Guitar hookup wire.

[MelodyQuaker]

I'm positive this has been flogged to death here but let's get some fresh answers. I'm looking for something that is readily availible and of higher quality then like what would Come in a stock epi. And not necessarily designated as being for guitar. I used speaker wire on a p bass the I sheathed with heat shrink and it's super quiet. But is there better.

 

[Zexcoil]

I use Tefzel jacketed 22 awg.

You can get it here:

https://www.tubedepot.com/t/diy-central/wire-and-cable/hookup-wire/tefzel

I usually form a twisted pair for two wire connections.

This stuff is hard to strip, but the jacket has a low dielectric constant (low cap). It holds it's shape well which is good for guitar installs as it stays where you want it.

 

[halcyon]

Yup, 20-22ga is fine for hookup wire. I use vintage cloth because I find it easy to work with (push-back vs. stripping). And yeah, twisted pair for hot + ground connections.

 

[EADGBE]

Copper stranded 22 gauge.

 

[MelodyQuaker]

So the general consensus is that I can really use whatever I want as long as it's 20 guage and stranded like stuff from the hardware store

 

[Gevalt]

Just gotta say, Allparts cloth wire has nothing on Gavitt. The allparts vintage style cloth wire is the most frustrating wire of any kind I have ever used, including magnet wire.

 

[TheoDog]

I like the vintage style cloth pushback like you get from parts dealers because it is easy to work with by holding shape and no stripping and it looks great in the install. Which is only important to me. Same reason I spend an extra buck or 2 for PIO caps. The harness looks nice under the hood. If I bought a guitar and found rigged speaker wire, I might shudder a little bit, but I would not be revolted and demand a refund. I would just use it as an creative opportunity to rewire.

 

[8len8]

Anything will work.

 

[MelodyQuaker]

What will yield the best tone though

 

[TheoDog]

What will yield the best tone though

As long as you use reasonable gauges and do clean work, it would be pretty near impossible to discern an audible difference IME.

 

[MelodyQuaker]

As long as you use reasonable gauges and do clean work, it would be pretty near impossible to discern an audible difference IME.

What's a reasonable guage

 

[Clark GriswoId]

Allparts has some classic hookup wire

 

[TheoDog]

What's a reasonable guage

By the time the wire is thin enough to make a noticeable difference in tone, it would've such cheap junk you would use it anyway. The stock wiring in Squiers and Epi's is so thin that the insulation practically melts when I get near it with anything over a 25watt iron. Upgrading the wire doesn't sound different, makes future work a breeze.

 

[Jason_77]

What's a reasonable guage

Anything thicker than 42 gauge, which is the size of the wire in the pickups.

 

[MelodyQuaker]

Thanks for the info fellers.