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Mike wrote:
1. Can I repair it? i.e. are the jacks unscrewable

euan wrote:I usually get it so both the connects stop at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions of the coil and then put it through the otherside to keep it together. Works for me. On the last large batch of XLR cables I made for Subcity all the cables had velcro ties sown onto them so you no longer need cable ties.

mewithoutus wrote: i use a kore one bullet cable. its a white coil cable. its super heavy duty, looks snazzy (well, i think so) and theres no signal loss. sounds nice and clean. well, it doesnt sound like anything, which is the point. ive had it for over a year now with no issues.

Keys for Guitar Cords That Sound Best & Survive

1) Braided Copper Shield.
Foil shields are significantly stiffer, making them annoying to performers connected to them and they deteriorate with constant flexing, making them fine for the studio or in a snake, but a time bomb for the guitarist on stage. Shields which are simply spiral wrapped will "spread" when you flex the cable, providing openings for those nasty outside sounds to jump into the guitar signal. The braid is a key issue.

2) Conductive Inner Wrap.
A conductive inner wrap under the shield will increase shielding and also reduce microphonics. This can be harder to spot, but becomes obvious when you smack the cable around. Some cables make a lot of noise when they get tapped. Good ones don't.

3) Low Capacitance.
This will matter with some guitar/pickup/amp combinations, and not with others. If your guitars all have onboard electronics, it shouldn't be an issue. For some of the classics, it's a big deal. So you don't have to think about it, lower capacitance is better. Try to stay under 50pf a foot if you can get the specs on the cable.

4) Strain Relief
A flexible molded boot protecting the last few inches of the cord before it enters the plug. This is a life-expectancy issue. Most cord fatigue takes place at the point where the nice flexible cable enters the hard inflexible plug.
Whirlwind uses a molded boot that tapers down onto the cord to progressively damp the flex. Lots of people use heat shrink, but it's stiffer. Some people don't use anything. When we (at Whirlwind) started using this type of boot on our Leader® cables, field failures (which were low) dropped a non-subtle 85%.

5) Multiple Copper Stranding
Look for multiple fine copper strands for the inner conductor. These give you flexibility while keeping resistance low. Esoteric audio people may tell you the extra surface area created by fine stranding also helps high frequencies due to "skin effect". They'll probably add that you should use oxygen free" copper for a better sound (actually, "oxygen free" really means "less oxygen", with different OF cables giving you different amounts of Oxygen Freeness). These intriguing possibilities aside, more fine strands for a given inner conductor gauge translates to more suppleness and greater life expectancy on stage.

benwalker wrote:I'm waiting on the 1/4" version of >>these<< babies...

Mike wrote:I use the gentle 'knot' approach also. I fold the cable in half several times and just do a gentle knot. In 10 years I've had no issues.

euan wrote:Klotz LaGrange
With its midrange zing and abundant low-end, the LaGrange is a muscular-sounding cable that melds clarity and string-to-string detail with an impressive punch.