Author
|
Topic: George L Cables-The best
|
Kevin Hatton Member From: Amherst, N.Y.
|
posted 19 June 2006 11:02 AM
profile
If you want to improve your tone and clarity get George L cables. My Monster cables were noisy. The George L's are quiet and are very highly rated by Guitar Player magazine. A great investment. |
Greg Cutshaw Member From: Corry, PA, USA
|
posted 19 June 2006 11:34 AM
profile
This comes up a few times a year but that's good because new people are always discovering these. George L's cables have extremely low capacitance per foot, are well shielded, lay flat, don't tangle, coil easily and are simple to build and repair without having to solder anything. These made a huge difference in the high frequencies in my sound. There are other good cables available from Belden but George L's has the best system for connecting everything. George L's Products Greg  Greg's Web Page MSA/Steel King Sounds
|
Mike Fried Member From: Nashville, TN, USA
|
posted 19 June 2006 03:38 PM
profile
The one issue with solderless connectors such as George L's that is rarely discussed is that the cable/plug connections will oxidize in time (dissimilar metals) and should be periodically "renewed". This can usually be done simply by fully loosening the setscrew securing the plug and rotating the plug a couple of times on the cable, then tightening the screw back down, preferably in a new spot away from the original indentation. On their right-angle plugs, it's best to remove the plug and cut off the "used" section of cable and then reattach the plug. If your George L cables are a couple of years old or more (or have frequently seen a lot of humidity), try this, you'll probably hear a difference. |
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida
|
posted 19 June 2006 04:19 PM
profile
I've been using George L's cables (and George L's strings) since the mid 80's.I've a couple of cables that are close to 20 years old and still going strong. I've had two cable ends, that I recall go bad (not a bad track record for 20 years of use) but I never considered the "oxidation". The ones that I had go bad were completely "open", not just partially or had high resistance. Being an ex amp tech I tested the ones that went "bad" with a high quality Digital Voltohmmeter. But, I'll try the "reseat" if a cable ever goes bad again. |
Paddy Long Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
|
posted 19 June 2006 05:24 PM
profile
I have been using the George L cables for my steel and rack hook up for a while and they are great. Can you use the same cable for the speaker connections in a rack system ? Or do you recommend a specific speaker type cable? |
Greg Cutshaw Member From: Corry, PA, USA
|
posted 19 June 2006 05:49 PM
profile
I wouldn't recommend using the George L's guitar cable for speaker wire. It's not designed to carry appreciable current although at low practice volumes it seems ok. George L's does sell speaker cable (16 gauge) and plugs which are designed for the higher currents of a speaker system. See these products at the George L's web site link in my post above.Greg. |
CHIP FOSSA Member From: Monson, MA 01057 U.S.A.
|
posted 19 June 2006 06:01 PM
profile
I haven't tried out GeorgeL cables yet, but the oxidation you guys refer to >Couldn't you simply use a grease-type coating? Plumbers heat-pruf grease, or even Vaseline? Like putting grease on auto battery terminals. Go easy on me. I don't know what the physical connections look like or the over-all assembly. Oh, almost forgot - I checked out those Monster cables around here. WHOA - where do they get off charging $40 for a 20' cord. C'mon! My axes sound just fine with plain ole' cheapo cords. And haven't all great electric musicians in the past sound OK? when those/these cords were not available. I am interested, tho, in GeorgeL's system. And, here's a clue: anything termed SUPER, MEGA, MONSTER, HUMONGUS - I look at with a lot of trepidation: - NOT MY WORLD! Thanks.[This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 19 June 2006 at 06:02 PM.] [This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 19 June 2006 at 06:03 PM.] [This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 19 June 2006 at 06:21 PM.] [This message was edited by CHIP FOSSA on 19 June 2006 at 06:21 PM.] |
Paddy Long Member From: Christchurch, New Zealand
|
posted 19 June 2006 07:39 PM
profile
Greg thanks for the advise ...I might try their speaker cable! |
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida
