Want to make cables

[Keriwena]

Originally Posted by tinitus

a bit surpricing that differences are that easy to hear
hmm, maybe its an effect of a non buffered high impedance output passive pickup, and possibly a bit too low amp input impedance

Long story short, the capacitance of the cable directly affects the resonance of the pickup, and when you turn the volume down you create an R/C filter. Cables are critical to the tone of a guitar, unless you have "active" pickups. In fact, because they use such short cables, many wireless units these days have adjustable treble compensation for the lack of cable length.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Nigel Goodwin

If you really want to make your own (for whatever strange reason?), then buy a ready made lead and cut the ends of, it's cheaper than buying the wire.

This is 100% true. Got to monoprice.com and buy a ready built cable and cut off both ends. It is the lowest price way to get wire. It seems dumb to cut off the ends only to solder them back on but I assume the only reason to make a cable is because you can't buy one.

What I'll do is if say I need a special 1/4" to XLR is find a cable with 1/4" ends and cut it in half then solder on an XLR to each cut end

[ChrisA]

Two neat tricks I've not seen here

1) The "better" heat shrink tube has hot melt glue inside. This will melt when you hit it with the heat gun then squeeze out the ends, stop when you see just a little coming out. This make a VERY good stain relief.

2) You can fill the metal shell with silicone or polyurethane glue. Built everything as normal using shrink tube but fill the shell before you screw it down. As you do screw it down excess glue will squeeze out, wipe it off. Let the assembly cure over night. If you buy a Fender brand guitar cable they are made like this, There is no "air space" inside it is completely filled with a rubbery silicone.

All that said, I'd not want to make a guitar cable but eventually they fail so I cut about one foot off the end and solder a new plug on. But then later I find that Sweetwater sells cables cheap with no shipping cost and has a unconditional lifetime replacement warranty. They even cover obvious abuse. So now there is little reason to repair a cable unless you are pressed for time

[tinitus]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

...... but I assume the only reason to make a cable is because you can't buy one.

weekend, and needed one asap

well, given enough time, I guess everyone would have plenty spare cables

now I have 2

but fore the future, I dont think I will buy anything that cant be dismantled and repaired
which rules out 'casting'the plugs

next on my buying list will be nice quality jacks
if there are any