Your favorite right-angled 1/4'' plugs/how to wire strong

[Beedoola]

I've built my own patch cords for years. Though it is, or may seem (maybe I'm an idiot) like a straight-forward process, from an assembly point of few, I've been experiencing issues with some of my patch cables lately. I'm wounding if it is shotty soldering on my part, or if the plus I'm using aren't that great to begin with and prone to failure; most of the plugs I'm using are taken from longer planet waves cables I resized, and a few others I purchases online, but I can't remember from where or the brand of the plugs. I'm pretty sure they're not Switchcraft or anything.

I've been getting cables that have the ground lift - causing that loud UNGROUNDED noise, but stops when you touch/hold the cable a certain way. I unscrew the sleeve and the solder joints appear to be OK, so Im not sure if the Tip and Sleeve are shorting somewhere I can't see, inside the plug.

I used to use those Radioshack pancake plugs but learned my lesson with those years ago.

Suggestions on what brand plugs to buy? I'd prefer not to spend a lot per plug, plus the cable I'm using is Mogami cable, cut from a long instrument cable. Not bad cable, but not the highest of quality either.

[miter53]

http://www.lavacable.com/index.php?id=159

[pickdropper]

You can get Amphenol right angle plugs for under $2 at Redco ($1.69 for nickel, $1.99 for gold).  They are nice quality, although aren't as low profile as pancake and not as small form factor as a Lava or George L.  The soldered connections should be more reliable.

The Lava connectors look pretty nice actually.  Much nicer than the Lava solderless I bought a while back.  I have to admit that I have been a little bit put off by Lava since meeting them at a guitar show a couple of years ago.  The pseudo-science tripe they were espousing was complete and utter nonsense.  I wish they would've pitched their stuff as being better for reasons that involved reality.

[brucer]

I'm a late starter with guitar and gear and jumped right in with George L's.  No complaints, but eventually I looked for a lower cost option.  I've started making my own using:

- GLS Audio 1/4" Pancake Plug Right Angle Male Connector Mono TS (Orange County Speaker)
- Mogami W2319 bulk cable (Redco), thickened at the pancake plug collar with some heat shrink.

About a year in on the GLS/Mogami's, very happy with sound quality and no durability issues.

[Leevibe]

- Switchcraft pancake plugs

- G&H right angles

Both are spendy and both are worth it.

With either style, I use a heat sink clamp to hold the shield wire to the ground lug (or body of the plug in the case of the pancake). This both holds the wire in place while I'm heating it and keeps the heat from destroying the insulation.

With the pancake style I like to flow a good puddle of solder first, before I bring the shield wire in. The body of those plugs sinks a lot of heat! So, crank the iron up hot, flow in a puddle of solder, let partially cool, clamp shield wire in place with a heat sink clamp, try to get in and out with the iron as quickly as reasonbly possible. Using a chisel tip makes this easier too. The idea is to flow lots of heat in a short period of time.