|
posted 20 June 2006 03:26 AM
profile
Chip, you don't want any compound in there that can cause even the least bit of resistance or capacitance. "Dry" is the only way to go. I don't think the oxidation is really a big problem - I've been in Florida with the high humidity for 10 years and never experienced a cable failure since I've been here. If the cables were left outside for a long period (very long) period it might be an issue, but with the "normal use" that 99% of us do I don't think it's a problem. Actually, if I were still in the amp repair business I wouldn't even consider it an issue with customers that use George L's cables. |
Dan Beller-McKenna Member From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 03:51 AM
profile
Any advantage to the .225 over the .155 cables?Thanks, Dan ------------------ Dan Beller-McKenna Big Red Durham, NH |
Kevin Ruddell Member From: Toledo Ohio USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 03:58 AM
profile
I went back to Belden cable. The George L's are much brighter sounding to my ears because of the low capacitance . the Belden seems a little less trebly. |
Dave Diehl Member From: Mechanicsville, MD, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 04:20 AM
profile
I agree with Kevin. I paid about $100/cable for new monster instrument cables and immediately went back to the George L's... |
Darvin Willhoite Member From: Leander, Tx. USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 06:14 AM
profile
I used Belden cables from about 1972 until last year when I got my first new MSA. It came with a couple of George L's cables, so I tried them and liked them. The colors they offer are neat too. I now have a red set for my red guitars, a blue set for my blue guitars, and a white set.....you get the picture. I can't really tell any difference in the sound between them and the Beldens, but they are much easier to work with, being smaller, they take up less room in the pack-a-seat. ------------------ Darvin Willhoite Riva Ridge Recording
|
Marlin Smoot Member From: Atlanta,Georgia, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 06:33 AM
profile
So far, I've been happy with the Monster cables and the Planet Waves. I'm sure at some point I'll try the george L's as I'm always on the endless quest for tone...If you have a chance to A/B the high dollar cords with the cheap cords and you don't hear a difference, buy the cheap cords. With the Monster cords, I heard a nicer lower end and cleaner highs. The way the Monster cord help drive the signal into the amp was amazing...to me. Ta ta |
Greg Cutshaw Member From: Corry, PA, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 07:00 AM
profile
Dan - the .155 and .255 cables are identical electrically and will sound exactly the same. The .255 cable just has a thicker core and is more rugged.Darvin - I just noticed all the colors they sell now. I would have ordered some red ones had I known about them. Greg |
James Marlowe Member From: Lakeland, Florida, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 09:15 AM
profile
I almost invested in some high dollar cables, but decided to try GL's first. When they showed up in the mail and I saw how small they were, I thought "what a rip-off". I always thought bigger was better. But when I tried them out I was glad I ordered them. They do sound better to me. But I found out they don't work good at all for bass! Bigger is better in that case. |
Joey Ace Sysop From: Southern Ontario, Canada
|
posted 20 June 2006 09:35 AM
profile
I've been using GeorgeL's for about 10 years and am very happy with them.At first I doubted that a soderless connection would be any good. I'm now a believer. The only problem I ever had is with their right angle connectors coming loose. That's easily fixed in a minute or less. You can still have vintage cable tone by adding one of these to your signal chain:
|
Joseph Meditz Member From: San Diego, California USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 09:56 AM
profile
Does anyone know exactly how much capicitance per foot Geo L cables have?Joe |
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida
|
posted 20 June 2006 10:22 AM
profile
I think the capacitance is 22pf per foot (but may be 24 pf). We checked actual cable on a capacitance tester about 3 years ago. We checked some older cable and some newer cable and they were both the same. |
Greg Cutshaw Member From: Corry, PA, USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 12:18 PM
profile
