Outstanding cable that doesn't FAIL?

[phoenix 7]

I've used some great-sounding boutique cables over the years but they tend to fail pretty often (regardless of how careful I am with them), and of course the time they pick to go is at GIGS. Which is a friggin' nightmare.

Any recommendations?

 

[TheOtherDave]

Most of the Mogami users I know have had good luck with them.

 

[kev324]

I started making my own about 4 years ago with Canare GS6 and Neutrik ends and havent had one fail yet

 

[Jules-RM]

Death Valley Cable

 

[teleclem]

Lava's pretty reliable.

 

[edgie]

Klotz La Grange. Very rugged mid-priced cable.

 

[Gretsch47]

I love Colossal Cable! My whole rig, (match cables, instrument and amp cables) are all Collossal and Brian Mendes is a top-notch guy, his customer service is excellent.
http://www.colossalcable.com/

*(I'm not affiliated with Colossal, just a very satisfied customer)

 

[XmasTree]

every cable i've ever owned has failed

i like that i can walk into my Sam Ash or GC and return my Monster cables in a snap

Props to Bullet Cables for FedEx'ing me a new replacement cable as well!
I like'a da bullet cables!

 

[chervokas]

Hmm, I've rarely if ever had any cable fail unless something catastrophic happens to it -- like I've had something sharp and heavy fall on it a cable and sever it.

Putting aside solid core cables -- which have become popular in recent years but seem like a less than ideal choice for a guitar cable being using on a gig -- it seems to me that any well made cable with a decently durable jacket, good plugs and a decent soldering job should pretty much last forever under normal use (ie it's propery coiled when stored, it's not continually being yanked out at great force by the cable, it's not being sharply bent, sharp and heavy stuff isn't being placed on top of it).

Maybe half a dozen times, but probably even less than that, in 30+ years of playing keys, guitar, drums, etc, in studios, rehearsal and on gigs, I've had instrument cables fail at the terminations -- maybe a broken solder joint or a short where something has happened around the plug to bring the hot and ground conductors into contact with each other.

Jacks on guitars, switches and pots on pedals and other electronics -- I've had these fail way, way more frequently than cables. Again, unless I can point to something falling -- that's been the biggest source of equpiment damage in my experience -- or being yanked out under great force, under normal use cables seem pretty durable.

These days I use Gepco XBand terminated with G&H or Neutrik plugs and I've never had one fail. I've also had other people -- like Lava or Stompin Ground -- do the terminating and strain relief/shrink insulating. I can make my own cables and I do, but these guys do rock solid terminations and terminations seem to be where failures most commonly occur, so I pay for a pro to do an even better termination than I might do when it comes to something like a guitar cable, something that is being moved around a lot and might get yanked.

I would submit that anyone who is experiencing cables from all different manufacturers and terminators routinely and continually failing, needs to look at what they're doing and how they're treating their cables. The only constant in that circumstance is the player, and something they're doing is causing problems.

 

[sameoldblues]

Pete Cornish and Mogami.

NOT Evidence- great cables, but very prone to failure.

This has been my experience with the Evidence Lyric and Melody cables, BUT I've been using a Reveal for 8 months now with zero issues, and I don't expect to have any...it's a stranded cable. I also prefer the sound of the Reveal over the others that I've tried.

I'd be hesitant to use anything with a solid core again.

 

[frontingbravery]

Never had issues with George L or Axekisser.

 

[XmasTree]

ive been using axekisser for my pedalboard the last year. no problem with them.
....though, they don't move much because they're on a pedalboard.
if they did fail, that'd be pretty ridiculous

 

[Flyin' Brian]

The ones that you make yourself.

I have to admit...I have NEVER had a cable fail.

 

[tdk8709]

Never had a Canare fail me.

 

[stopreferencing]

Voodoo Lab.

 

[tibbon]

Any cable can fail. To assume its a brand thing is just silly.

 

[Jove]

Any cable can fail. To assume its a brand thing is just silly.

I understand what you're saying but I don't think it's silly to inquire about companies that pride themselves in not only a great tone but a DURABILITY factor. There are some high quality cables that seem very fragile. Ive had some of those as well and it's not worth it. Nowadays, my personal needs in regards to cables definitely lean more towards the constant beating they take on the road or on stage every night. Getting pulled around, wrapped around, stepped on, rolled over, twisted up, ya know...

I'm interested in any companies that go through extra steps to make an extra durable cable.

As for me now, I tend to use Mogami just because when it DOES fail, I can just get a new one exchanged at any music store.

J

 

[that_brianm_guy]

Give Armor Gold a shot http://www.armorgoldcables.com/

 

[Class5]

I don't break cables and they usually don't fail. I've been using the same DiMarzio, Horizon, Planet Waves and HotLines leads for years. The only failure I've had in recent years was a new Bullet cable-but I just got the dodgy one in a batch I suppose.

 

[Painasusual]

I'd stay away from Evidence Audio cables. They tend to fail. At least my melody and lyric hg did.