Electric guitar questions..

[HardDrive]

Just got my first electric. Ephiphone SG (chinese). Cheap, but it plays well, and the sound is decent. Not bad for $150.

When I first plug it in, it had a terrible buzz. I dug up another cable and plugged it in and it was fine. I swapped it back and confirmed it was the cable causing the buzz. Is it common for cheap cables to cause this? The cable I am using is not a mono cable, its a stereo 1/4 inch. As long as I am not pluging and unplugging while the amp/effects are on, is this ok? I willl pick up a real cable tomorrow.

Which brings me to my effects pedal (Digitech distortion). It worked for all of 2 minutes. wtf? Changed battery, no dice. Could I have fried it simply using that stereo cable? If so, that is some pathetic engineering they have going there...

Thanks guys.

[slodave]

I would stick to mono cables. Yes, cables can go bad and cause the buzz/humm.

Dave

[rcecale]

Originally posted by slodave
Yes, cables can go bad and cause the buzz/humm.

Dave

Especially the cheap ones. Although, the expensive can do it too.

As with anything else, it's all in how you take care of them. Support them at both ends, wrapping it through your strap and leaving a bit of slack where it plugs ito your guitar. You can also loosely wrap it once around the handle of your amp and then plug it in.

Less stress is best!

Randy

[targa911S]

Florescents, neons and dimmers will also cause that damn 60 cycle hum. I used another bass players Monster cable the other night ( dumb a$$ forgot his) and although I never have put much stock in high end cables, I could not believe the differance it made.

[Les Paul]

What digitech pedal do you have?

[IROC]

Not to hijack this thread, but I am looking for some good cables (both instrument and speaker) to replace the super-cheap stuff I've got.

What are some good ones (say for less than $30 each)? What about that "Core X2" stuff that Musician's Friend sells?

Mike
(Gibson SG -> Univalve -> Avatar 2x12 (V30 and G12H30 speakers) -> tone nirvana)

[scottmandue]

Monster cables rock! (pun intended) they are not as flexable as some but the one I use has lasted several years.

Cables can wear out about once a year, the heavy duty guitar center cables are not bad, buy several so you always have a backup. They also tend to "walk away".

Use mono cables only.

[kaisen]

Monstercable is great! I also notice that Monstercable has more support where the cable 'meets' the end/plug and I don't get the wear there. Worth the extra $10, IMHO.


E

[targa911S]

Monster cables seen to have a thicker covering on them too. Helps to resist damage from stepping on them all night.

T-Bird

1964 Gibson Thunderbird
1976 Gibson Thunderbird
reissue Fender 51 P bass, MIJ
2000 Fender American J bass
1980's Gibson Explorer bass
Ampeg SVT 8X10
Hartke 3700
Hartke 4x10

[Phat Ham]

Using a stereo (TRS) cable won't cause any damage. Maybe add some noise but nothing to cause the catastrophic failure of a piece of equipment.

My solution for instrument cables was to go wireless. I always had a problem with the cable getting wrapped around my leg so I bought an X-wire and am very happy with it. I use George L's cables for the wiring in my rack, which are also nice because you cut them to length and put them together yourself. I wouldn't recommend them for an instrument lead though since they aren't as durable or flexible as a premade one. I've also been happy with Pro Co and Horizon cables. They are cheap but work well and are durable.

Monster cables have a lifetime warranty don't they? IIRC you can just take it to your local Guitar Center and they'll exchange it for a new one. Might be worth the extra cost just for that.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by Les Paul
What digitech pedal do you have?

Its a Digitech Grunge pedal. Way over the top distortion, but its fun.

Puked after 2 minutes of operation.

[Les Paul]

Sometimes it is as simple as a bent contact tab where you plug in. Pull the cover off then stick your plug in to make sure it is in contact. I've sent numerous pedals back to them over the years and they are timely and usually don't charge you anything to fix it if it is an electronic grimlin.

[concentric]

Monster is really, really expensive cable for what it is.
If you want some amazing cable, go with Mogami. You can purchase ends and make your cables yourself with this stock, or find a company that uses it. If you go the self-assembled route, you have a great quality cable that you can fix when the cable eventually goes bad (they all do with heavy use).

I do have some Monster cables in my guitar rig, but I prefer George L's (what the pros use mostly) or ProCo cables.

Don't use TRS (Tip/Ring/Sleeve, what you refer to as "stereo" above) cables for mono instruments, that may cause grounding issues depending on where the instrument and pedal make contact to the jack sleeve

Jason

[Phat Ham]

Originally posted by concentric

I do have some Monster cables in my guitar rig, but I prefer George L's (what the pros use mostly) or ProCo cables.

Do you use George L's for instrument leads? I made myself a couple 15 ft cables, but found that they couldn't really handle the movement of being plugged into my bass. They were too stiff and I had to repair them too often to be worth using. They are great as patch cables in my rack though.

[concentric]

Originally posted by Phat Ham
Do you use George L's for instrument leads? I made myself a couple 15 ft cables, but found that they couldn't really handle the movement of being plugged into my bass. They were too stiff and I had to repair them too often to be worth using. They are great as patch cables in my rack though.

I used to with the larger cable stock size they had (approx. 1/4"), it's pretty flexible after use. The bass player and guitarist for the band I manage both use the smaller diameter George L's for instrument cables with no problem. We just did a full 5 week US tour with no failures.

I cut down all my longer stock for studio patch cables, too.

Jason

[HardDrive]

It was certainly a cable problem. I picked up a Monster cable and it sounds great.