![]() ![]() Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. Here however, we've only recommended solderless kits. ![]() It's worth investigating, assuming you have the tools and the confidence to use them. It's possible to make robust cables using a solderless kit, so to some extent the choice is about personal preference. If you decide to build your own, then you need to choose between solderless and a kit that you need to solder. ![]() At the end of the day, cool patch cables make for great Instagram content, but we've not found that they improve our tone or playing.Ī few patch cables are available in a rainbow of different colors, which may look a little gaudy but can be immensely useful for finding your way around a complex pedalboard. There's also the question of aesthetics – some cables, like the Fender custom shop patch cables, look amazing, but that aesthetic does come at a cost. If you are building cables from a patch cable kit, then you can custom-build your cables to exactly the right length. Standard lengths are usually about 15cm, 30cm, 50cm and various lengths up to a meter. Particularly for pedals that have side-mounted jacks rather than the now-standard top-mount jacks, having a few pancake jacks to hand is invaluable. These days, in addition to standard right-angle jacks, there are lots of different variations on the low-profile, or 'pancake' jack. Most jacks won't be straight, as pedalboard real estate is limited. The main things you need to consider when investing in the best patch cables are the type of jack end and the length of the cable. You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. That said, gold-plated connectors do look rather fine, and will match your gold lamé suit! Buying the best patch cables for you But, in the real world, the benefits are almost insignificant. Our take is that the performance claims you’ll read about for capacitance, oxygen-free copper and gold plate aren’t just snake oil, there’s some good science behind them. Similarly, gold plated connectors are more corrosion resistant, but the coating is soft and wears rapidly. ![]() And, while it’s true that capacitance can rob your tone over long cable runs, it’s hardly an issue for short patch cables. The fact is, almost all copper destined for cabling manufacture will be free of oxygen anyway. Many premium brands are quick to point out that they use low capacitance, oxygen-free copper and gold plated connectors, but are these upgrades worth paying for? Well, oxygen-free copper will provide greater signal reliability and is more resistant to corrosion. In order to carry a signal, the core is soldered to the tip of the connector, while the woven sleeve is grounded to the body. Between the two will be layers of insulation plus, of course, there’s an additional thick outer layer of protective insulation too, usually made of PVC. What’s hidden inside a TS patch cable?Ī TS cable is coaxial, with a core of multiple copper strands that carry your audio signal and a braided copper sheath that acts as both shielding and a ground. So, if you’re not working in stereo, don’t sweat it. It's worth reiterating that for the vast majority of pedals you’ll just need a bunch of mono TS patch cables. TRS stands for tip-ring-sleeve, and it can either be used to carry a stereo signal or a balanced mono signal. When set to mono it’ll take a regular TS cable but in stereo mode you’ll need to use a TRS cable. Occasionally, you may come across a stereo pedal with a single input and/or output jack that can be configured for mono or stereo by flipping a tiny internal jumper switch. You’ll just need one for each stereo channel or, better still, a dual cable. TS stands for tip-sleeve and this kind of cable carries a mono signal, which is perfect for most guitar pedals because they’re usually mono too.Įven if you do own a stereo pedal or two they are likely to have distinct left and right input and/or output jacks that still require mono TS cables. Most of the time you’ll need cables with TS connectors, which are the same standard as you’ll find on regular guitar instrument cables. ![]()
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