Making high quality patch cables

[spargo]

I've been using the Core X2 solderless cable kits for my guitar rig, and I'm considering beginning to make my own high quality soldered cables.  A big thing I'm hoping for is that this would save money and be more flexible and reliable.  The X2 cables are fairly stiff and come in at $10 a piece.  Does anyone have suggestions for connectors and cable to get?

I'll need some cables with right angle connectors, others with straight connectors.  Ideally, the cable would be fairly flexible for making a short 6-inch patch cable to stick pedals as close together as possible.  I've heard some say Switchcraft jacks are the best, others swear by Neutrik.  I know for pedal building I get the cheapest 1/4" female jacks and they work great, but the male ends seem more important.  I've also heard the Mogami cable is great, like W2524.  Any suggestions on where the best place would be to buy this stuff?

[.Mike]

I use Canare GS-6 or GS-4. Good stuff. You can get it from Markertek (where I get mine) or Redco.

For connectors, I really like the Neutrik NP2X series. They have straight and right angle, also from the same two suppliers mentioned above. For me, they were easy to assemble, and seem to offer pretty good strain relief.

Do a search-- there are a bunch of topics about this.

Mike

[jkokura]

Basically what Mike said.

Canare GS6 or GS4 is what I've used. GS6 mostly, as GS4 is harder to find here in Canada.

I also use the Neutrik NP2X and NP2RX ends. You can get them at Mouser. They're 4 for straight and I think about 5.5 for right angle each. Pricy, but very, very, very worth it.

Jacob

[spargo]

Thanks for the tips.  Would the GS-6 or the thinner GS-4 be best for 6" patch cables?

[Kearns892]

The cost of plugs is what initially turned me off to doing this. I don't doubt that the quality of Switchcraft and Neutrik plugs are superior to these, but I picked up two of the "pro phono right angle plugs" from futurlec http://futurlec.com/Audio-65mm.shtml (about halfway down the page)

They "look" pretty solid, I haven't bought any cable yet to actually try it out, but at less than 20% of the price for the name brand stuff its worth a shot even if it remains strictly for home use.

[.Mike]

The cost of plugs is what initially turned me off to doing this. I don't doubt that the quality of Switchcraft and Neutrik plugs are superior to these, but I picked up two of the "pro phono right angle plugs" from futurlec http://futurlec.com/Audio-65mm.shtml (about halfway down the page)

They "look" pretty solid, I haven't bought any cable yet to actually try it out, but at less than 20% of the price for the name brand stuff its worth a shot even if it remains strictly for home use.

That's what I thought, too. I bought 32 of these for my Internet radio setup, figuring there wouldn't be much of a difference between them and more expensive connectors. Wired them up with Canare L-4E6S Star Quad, which has shielding braided so tight that it takes about 10 minutes per end to unravel. I replaced them all (with Neutrik) within a year.

Assembly for the cheapies was difficult and cramped. The strain relief was awful-- a couple of metal tabs that you bend over the cable. Doesn't work. In my stationary, never-moved-or-rewired setup, over half of the connectors developed noise or intermittent shorts within a year. I replaced them all with quality connectors and haven't had a single cable-related problem in the two or three years since then.

The strain relief on the Neutriks is excellent. There is a plastic piece that slides on the cable. It is tapered on the outside, and has teeth on the inside. When you screw the cover onto the cable, the tapered plastic piece is forced into the housing, compressing the teeth into the cable, and gripping it very tightly. Check out the assembly guide for drawings of what I mean.

Mike

[blooze_man]

I made about 15 cables with jacks from Futurelec. I used those flat ones. I cut up an old Fender Koilkords and made coil patch cables. So far, so good.

[EATyourGuitar]

just get neutrik jacks and mogami cable. soldering is not so scary. you want a high quality cable, get a soldering iron.

[Philippe]

I use Canare GS-6 or GS-4. Good stuff.

Ditto. The Canare GS-6 is outstanding & can hold its own with instrument cables costing twice as much or as hyped by various audiophiles.

Regarding connectors...comes as no surprise that anyone has recommended the solderless George Ls, yet.
Some swear by 'em, others swear at 'em.

[liquids]

I use Canare GS-6 or GS-4. Good stuff.

Ditto. The Canare GS-6 is outstanding & can hold its own with instrument cables costing twice as much or as hyped by various audiophiles.

Regarding connectors...comes as no surprise that anyone has recommended the solderless George Ls, yet.
Some swear by 'em, others swear at 'em.

I love my George L's.  Following the directions and some thread lock blue goes a long way!

I have at least a $100 invested in the plugs.  So I'm reluctant to start paying $10 a pop for cable/2 jacks/time.  I'd rather just buy em and fix em if need be. I scored some that way (used) and it's been helpful.   But the george L's give me little issue and they're the DIY of cables - they can be made & repaired at the gig with two simple tools and no soldering iron, if need be.   

A good instructional goes a long way - at least for me. Liquid flux was just what I needed to get the results I was not getting when making/repairing cables.
http://tubedepot.com/cable.html
http://tubedepot.com/scp.html
http://tubedepot.com/solder.html  

[stickninja]

I second George L.  Cant say enough about them.  defiantly worth the money, hands down.

[R.G.]

I use George L's, and for my uses they work great. We (and here I step to the first person plural deliberately) use George L's in our advertising displays and show displays because they work, they're very adaptable, and they are low capacitance, flexible cables.

I particularly love that if a connection goes bad, all I need to fix it is a pair of cutters. You unscrew the connector, pull out the end of the cable, cut off 1/2"/12mm, and stick it back in the connector. Do it between sets or even between songs. It's just that fast.

Just my two cents.

[spargo]

Does anyone have a preference for the GS-6 vs the GS-4 for patch cables on a pedal board?  The GS-6 is 18AWG while the GS-4 is 22AWG.  Thinner, but the GS-4 is about half the price.

[jkokura]

The GS-4 is designed for patch cables and makes a nice transition to the pedal board. GS-6, because it's thicker, can put up with more abuse and is bette suited for a longer run like a guitar cable. The GS-4 I think will do you fine for your board, but if you want cables to run to the amp or from your guitar go with GS-6. All that said, I've used the GS-6 for patch cables for YEARS, but it's because the locations I get cable from here in Canada only carry the GS-6. I would be using the GS-4 if it were available.

Jacob