HELP!! Bizarre cable problem...

[JRC4558Dude]

OK, see if you can figure this one out. I just had a freind make me up a bunch of cables for my pedalboard. These are the same brand of cable (Digiflex) and jacks (Neutric) that I've always used on my pedalboard for years.

I hooked every thing up, and one of the cables doesn't work at all. No signal. Obviously just a bad jack, poor solder connection, or short in the cable itself, right?

But here's the thing, two other cables have a very strange problem. They work, but they cut the volume in half and roll off all the treble!!! Makes it sound like my guitar is underwater! If I replace these 2 cables the problem goes away.

I don't get it. Usuallly, when a cable is busted, it just doesn't work (or perhaps works intermittently) What in the world could cause a cable to act like this? Massive loss in high end and a drop in volume? I just don't get it...Help!

[turtleheadblues]

No idea. Does your friend have a replacement warranty?

[JRC4558Dude]

Ha ha. I should add this is my local guitar repairman, who has been working on my guitars for the last 20 years, and he absolutely knows what he's doing with a soldering iron. He didnt charge me for the work just as a "thankyou" for being a good customer. I'm just totally stumped on this one. Never had a problem like this before..

[mike@nortoncable.com]

Check if the cable is co-axial style and check to see if theres a carbon impregnated shield or a conductive shield around the dielectric- if there is make sure its cut back and no-where near the center conductors.

make sure none of the ground is conductive to the center as well.

Mike-

[bbrunskill]

Originally Posted by -Analog-

Check if the cable is co-axial style and check to see if theres a carbon impregnated shield or a conductive shield around the dielectric- if there is make sure its cut back and no-where near the center conductors.

make sure none of the ground is conductive to the center as well.

Mike-

1 big bump for good advice.

[mike@nortoncable.com]

if you can shoot a good close up pic, so we can see if theres way way too much solder there, that sometimes can be a culprit as well..

I've fixed a few cables in the past that had just way way too much solder in them, to the point I was wicking and using a desoldering iron just to get rid of the puddle..
puddles of solder can create a dead/faulty connection .

[mike@nortoncable.com]

these type by any chance???

[coolhand78]

could be that the solder joints arent that great... i'd say they just need to be redone...

[stinkfoot]

Originally Posted by JRC4558Dude

I hooked every thing up, and one of the cables doesn't work at all. No signal. Obviously just a bad jack, poor solder connection, or short in the cable itself, right?

But here's the thing, two other cables have a very strange problem. They work, but they cut the volume in half and roll off all the treble!!! Makes it sound like my guitar is underwater! If I replace these 2 cables the problem goes away.

As these are newly soldered, the likelyhood of a problem in the cables themselves is quite small. Most likely, all three are either poorly soldered or shorted. The ones that just cut the signal are probably semi-shorted, either due to a stray wire strand touching the other terminal, or simply because they were badly stripped (leaving too little of the inner core's insulation to protect it from the shield). It could also be excessive soldering/heat applied. I agree with Analog - a couple of clear pics would spill the beans.

/Andreas

[JRC4558Dude]

Thanks for your advice everyone. I'll try and get some pix up...

[dosmun]

Originally Posted by -Analog-

Check if the cable is co-axial style and check to see if theres a carbon impregnated shield or a conductive shield around the dielectric- if there is make sure its cut back and no-where near the center conductors.

make sure none of the ground is conductive to the center as well.

Mike-

+1 that sounds like the problem to me.

[Jfet]

Originally Posted by JRC4558Dude

OK, see if you can figure this one out. I just had a freind make me up a bunch of cables for my pedalboard. These are the same brand of cable (Digiflex) and jacks (Neutric) that I've always used on my pedalboard for years.

I hooked every thing up, and one of the cables doesn't work at all. No signal. Obviously just a bad jack, poor solder connection, or short in the cable itself, right?

But here's the thing, two other cables have a very strange problem. They work, but they cut the volume in half and roll off all the treble!!! Makes it sound like my guitar is underwater! If I replace these 2 cables the problem goes away.

I don't get it. Usuallly, when a cable is busted, it just doesn't work (or perhaps works intermittently) What in the world could cause a cable to act like this? Massive loss in high end and a drop in volume? I just don't get it...Help!

I can't say I know that particular cable your using but I bet it has a black inner sleeve that is carbon fibre which will put about 4 or 5k between the shield and center terminal, just make sure that the inner sleeve is not touching the hot terminal of the jack plug.