Who really makes the best Guitar/Amp cable??? I have about 10 or 15 just lying around and they all have different problems, some “hum” more than others, some crackle and pop, others tangle even if you stay in one place??? Others are too long, some too short, some have gold tips, some have chrome, some have molded ends, some screwed…. and well you get the point…. I spent $3,500 on a set of B&W speakers to listen to guitar music at home and bought the best wire I could afford but yet I use a $10-$15 cable to run my $3000 guitar through my amp!!!!...and when you do a search, everyone has the best cable... kind of like finding a good burger in town...they're all the best

I like Armor Gold and Wireworld cables. Armor Golds are super tough. Wireworld cords are nice and light.

Make your own if you want the best and you can solder well. Van Damme cable Is really good but there are a few other good ones. Switchcraft or Neutrik jacks are generally accepted as the best I think. If you can't solder I'm not really sure what the best pre made ones are but my friend bought some high end fender cables that seem pretty well made.

The hype for speaker cables and patch cables is almost entirely a sales pitch. MIT research indicates there are three elements that make a good signal. 1) a conductor large enough to carry the signal (virtually every cable is sufficient). 2) a good contact at any connection point (free of oxide is essential on both halves of the connection - actual gold plating can be oxidation free - gold coloured connections are of no benefit). 3) shielding ( the conductor needs to be shielded with a grounded braid - and almost every cable is but many of the small pedal patch jumpers are not). If you have hum it usually indicates poor shielding or connections and may not be the cable itself alone.

Having identified what makes them work I will admit to wanting a thread off end that I can repair as almost every cable failure is a conductor break near the plug where it bends most. I also like one with a soft rubber casing allowing for greater flexibility.

Most of the cracking and popping heard with cables plugged in is because they fit poorly in the jack (worn or sprung ground spring), are dirty or oxidized (clean with contact cleaner and clean the female half of the jack).

I repair my own cables and use a contact cleaner available at any electronics store to periodically clean the guitar and amplifier jacks. Sometimes the jacks need to be removed and the spring finger bent tighter or the jack replaced.

The brand, type of end (unless actually gold plated), composition of the conductor or oversized conductors (look at the size of wire from the pickup inside the guitar) are all proven to have no audible effect.

I have had great success in eliminating excess hum even with with single coil pickups by properly shielding the guitar pickup and control cavities with copper shielding and using shielded internal connections.

Hope that is of some help...

"Anyone but Monster"

I've had good luck with Vox.

I make the best cables period.. you can too. Top guitar cabling is $1 to $4 a foot and good connectors $1-$5 each.. the rest is how good you can solder and lay heat shrink.

I've been using Canare GS-6 18gauge with neutrik connects and george L cable with switchcraft connects.

buy a soldering iron and some cable, go nuts!!

and MIT can suck it.. damn nerds!

I recently found a Planet Waves with a long enough 90degree plug for the deep socket on my 6129.

Other brand 90degree plugs were too short to seat securely.

I have had good luck with with the Planet Waves 20ft. But all the other ones i have are ancient.

Often it isn't the cable itslef -well. ok.. within reason, a good strong cable and plugs with good mechanical/electrical connection.

But at that point, it's the care. coil them up to their natural coil, wipe them with a clean cloth if they are picking up dust and spills, never pull the cord, pull the plug..etc. they should last forever..... barring the cymbal stand that falls and slices it.

I've always liked Whirlwind for durability and George L's for fidelity. Both are pretty cheap. I once had some Italian cable I really loved, but it was only because I liked the feel of the material; it didn't actually sound better than any other cable.

I bought a cable from here Link... 2 or maybe 3 years ago. I don't know if it's the best like they claim but it's very well made and I've had no problems whatsoever. Communication was great and they ship sometimes the same day. It turned out I received 3 cables, I had only ordered one. Someone there screwed up and packed 2 orders, mine and somebody else's in the same box. I e-mailed them as soon as I discovered this, they told me to keep the other two as a reward for being so honest.

Two words, Billy Zoom!

In lieu of Tavo making you a cable, I've always had good luck with Fender's "Vintage Voltage" cables. YMMV.

I have no idea who makes the best cables, every try to compare them ends with a million of technical, chemical, metalurgical stuff, that means nothing to my ears.

Since you mentioned Hi-Fi, I use Van den Hull connectors and speaker cables, and not from the top shelf.

My guitar cables and amp/speaker cables are all Klotz.

Stu, if you have cables that "tangle even if you stay in one place", then cable choice is not your problem, nor will it be the solution.

Check out (for example) How To Wind Cable To Prevent Kinks And Tangles

I'm very happy with my Snapjack cable. It's magnetic, and it saved me from several step-on-your-cable accidents already. My colleague has one also and he has been saved too.

Bullet Coil Cable is what I've been using. I noticed a better signal than my "run of the mill" cables that I had alway used.

I've been using a Spectraflex for 10 years now. Clear sound, no hum, no crackling when you 'whip' it around, doesn't go in a knot. Though it might wrap around your leg like a boa if you turn around alot.

Another vote for Planet Wave cable. Two things about these one's I found I really like.

First they have a breaker built into the cable. No more going back to the amp to switch it to stand by to change guitars. Hit the button, yank it out, stick it in, hit the button and you're good to go.

Second is the little elastic wrap for when the cable is wound up. No velcro and I can pop it off with one finger. Gold plated and tangle resistant makes it a nice cable to use in my opinion. Sounds good too!

Billy Zoom has had a few choice words on this subject in the past!

cbi made in usa neutrik ends lifetime warranty and I sell them at half the price of monster which are made in china.

I don't know who's are the best but My Horizons have lifetime warranty and they just send me a new one regardless. I have duplicates so I don't have to wait for shipping.

AMEN this has changed me down deep

The Over/Under wrap method, also known as the firemans wrap is a great way to have tangle free cables, and your cables will last longer.

The other point is to train you cables, and wrap them the same way EVERY TIME.

I used George L's cables, and love them. They can be stiff and unruly when new or when you don't wrap them correctly. But when you do it's a beautiful thing. You can hold one end and toss the cable straight as a string no tangles.

Another thing I do is, I usually use two different cable ends on one cable, or different strain reliefs, or a velcro tie on one end to differentiate one end from another. This way when I wrap cables i always begin wrapping with the same end.

This may sound complicated, but when you get used to it, it is just as fast or faster to break down and pack up and lengthens cable life, and no tangles.

"Anyone but Monster"

Monster cable ends are slightly oversized and therefore wear out and ruin your jacks so you cannot use other jacks reliably.

Sean R. hit the nail on the head. I've got a 30' cable I paid $15 for and it's going on 7 years just fine.

As mentioned over/under wrapping makes a big difference.

Go buy any cheapo guitar cable with replaceable ends, and a big enough gauge and you're good to go.

The only thing expensive guitar cables are good for is getting stolen.