Solderless cables (Geroge L´s, planet waves, Lava, etc..) worth it?

[Gledison]

hey guys,
im visiting the "land of the free" for a business trip and normally i would bring a guitar with me...
this time i think i will bring something else...
Im wondering about the solderless cable kits, if it worth the money. For those experients fellows that build they own calbes, what are your thoughts.?
I like the idea of building my own cables and it seems that by soldering the cables, the probability of troubles are reduced...but im not experinced on the road, like changing pedals positions a lot, etc...
By the way, im going to Cincinnati and if some of you guys have a good sugestion for a music shop, its highly appreciated...
thanks a lot!

[midwayfair]

George L's are great for tight spots on pedal boards, and they're a 30 second fix when they break (cut the end flush with some wire cutters, stick it back in the cable end, and screw it down). The drawback is that they are more likely to break if you or someone you know is a little wild on stage. I've broken them probably twice; other people have broken them for me twice as well. The George L's actually do have much lower capacitance per foot than pretty much anything else, which really only matters before you get to a buffered signal, and you can use anything after that point.

I still would use them when wiring up a pedal board. You can cut the wire lengths EXACTLY, and they take up almost no space, and then you won't damage the wires trying to bend them into weird angles. So they are absolutely worth it for me on that score.

[LaceSensor]

I use George Ls to wire my boards. Never had an issue. Worth it to me. Custom cut lengths for the win, and ability to reconfigure easily.

[steveperiod]

Third thumbs up on the George L's. I had a set of Lavas and found them to be good but a little more work to fix on the fly. The George L's are crazy easy to setup and fix (if needed). The only time I had any go bad on me was when I completely rearranged my board, so I was sort of expecting it. Great cables.

[Droogie]

I like the George L angle plugs only. I had a George L straight plug crap out on stage—keeping 17 musicians and a drummer waiting while you swap out a cable is a bit stressful!   

I have messed up some cables when rearranging the board, but as noted above, a pretty easy fix.

[eldanko]

I've wired boards up with both George L's and Lavas. If you're patient and build them correctly, they'll withstand quite a bit before they get wonky.

That being said, since I started gigging a lot more I went back and soldered all of the cables on my board. About once every ten shows or so I'd have one of the Lavas loosen up and give me an intermittent signal.

[jkokura]

I've only used the Lava type, but i prefer soldered cables.

Jacob

[pickdropper]

I have a love/hate relationship with solderless cables.  I used George L cables all the time because they of the convenience.  They go together quickly and it's very simple to get the wire lengths exactly the way I want them.  I have had a number of them go bad over time.  I suppose it's less likely if you don't mess with your pedalboard (but who here doesn't?).

I have some Lava solderless cables, but I am not terribly impressed with the design.  With as much prep work as they require, I think soldered cables might actually be easier to build.  So, in this case, it seems to be less convenient and less reliable.  The only upside is they have a really nice, low profile right angle connector.  I haven't found the equivalent in a soldered version.  Still, I prefer the George L's to the Lava.

I have a bunch of right angle Amphenol soldered plugs that are very nice quality.  I don't even mind soldering them, I just wish they were smaller.

[eldanko]

Yep, I've switched to the Amphenols. They really are quite nice, if not a little bulky. Most of my builds over the past couple of years have top mounted jacks, so the plug size hasn't been an issue.

[GrindCustoms]

Edit: I might get in a «conflict of interest» with my initial post.

I'm not fond on the solderless technology yet, it got some weakness that makes them a possible failure variable to deal with in some venue.

[Leevibe]

I love George L's for the low capacitance and small diameter but I only use soldered ends. Either Switchcraft pancakes or G&H.

[Gledison]

Wooow!
I think was a worthy thread!:)
I was expecting most of you to tell me to build my own cables! DIY style!
I've read in some of your comments that one main issue for choosing George L's is the size of the plug.
What about those pancake cables? Well they might be thiner but i think they have bigger diameter than the george's....
Any thoughts on the Planet waves Kit? Here in Germany they are 10 euros cheaper than George L's ...
Cheers

[playpunk]

Seriously though - why don't you just make your own cables?

Pick up some lava 229 ends, some bulk mogami cable from Redco... I assume you know how to solder

[culturejam]

I was expecting most of you to tell me to build my own cables! DIY style!

Build your own cables, DIY style. 

Good cable is cheap; the connectors are relatively cheap. With minimal effort you'll make a cable that will last indefinitely. Need a different length for today's project? Spend 10 minutes and make a new one. The old one will still work and you'll find a use for it.

Maybe if you change cable length mid-gig the solderless has a big advantage. I don't gig enough to know if this is common, but I think not.

[DutchMF]

The only problem I have with George L's is the cost of the plugs. I love the system because of the nice small cable, low profile plugs, ease of use etc. but the price of the plugs is a bit much. They can go faulty, for sure, and always at the worst possible time, but if you carry a wire cutter and some spare feet of cable, you can make a new one really fast. But then, I'm the type of guitar player who brakes a string during the first chorus and manages to change it before the solo........  Making a new patch cable is peanuts!

Paul