https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:49:26 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359938 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:48:34 +0000
Get a 'pen' of both DeOxit and ProGold manufactured by Caig (available at Radio Shack and most electronic parts houses).

If your jack is even slightly corroded, rub the DeOxit on it and then wipe off with a clean cloth or facial tissue. It's the best cleaner I've found.

If you can get to the jack easily, do the same on the contact points inside the jack.

Then coat with ProGold. It retards future corrosion and enhances the electrical connection. No more pops and crackles when the jack rotates in the plug.

I live in South Florida, near the ocean, and fighting corrosion is a way of life here.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫]]> Guitar Players Discussion notes_norton https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359938 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359922 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:57:19 +0000 I have been using the same two 18 ft cables I bought seven years ago which I paid £20 each for.Not cheap but not the most expensive by a long way.Have gigged weekly and they've been walked on and soaked in beer regularly!

If you've got a $4000 guitar and a $2000 amp then you may want to spend $100 on a cable to ensure your getting the most out of your guitar and amp!]]> Guitar Players Discussion bobblehat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359922 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359635 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:28:36 +0000
But on a cable where the connections aren't shot, where there's no corrosion or space for it, with no breaks and no damage- I've got to say that I don't hear any difference at all between one cable and another.

Most of what I use is actually a bunch of audio cable I bought at radio shack a few years ago and put ends on. Works good.

Don't buy cables that look like they'll wear out too easy, and the very cheapest are usually in that category.

But don't spend major money on the delux luxury cables- they don't teach you to play any better.


Best,
Ande]]> Guitar Players Discussion Ande https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359635 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359605 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:49:18 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion cnev https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359605 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359604 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:46:36 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion rparker https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359604 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359603 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:56:43 +0000 Guitar Players Discussion cnev https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359603 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359598 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:29:08 +0000
I don't know from good sounding cables to bad sounding ones. I'm certainly not a professional. I do know, though, that my cable problem stopped being a problem when I bought good cables. I'm probably nearing 5-6 years on some every day use cables. I run over them at least three times a week with my office chair, too.]]> Guitar Players Discussion rparker https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359598 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359571 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 20:05:18 +0000 also, use shorter leads if it's not going to be inconvenient or hamper movement, since a longer wire is more likely to kink up and knot or tangle up your stuff, and will also have more resistance, causing poorer sound quality.
wasn't there an article on this a while back?]]> Guitar Players Discussion Anonymous https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359571 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359528 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:44:50 +0000
Other than the shielding, as long as the center conductor and dielectric are of decent quality, any difference in actual sound will be for all practical purposes not a factor. (the dielectric is the substance that separates the center conductor from the shield and if I remember my electronics from school properly, is responsible for the capacitance in the cable).

There is nothing anything can do to improve the sound coming from your guitar, only modify it. Once a distortion enters, you cannot restore the original signal. So the function of a cable is to transfer the electrical "sound" (signal) from your guitar to the preamp of your next device without distorting the signal. As long as it does that, it will sound just fine.

And many cheap cables introduce no noticeable distortion to the signal. But as Russell pointed out, they generally don't last as long.

Notes ♫]]> Guitar Players Discussion notes_norton https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359528 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359523 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 11:25:25 +0000 can sound good, but may not last very long.
There are middle priced cables that don't sound as good as they should and some that are far better than their price tag would indicate.
Top priced cables generally sound good, but not significantly better than good quality mid-priced cables - and the percent improvement is in no relation to the cost increase.
As with wine, there comes a point where the increase in "quality" can no longer be readily perceived by the average man-on-the-street. Anything beyond there is simply a waste of money.]]> Guitar Players Discussion greybeard https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-players-discussion/does-your-guitar-lead-wire-actually-matter/#post-359523