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DIYing guitar cables, any tips? - Page 2

post #16 of 23
10/11/09 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LingLing1337 View Post
So connect both shield ends to both grounds?
Yes.

Connecting shield at just one end only works for shielded twisted pair cable where you have a pair of wires and a braided shield over both of them. One wire serves as your "hot," the other connects the grounds together, and the shield which covers them both is only connected to ground at one end. It's called a "telescoping shield."

But with a coaxial cable, you just have the one conductor in the middle and the braided shield over it. The shield serves both as the ground connection and the shield so it must be connected at both ends otherwise you'll just have one wire connecting your guitar to your amp.

And that won't work unless you want to use the resulting "BWAAAAVVVVZZZZZZTTT!" as an "effect."

se

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post #17 of 23
10/11/09 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 
Great, thanks.

BTW, if I have some left over cabling, could I use it to make a coax cable using RCA plugs? Would it be the same procedure as the guitar cable?
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post #18 of 23
10/11/09 at 1:26pm
yes, the shield in this case is simply a ground that surrounds the signal wire, rather than a shield so to speak; as with any coaxial cable. if it were twinax or some other form of microphone cable, the ground wire (inside the shield) would be connected at both ends and the shield only connected at the amp end, which in itself is different to most grounding schemes where you would connect it at the source. the source by definition the guitar kinda is here. but since the guitar isnt really driven actively in this case and it cnotains very sensitive pickups which are actually designed to amplify noise; it would be easier for the ground/signal to be contaminated in the guitar, so we rely on any noise to take the easiest path (sink) to ground in the amp, rather than traveling back up the cable to the guitar and back down again.

so yes, connect the 'shield' at both ends

and yes I was beaten to the punch there was doing it at the same time, yes you can use the same cable and method in your RCA cables
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post #19 of 23
10/11/09 at 3:03pm
I didn't realize that the cable you had in hand was a coax. I'd still recommend using something else. That's the same cable used with the stock cable they give you with those new guitar packages. Go with something more flexible and something along the lines of a 2 conductor with a shield. Canare makes them but I'd still recommend mogami because of the flexibility and weight.

If you're going to stick with the GS-6, you might as well go to guitar center and buy a 20foot cable for 5 bucks during their "list events." And use the current GS-6 now for something else (eg interconnects between your pedal/s and amp).
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post #20 of 23
10/11/09 at 3:43pm
x2 on the mogami for a reasonable upgrade for cheap. thats if you are up for getting something alse. also belden make some nice twinax, cant remember the model number. worthwhile practicing on that first since you have it there.
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post #21 of 23
10/11/09 at 10:41pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qusp View Post

and yes I was beaten to the punch there was doing it at the same time, yes you can use the same cable and method in your RCA cables
By RCA you mean Coax, right (is coax an RCA? I've never really understood)


BTW, not really going to upgrade to any other cable right now, I don't play guitar at all (I'm making the cable for a friend). But I'll look into "twinax" if I need to make another in the future.
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post #22 of 23
10/12/09 at 4:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LingLing1337 View Post
By RCA you mean Coax, right (is coax an RCA? I've never really understood)
no, I meant RCA cables. RCA cables can be anything with an RCA connector on them, could be a 4 wire braid, could be coax, could be an 8 wire braid. RCA is the connector, coax is a specific type of cable that has a single center conductor surrounded by a shield, which carries the ground/return . coax can also be used for your guitar cable for example or a BNC cable. RCA cables must have RCA connectors, the cable itself can be pretty much anything you like.
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post #23 of 23
10/12/09 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
OK, thanks, got it! I'll be sure and post pics when I get this thing finished.
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