# Better quality cables less noisy?



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I think the cord I just made from the Mogami cable I recently purchased is possibly less noisy than my other cheaper ones were. 

I cut the plugs off of my other cables, so I can't do a comparison. 
Please note...this is not about tone...just noise.

Is this likely/possible ? 

Cheers

Dave


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well, remember that there are different sources of noise. If a cable provides better shielding it may do a better job in keeping out electro-magnetic interference from transformers and such. Of course, if a cable has higher capacitance, it may bleed top end and appear to reduce noise by that treble loss. If it's treble you want to lose, that's good. But if it also includes treble you'd like to hang onto, that's a whole other thing.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

The Mogami does have excellent shielding and a capacitance of 39pf. It does take off a bit of top end which is why I like it.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks for the comments Mark and Jon.

Much appreciated.

Cheers

Dave


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

just my 2 cents worth on cables...
maybe its just a matter of convenience but our friends in Waterloo Q COMPONENTS
sell a nice bulk cable for a dollar a foot.
The company that makes this cable is VTG

I just noticed there are 2 different markings on the cable but I dont think it makes any difference. 
i'll list them anyways.

VTG audio low noise instrument cable - made in the usa
VTG audio concert quality instrument cable - made in the usa

like I said, i think this is a good quality cable and it works for me both on price and availability.

by the way Dave...where do you get the Mogami cable and how much does it cost?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

GTmaker said:


> .....by the way Dave...where do you get the Mogami cable and how much does it cost?


I bought the cable from a local Kijiji seller. It was $0.83 per foot. He was selling about 50 feet total and I bought 30 feet. He said that he had a lot of call for the cable.

Cheers

Dave


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

greco said:


> I bought the cable from a local Kijiji seller. It was $0.83 per foot. He was selling about 50 feet total and I bought 30 feet. He said that he had a lot of call for the cable.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


sounds like a good deal on a good cable.

your original post asked about noise as it relates to cables.
I have found that if a guitar is noisy to begin with, no cable in the world is going to help.

so...how do I completely shut up a noise guitar?..I'm glad you asked.

First I find an appropriate size piece of metal and attach it with a screw to the bottom of the control cavity.
It can also be attached to anywhere that it seems appropriate.

heres the real good part....bring the guitar jack ground wire to the metal and solder it there.
NOW bring ALL other ground wires to the same metal piece ( pickups, pots etc.) and solder them there.

Thats it.
its not complicated and it realy realy cleans up and noise issues with the guitar.

another thing....if your guitar buzzes when you touch something or NOT touch something...I have found that its allways a ground issue.

hope this helps and if you do it, then go out and get a Mogami cable and I will guarantee that it will be the cleanest cable you have ever used.

keep on rockin

G.


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## dtsaudio (Apr 15, 2009)

> I think the cord I just made from the Mogami cable I recently purchased is possibly less noisy than my other cheaper ones were


Absolutely, better cable is quieter. I found this out several years ago with Gotham Cable. This stuff is extremely well shielded and flexible.
I liked it so much I became a dealer (that's my disclaimer).
The Mogami is also an excellent performer and you got a good price. 

Don't forget the plugs though. Use good quality plugs. A bad connection is a noisy connection. I particularily like these
NP2X-AU-SILENT - Neutrik on the guitar end. If it gets unplugged it shorts and no humming from the amp.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I don't know that I'd say it is always quieter. Ultimately, it is going to depend on the sorts of noise challenges one pits it against. If we're talking about a studio situation with lots and lots of cable running everywhere, and a myriad of power supplies and other EMI sources all over, I'm every bit as confident as you that there WILL be audible benefits with respect to noise.

But I am equally confident that there will be a broad array of contexts where the noise challenges will be much less severe, and the user will not really notice enough benefit to justify the expenditure. 

Conversely, there will be many situations where the cable can not possibly cure what has been acquired at the signal source. Remember, the cable just carries the signal; it doesn't _produce_ it.

That's no criticism whatsoever, though, merely a realistic assessment of what better cable can and can't do.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I like the aforementioned VTG cable. I bought about 100' of it a while back and made up some irregular lengths for myself. As with Canare cable it seems to be quieter than the typical music store bargain priced guitar cords. Canare that I bought 15+ years ago is still in service, and hasn't changed its performance, at least to my ears. So, if the VTG is as good. I may be set for life. Still, there are a few Planet Waves cables around that will get regular use until they fail, as they always seem to do eventually. I like the sound of them, but they don't seem to last for me, maybe it's just chance.

Wish there was a curly (spiral) cord that lasted. I had a Bullet but it failed too. Damned if I could find the break in it without cutting it to pieces.

Peace, Mooh.


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