

GuitARRRRR Center regularly has decent cables on sale at loss-leader prices. Lifetime warranty, too, and I've made them honor it.

[PB Wilson]

Peter- When I questioned the price of some cables, I was referring to some of the boutique cables that are in the hundreds of dollars. Two Rock comes to mind and there are others. I would bet that many high-priced cables are great sounding, meaning that they color the signal the least amount, but what about the cost/benefit ratio? I'm the last person to begrudge someone making a living and I am grateful to many manufacturers for offering solid products at good prices, but I haven't been convinced that it is necessary to spend an arm and a leg or a second mortgage on some equipment.

[Ed G.]

This is from Bill Lawrence's web site:

"The old Lawrence 1500 by Belden was a modified 8218 that went through an anti-static treatment process that I developed. It's a very durable cable, and the last time I spoke with Eric Johnson, he told me he's still using my cables that he bought twenty years ago. The cable is a little bit stiffer than most of these big supercords and tends to tangle when you dance with the guitar on a big stage.

A few years ago, I designed a more flexible cable with a 6.5mm diameter and a capacitance of 18 pico farad per foot, but Belden wants an opening order of $60,000 to gear up for this product. So far, the 4mm 8218 is still the best cable available, and I can buy it in small quantities.

I'm fully geared up to make solderless connectors, made our first run about one year and haven't put them on the market yet. We have about 1500 in inventory right now.

About George L: George was my national distributor for all my products from 1975 - 1981. When we separated, he had a similar cable made by another wire company ( Belden couldn't sell him my cable due to my exclusive contract with Belden), and he also made a mediocre copy of my solderless plug. The cable is okay and has a capacitance of some 20 pico farad, but a buck a foot is way too much. "

[smoguzbenjamin]

Because of the large labor to resale cost ratio, cables are very often something you can DIY with lower cost. In addition you know they're done right.

Not necessarily