I am getting just over 20 picofarads per foot here on my bridge. Incredibly, the connectors (standard length straight) measure only 4 picofarads apiece! Greg |
Joseph Meditz Member From: San Diego, California USA
|
posted 20 June 2006 09:56 PM
profile
I had bought some cables from guitar-cable.com which are spec'd at 33pF/foot. When I compared them to the Geo L's I felt that the Geo L's gave a nicer, more musical, tone. The Geo L's were recommended by Jim Tonemeister Palenscar. And I must confess that I was a bit skeptical. But to my surprise after unplugging and plugging cables in and out for A-B testing, the Geo L's won. Joe
|
David Mason Member From: Cambridge, MD, USA
|
posted 21 June 2006 06:03 AM
profile
George L's get pretty pricy if you start looking for quality patchcords to hook up racks and pedal chains - I was happy with a big spool of cable and some ends I bought from this guy: http://www.gigcables.com/ I'm sure there are many others.P.S. I have found it REALLY helpful to put one, or two, 4" lengths of clear vinyl tubing in between the ends before you solder them, on cords that get some wear. The 1/2" ID X 3/4" OD tubing can then be jammed up onto the plugs, providing really good flex protection. George L's might take a different size, but good hardware stores have big spools of all different sizes.[This message was edited by David Mason on 21 June 2006 at 06:25 AM.] |
Greg Cutshaw Member From: Corry, PA, USA
|
posted 21 June 2006 08:04 AM
profile
You have to shop around for George L's to get a good price. I am sure there are some steel vendors that have good prices. I buy a lot from click here and with every 12' of cable ordered you get two connectors so the total price is not that much more than any other decent cable. Greg |
Mike Fried Member From: Nashville, TN, USA
|
posted 21 June 2006 09:12 AM
profile
"I don't think the oxidation is really a big problem - I've been in Florida with the high humidity for 10 years and never experienced a cable failure since I've been here."Jack, this oxidation doesn't cause failure, but it does degrade the tone by adding a couple of ohms of resistence to the connection (I'm not making this up, it's firsthand observation of both the problem and the solution). |
Kevin Hatton Member From: Amherst, N.Y.
|
posted 21 June 2006 09:39 AM
profile
I agree Mike. |
Marlin Smoot Member From: Atlanta,Georgia, USA
|
posted 21 June 2006 10:22 AM
profile
When I saw the george L's...i thought the wire looked very small where the Monster cord had a larger wire. I was under the impression that if you have larger wire, you get more signal running through it. I have not tried the George L's but I know a lot of people use them, I'm open to trying a couple. I have a nice old 1963 Gibson Tube amp (18 watt) with a 50 watt Naylor speaker and when it's turned up to patent pending, it sounds great with a nice tube overdrive. When I used a cheap cord one day, it had lost "that sound" and when I switched out the cord with one of my Monster's, the sound came back. I know a good cord makes a huge difference in tone. I could never go back to using or buying $10 cords again. I'm no electronics expert...not even close. |
CrowBear Schmitt Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
|
posted 22 June 2006 02:04 AM
profile
George L's cords are tops ! |
William Steward Member From: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
|
posted 22 June 2006 05:24 AM
profile
The A - B test is a good one to try with a 'cheapo' cable and a sample George L...as Greg pointed out you may notice a difference in the sound at the top end. For those of you 'in the know' does the capacitance of the cable appreciably affect the bass end of the spectrum as someone noted? The best thing about George Ls for me is that noone picks them up at the end of the gig by mistake since they are unique looking with different colours, thickness.[This message was edited by William Steward on 22 June 2006 at 05:25 AM.] |
Keith Cordell Member From: Atlanta
|
posted 22 June 2006 06:14 AM
profile
The Monster cables on the higher end of the scale are pretty quiet, and well built; that being said, I use George L's. The biggest positive with the Monsters is that if a cable goes bad you can return it and get another one, and there is no end of warranty- which is kinda cool, buy a cable and it's yours forever. |
Curt Langston Member From: ***In the shadows of Tulsa at Bixby, USA***
|
posted 22 June 2006 07:30 AM
profile
quote: buy a cable and it's yours forever.
