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Cable/Cord length


slk

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the theory is, the longer the cable, the more "tone" loss. unless you have A: A really good cable, or B: some sort of in-live device to reboot the signal. how much tone? how drastic the change? your ears will have to tell you that.

 

IMO, I think 18~20ft with a decent/good cable is still in the OK range.

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What I did was moved my big amps in the house to a location that is not so user friendly as far as sitting and practicing. I have plenty of the 18 footers, but to be comfortable now I need to have a 25 footer. Or move things again. No real big deal to rearrange again but just did not want to have to right now. Keep in mind this is not for live performances. Just an area for me to practice. I was just hoping that 25' would not hurt anything...

 

Steve

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25 feet length are not dramatic. Compared to an 18 feet cord of same make it will bring down the resonance frequency of magnetic pickups by about 2.5 half steps. Pickups will sound slightly darker and a little like "hotter" ones but without delivering higher output level.

 

Some people load down their guitars more severely, for instance with two full-length cables, when using one of these infamous, ineradicable true bypass pedals turned off. This will add the cable between FX box and the first active stage to the load of the guitar. Twice the load will affect tone quite significantly. The resonance of a typical Strat single coil approximately drops down to that of a PAF humbucker but will neither produce the meat nor the level of the latter. A PAF would have the tone of a super-hot humbucker but not its level.

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I see where your going.. so for that, I'd think anything would work.

 

BTW.. if you have a few bucks to spare check out a line 6 Relay series wireless. this would solve jut about ALL your problems! I have a G30, and I have to say, and while I still use cables I wouldn't be with out one at this point. they work really good. not having to drag a cable around with you is a pretty awesome thing.

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if you have a few bucks to spare check out a line 6 Relay series wireless. this would solve jut about ALL your problems! I have a G30, and I have to say, and while I still use cables I wouldn't be with out one at this point. they work really good. not having to drag a cable around with you is a pretty awesome thing.

This. I bought one a few years ago. Only drawback is that if you use it gigging, the batteries dont faaaaaaaaaaade; they DIE. Sound one second, silence the next. For home use, no problem. I just got tired of tripping over cords, no matter how long or short.

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yea,, what Dennis said.. but,, I've been using rechargeable batts, and so far,, (knocking on wood)... I've not had this happen with the G30

The X2 was a pig, and it would eat 9v.. the g30 uses AA and they last for quite a while.

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Just bought the Line 6 G50.

 

Have not really used more than 8 hours so far at home.

 

Really like the convenience of being untethered to the amp.

 

Also have wireless headphones which let's me roam about.

 

Nice thing about the G50 is you can set the cable length on the base station.

 

Took advantage of GC's 20% off and 36 months same as cash.

 

 

 

 

 

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Just bought the Line 6 G50.

Nice thing about the G50 is you can set the cable length on the base station.

 

 

 

the G30 has this setting too. As far as I recall the only big operational difference between the two (G30/G50) was max distance you can be from the base of course a few added bells and whistles and different casings for the base and receiver on the G50, it's a nice unit.

 

but if some one wants to go low budget, the G30 works great. I've had mine for I think over 2 years now. it's very reliable.

 

being untethered is very cool.

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Here is a pic of my dilemma. Yep I have too much stuff in my way. But it is neat and keeps the wife from fussing.

 

Damn, you must be a good player. Even the wildlife has stuck their heads through the wall to hear you! [thumbup]

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In answer to the original question, increasing the cable length increases the resistance.

 

A really cheap cable will increase the resistance more than a good one, as a good one should have thicker wire.

 

The easiest way to check this is to take a multi meter into a shop and measure the difference between an 18' and a 25' cable. The less difference the better the cable.

 

Now here's a way of finding how the longer cable will sound. Remember that figure you got from the shop, the difference between the two cables in Ohms? Connect your meter to your volume pot and move it till that value is displayed.

I suspect you wont have to move it very much.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Damn, you must be a good player. Even the wildlife has stuck their heads through the wall to hear you! [thumbup]

 

I play much better than I sing. I am like a sick bullfrog singing. I can't even stand hearing myself. When I was younger I sang ok but now it is awful.

 

Steve

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Damn, you must be a good player. Even the wildlife has stuck their heads through the wall to hear you! [thumbup]

 

I play much better than I sing. I am like a sick bullfrog singing. I can't even stand hearing myself. When I was younger I sang ok but now it is awful.

 

Steve

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I didn't realize how much impact a cord can have on tone. I've got a bass amp project cooking and I fired it up to test it. I plugged a bass in and it was all rattly like the speakers were blown. Not a good description but I was alarmed...this sounds like poo!

 

On a lark I tried a different cable and it cleared right up. Go figure.

 

I have the 'lightbulb' mentality....something either works or it doesn't. I have a hard time envisioning marginal failure, like a spark plug that functions but cuts out about a certain RPM for example. I know it's possible but it never floats to the top like it should.

 

So a cord either works or it doesn't. Except now I see how wrong I was.

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IME,

 

a total crap cable will sound like el-crape'

 

a decent cable will be "it works or it don't"

 

if you get into the very highendy stuff, I think it's really hard to tell for sure if the 70~90 bucks you spent on a cable, was wasted or not.

 

I usually spend about 25~30 bucks and mostly all mine are 10feet. I have a monster cable that I dropped 50 bucks on 20 years ago.

(it has never failed me) but,, in a blind taste test, I couldn't tell the 25$ fender cable from the monster.

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In answer to the original question, increasing the cable length increases the resistance.

 

A really cheap cable will increase the resistance more than a good one, as a good one should have thicker wire.

 

The easiest way to check this is to take a multi meter into a shop and measure the difference between an 18' and a 25' cable. The less difference the better the cable.

 

Now here's a way of finding how the longer cable will sound. Remember that figure you got from the shop, the difference between the two cables in Ohms? Connect your meter to your volume pot and move it till that value is displayed.

I suspect you wont have to move it very much.

Good theory, but you forgot capacitance. That's what actually causes the roll-off of the high frequencies.

 

Pure resistance would be like rolling down the volume control.

 

BUT...the way a cable acts in reality is a result of the relationship between resistance and capacitance. But also, when the resistance comes into play is only when it exceeds the "specs" of the output and input sources.

 

I'm actually gonna confuse myself if I go on.

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