cable for connecting amp head to cabinet?

[bertie]

yep, if you have some spare mains lying about, cant beat it. There is simply no need to buy expensive "proper" leads.

[ecc83]

It might have started because in the early days, the power levels were low enough that guitar cable is actually OK. It's not good practice (nor is recommending it!) but it's still true that at up to about 20W maybe even higher, particularly into 16-ohm loads (since the current is inversely related to the impedance for a given power level), guitar cable is fine.

Mains cable makes very good speaker cable, and Neutriks are the best plugs, as already said. As for "tone", I would defy anyone to be able to *provably* tell the difference between mains cable and "proper" speaker cable, for a guitar amp and cab.

Yeah^ . As for the confusion issue. Just make speaker leads from orange "garden" two core. Even the lighter 6amp stuff (there is 10amp) can handle a theoretical 144W at 4 Ohms but for once "theory" is pessemistic compared to reality since I doubt that cable would have any audible loss with a 1.4kW 4 Ohm amp! At 16 Ohms the paper capability is 576W!

It takes a heck of a lot of even guitar signal cable to get to one Ohm and if anything were to get hot it would be the jacks (touch a mains plug after an hour at 2kW it is probably slightly warm, cable ain't) and they never are.

One point tho. Never use guitar cables on transistor amps especially older amps, regardless of power since the capacitance might push them into instabilty. Then, if a screened cable is "spiked" it shorts and transistor amps do not take kindly to shorts.

Dave.

[guitarfishbay]

I took ICBM's advice a long time ago and use an old Electric Lawnmore cable to make up speaker cables. It's more than capable of the job electrically, easy to solder with a decent iron and being bright orange doesn't get confused with guitar leads. Neat and cheap solution.

Bright orange! Fantastic Idea.

RE: ICBM talking about tone I'd believe him, I have 3 different models of speaker cable (I have 5 cabs, I'm not a cable whore!) and they all sound the exact same to me, no discernible difference at all. If mains lead is up to the job I bet it sounds the same too.

[zenzeypher]

Ahh that's okay I thought I was using the wrong cables.

I use those, it's cool - crisis averted.

[NorthernGIT]

I took ICBM's advice a long time ago and use an old Electric Lawnmore cable to make up speaker cables. It's more than capable of the job electrically, easy to solder with a decent iron and being bright orange doesn't get confused with guitar leads. Neat and cheap solution.

Top tip about the orange cable. I'll knock a few up.

[ecc83]

Thought it was here but twern't but somebody whinged that IEC mains leads do not lock?

Whinge no more !

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/mo...cpc/484641.xml

I am not sure how it works. There is a button on the plug and I can only surmize that there is some sort of friction mechanism?

CPC also carry a 3mtr heavy duty mains lead in orange and with white plugs. Good to differentiate leads? Heavy draw bass rig or PA mayhap?

Dave.

[Wonks]

For those unfamiliar with PA systems (where they are most commonly found), the Neutrik Speakon connection is designed for connecting speakers (the name sort of gives it away really).

http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/sp...le-connectors/

It is locking and there is no danger of any shorting as all the contacts are separate and twist into place as you rotate the plug to lock it. It can also take thicker cables than you can get onto a 1/4" jack. Some bass amp manufacturers are now using these connectors - especially for the higher powered amps and cabs.

I haven't seen any guitar amp manufacturer using these yet.

[drwiddly]

For those unfamiliar with PA systems (where they are most commonly found), the Neutrik Speakon connection is designed for connecting speakers (the name sort of gives it away really).

http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/sp...le-connectors/

It is locking and there is no danger of any shorting as all the contacts are separate and twist into place as you rotate the plug to lock it. It can also take thicker cables than you can get onto a 1/4" jack. Some bass amp manufacturers are now using these connectors - especially for the higher powered amps and cabs.

I haven't seen any guitar amp manufacturer using these yet.

Matrix use them. They have the sockets that allow connection of either jacks or speakon plugs.

[Wonks]

Good for Matrix!

[chrispy108]

Speakon connection is designed for connecting speakers (the name sort of gives it away really).

Some bass amp manufacturers are now using these connectors - especially for the higher powered amps and cabs.

I haven't seen any guitar amp manufacturer using these yet.

Bass amps have being doing it for ages, guitar amp makers haven't because guitarists are all dinosaurs.....