Or until the company goes out of business! Indeed! |
Jerry Van Hoose Member From:
|
posted 22 June 2006 08:33 AM
profile
Yes, George L cables are the finest. I like the new colors too. I didn't do a search in electronics, but didn't Randy Beavers & Johnny Cox A/B the two different sizes of George L cables once and post their results?
|
Bobby Lee Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
|
posted 22 June 2006 02:12 PM
profile
I use Bill Lawrence cables. I a/b'ed them with George L's and they sounded the same to my ears, but were less microphonic when they were being moved around.------------------
Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic) Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) My Blog |
Mark Fasbender Member From: Salt Lake City,Utah
|
posted 23 June 2006 09:28 PM
profile
I think James Marelowe might disagree but I have found the GL cables to be outstanding for bass guitar. Every bass player I have ever let use one is still using them. Great way to tighten up the bottom. I dont record bass in the studio without them. They are very phase coherent and give a true representation of the instrument if that is what you're after. There is a difference in all the GL cables,even the different colors. I prefer the skinny red to the skinny black on a couple of my guitars. Never cared for the thick ones.------------------ Got Twang ? Mark |
Mike Fried Member From: Nashville, TN, USA
|
posted 24 June 2006 12:08 PM
profile
Mark, I agree about their skinny red cables. Besides sounding the best (to my ears), the extra layer of insulation reduces microphonics and makes them a lot easier to see on a dark stage. |
Mark Fasbender Member From: Salt Lake City,Utah
|
posted 24 June 2006 12:53 PM
profile
Mike......... the ,155 reds seem to be a little smoother in the highs. If I dont have time to change strings for a gig I will sometimes use a black .155 to get more top. This is for tele playin not steel.------------------ Got Twang ? Mark |
Brint Hannay Member From: Maryland, USA
|
posted 24 June 2006 09:52 PM
profile
I've used George L's cables for several years, and I think they do make a difference, and sound great. My two complaints are: 1) The right-angle connectors getting loose--easily dealt with; just check 'em and tighten 'em up if necessary each time you use them, and 2) The connectors (both kinds) seem to be undersized, so that in certain types of jack, in my case specifically the jacks in G&L guitars, they move around, causing intermittent connection and incredibly aggravating loud hum unpredictably interrupting my playing . Admittedly the jacks used in G&L guitars are lousy, but hey, George L, given that there are such jacks out there, how about a connector upgrade? But they work great for steel, where they don't have to deal with movement! |
Mark Fasbender Member From: Salt Lake City,Utah
|
posted 24 June 2006 10:55 PM
profile
The G+L jacks suck but all you have to do is get in there and bend the little piece that contacts the tip. A little bit of solder on the inside of the barrell of the jack,near the outside helps the fit too. Sometimes they dont fit in amp jacks that well either. Same fix.------------------ Got Twang ? Mark |
Jim Sliff Member From: Hermosa Beach California, USA
|
posted 25 June 2006 01:13 PM
profile
another long-time George-L user.A couple notes: 1. The cable-size comparison with monster is irrelevant. That's the plastic on the outside, not the actual wire in most cases...and even when the wire is thinner, it makes no difference. Only on speaker cables where high-wattage can be an issue. 2. Monsters ar OK - but you pay dearly fr all the hype, and they don't test above an average level. 3. NEVER use a guitar cable as a speaker cable. A sheilded (guitar) cable sends a badly-balance signal to the speaker and can fry it. Never, ever, ever do this. Clearly mark your speaker cables!! 4. The best speaker wire is usually zip cord - regular lamp or extension cord. "Speaker wire" is overpriced, and the clear-looking stuff all seems to leach out plasticizers over time, making the wires very sticky. 5. Renewing George-L's - I just clip a bit off and reset them once every couple of years. Great product and nice people to deal with. |
Hook Moore Member From: South Charleston,West Virginia
|
posted 26 June 2006 06:49 AM
profile
I`m also a longtime GeorgeL guy. The Bill Lawrence cables are also excellent. Hook------------------ www.HookMoore.com
|
Mike Fried Member From: Nashville, TN, USA
|
posted 26 June 2006 09:09 AM
profile
Another note - George L also sells plastic caps for their right-angle plugs that prevent them from unscrewing. They also have fitted plastic sleeves for the straight plugs that provide strain relief. Both are available in different colors and are worth using. |