Your opinion on patch cables

[chromesphere]

Hey guys,
Was thinking about getting some new pedal patch cables because...well...mine are pretty poor quality.  I've got some of those connectors with the phono plugs on each end, but find them too ridged and they put too much strain on the pedal jacks.
So what do you use?  I cant think of a reason why I would want to use el-primo patch cables in this instance, because the distance is so short.  But something of decent quality would be nice.  Short would also be a plus (for obvious reasons).
Cheers
Paul

[jkokura]

I use a variety of cable, but I like the Lava Mini ELC because it's a smaller diameter than average cable. Makes it nice on the pedalboard, but I wouldn't use it as a guitar>board or board>amp cable. Mogami also has a small diameter cable, and there's always the ubiquitous Canare. I think it's GS-6 for the guitar cable and the GS-4 is the Canare that's smaller diameter. Use that stuff if you don't want to spend big bucks.

For ends, there's too many options to really list them all, but I like pancake ends, and I use the GHS type from Orange County Speaker Repair. Solid stuff, cheaper than switchcraft. Switchcraft are my second choice, and you can get right angle types of various sizes and shapes.

If you're going to buy them, may as well get the $5 a cable type, not the super cheapos, nor the super expensive ones.

Don't go with solderless unless you never gig and rarely change pedals/unplug cables.

Jacob

[selfdestroyer]

I use George L's for my board that I do not move the pedals around much since the soldier less cables are great and I find the coax style cable also handles noise/interference well. The problem is, if you move pedals around a lot then you will find yourself trimming the ends and re-screwing (crimping) the ends. For the non-board/floor and testing I use the pancake ended cables that MammothElectronics carries. Last thanksgiving they had a 50% sale so I stocked up on them. They are nothing special but they are built well and I have never had a failure with them so far.

[chromesphere]

Thanks guys.  Wow there's a whole universe of patch cables I didn't know existed   Your both very knowledgeable, thank you.

So we can definitely narrow it down to soldered cables for.  I don't play live and whenever I do play, its usually a matter of "which pedals do I want to use?  that one, that one, that one, that one, that one, that one, that one, that one, that one....and that one" (bless diy guitar pedal building )

I saw those pancakes on mammoth, would definitely be the easiest option, without running up a huge bill either.  I really like my lava cable, but the lava patches are quite expensive.  I reckon 5 cables would do though.

Paul

[sirbergersworth]

I bought 2 of those George L's packs that comes with 10' of cable and 10 right angle plugs. Those and my 11 pedal power-all it was perfect.
Sound fine to me. I gigged with the multi colored radioshack pos's for a long time cause I had no other option funding wise. They never really bothered me either.


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[Gledison]

Hey Paul, thanks for posting this thread, im interested as well!
Ive seen some videos of the George Ls and it seems pretty easy and versatile in case one needs a little longer or little shorter cables. Ive never used them but it seems that the pedals can be tight together giving more space on the pedalboard( guys could you confirm/ deny this?)
And what about DIY pat h cables? Its not worth doing it? I did years ago when i was young and with crap solder experience and i always could find some noise problems...
Cheers

[teknoman2]

All my patch cables are mogami 2524 with neutrik angle jacks, made by me,
top quality without spending a fortune.

[Cortexturizer]

I DIYed all of my cables, I have like 15 pedals on the board, and all of the cables have been made by me. There's always the length problem, and I hate it when they get all crammed in there so I just build my own per measures according to my pedalboard real estate. As to quality, I just use whatever. I don't move em at all so quality jacks are not that big of a concern, and sound-wise, given that I'm prone to believing one transistor sounds dramatically different to the other you would expect a similar take on cables, but no. They all sound the same to me, when short.

When long, now that's a completely different story.

[chromesphere]

Whenever I read your posts Cortexturizer I cant help but begin with "<making patch cables> is like making love to a beautiful women..."

Yeah I reckon I might just chuck 5 of those pancake patches from mammoth next order. Gotta be better then the absolute crap I've been using...

[Cortexturizer]

Hehe I should use that more often

[chromesphere]

[Clayford]

I use these.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Musician-s-Gear-Pedal-Coupler-Cable-Angled-330244-i1400845.gc

They don't carry them in store - so you'll need to order them. Good thing shipping to a store is free no matter what. They're more like 5" than 6" but for $3.00 that's ok with me.

[micromegas]

The cable and connectors I use are cheap but top notch:

sommer cable tricone MKII: http://www.thomann.de/es/sommer_cable_tricone_mkii.htm
and Hicon Jacks: http://www.thomann.de/es/hicon_flunderklinkenstecker_winkel.htm

every patch cable costs me less than 5€ and I've compared the capacitance per meter from the tricone with some famous mogami cable and others and it happens to be quite better

[croquet hoop]

Like Jacob, I really like the Lava mini ELC, but if you buy kits and not the (crazyly expensive) assembled cables, the plugs are solderless (they are easy to assemble and seem to hold well, although I haven't particularly abused mine).

Generally speaking I think it is often interesting to make your own cables — you can choose the connector (for its size/quality/reliability) and cable (length/diameter/rigidity, especially important if your board is tightly packed). It's not paramount, but an option to consider (and, well, this is a DIY forum).

[junkemail86]

+1 for building your own

I have had good results with www.redco.com for bulk Mogami cable (I have used the thick and thin versions successfully for patch cables) and packs of GLS audio pancake connectors from www.speakerrepair.com