# Done with solder-less cables. What next?



## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

This is the fifth time that I've had this happen with Lava solder-less cables:










To explain, when unplugging cables from pedals the tip is separating from the barrel, and often times getting stuck inside the pedal. Would this potentially happen with Lava's soldered pancake (229) connectors? I need a new option...


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

I've always just made my own cables. Good quality Switchcraft plugs and bulk cable. For speaker wire I use 14 or 16gauge bulk lamp cord from the local big box.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I've been making (soldering) my own since I started guitar 3 years ago. Never had an issue. And I never really soldered before I started playing guitar.

I believe lava pancake plugs are the same as switch craft.


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

blam said:


> I believe lava pancake plugs are the same as switch craft.


For probably 25 times the price.


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

^ Good to know - will look them up. I do like the flexibility of Lava's cable though. Maybe mix-n-match.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I got in a pile of those ends last year with the same problem.
What a PITA! I have my whole PT-1 for the band wired up with these POS.

I contacted Lava, Mark, I think is his name, it's on their site.
I'd asked if they had some issues with the ends, they have a supplier build them,
"Yes" he's replied and asked how many that I needed for replacement.
I have twenty new ends on the way, problem is, that I'll have to rewire the whole board.

I've bought a few kits previous to those ends and have never had a problem otherwise.

Any further trouble though and it's onto soldered cables.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

james on bass said:


> For probably 25 times the price.


They're actually cheaper than switch craft plugs....


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Yeah, I also have replacements coming from Lava, under warranty which is nice. I'll keep them on hand for "emergency use", but if I'm rewiring everything anyway it's time to make the switch.

Also decided to not go the pancake route, and stick with the standard Switchcraft 226 plugs and probably the Mogami 2524 cable. Found some decent pricing online. Will take some getting used to bulkier cabling, but likely worth it in the long run.


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## Mr Boggie (Dec 4, 2012)

my poor fingers take most of the abuse putting those lava things together. they are rather tempermental. Right now, if I look at my board, the volume will drop out. then a tap of the toe on the the cable end and it comes back.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I've never used the solderless Lava but have used the cheaper no name alternative. Have not had an end pop off like the OP but I did have problems with losing a connection when moving pedals around. I switched to making my own and for my large board I used the G&H plugs, really like them even though they are on the bigger side. I'm also planning to build a smaller board and will make my own again but use the pancake style to save room. I want to say the G&H were somewhere in the $3.50 to $4.50 range while the Mode pancake style jacks were $1.25 each. The pancake ones can be finicky with larger diameter cable but work really well with the smaller stuff.


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## Harvester1199 (Apr 4, 2011)

I had the same problem. I switched to Hosa pancakes for my board


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I was going through my basement, looking for some idle reading, and grabbed a half dozen back issues of Guitar Player. One of them was a May 2008 issue devoted to the topic of pedalboards. What I felt compelled to mention here was that all of the big-name pedalboard/switching-system guys - Cornish, Bradshaw, Friedman, et al - HATED solderless connectors, and refused to use them even if customers requested them.

Just thought I'd offer up a little vindication for many of the folks here from the big guns.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

After many live disasters with solder less pedalboard cables, i have switched to short soldered prefab cables. zero issues since then.


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## Judas68fr (Feb 5, 2013)

I am switching of switching back to regular soldered cables too. I really enjoyed then size and flexibility of the Lava mini ultra mafic though.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

For 6" runs I have been using those cheap molded multi-coloured patch cables forever. IIRC they cost me a couple bucks each and I keep a handful of spares. For longer runs I make my own by cutting up those 10' Fender cables that come free with guitars and using pancake 90's at $2.39 ea. This has worked just fine for years.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

allthumbs56 said:


> For 6" runs I have been using those cheap molded multi-coloured patch cables forever. IIRC they cost me a couple bucks each and I keep a handful of spares. For longer runs I make my own by cutting up those 10' Fender cables that come free with guitars and using pancake 90's at $2.39 ea. This has worked just fine for years.


Excellent practical solution.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Same here. Still waiting to have an issue but....no problems so far.



allthumbs56 said:


> For 6" runs I have been using those cheap molded multi-coloured patch cables forever. IIRC they cost me a couple bucks each and I keep a handful of spares. For longer runs I make my own by cutting up those 10' Fender cables that come free with guitars and using pancake 90's at $2.39 ea. This has worked just fine for years.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I got in the replacement ends from Lava, twenty of them,
so, I'll be wiring up the other PT-1 with those.

I consider that pretty good customer service, they did have trouble with the supplier.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

allthumbs56 said:


> For 6" runs I have been using those cheap molded multi-coloured patch cables forever. IIRC they cost me a couple bucks each and I keep a handful of spares. For longer runs I make my own by cutting up those 10' Fender cables that come free with guitars and using pancake 90's at $2.39 ea. This has worked just fine for years.


I'm definitely not a cork sniffer but I was advised strongly by a person whom I consider a tone guru to eliminate those cheap molded multi-coloured patch cables from my board.

Frankly I can't really hear much difference but I did take his advice and bought some higher end soldered cables.

Seems to work fine.


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## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

Never realized there were more responses to this thread!

After some back and forth between Lava and Redco websites, I ended up ordering the new soldered 229 pancake set from Lava. Just waiting for Canada Post to deliver it (given that I ordered it two weeks ago, I figure a pony should be showing up at my place soon).

I have used those multi-colored patch cables in the past, and I've had them die on me as well. I just really prefer being able to make custom lengths, and I tend to trust them more when I assemble them. That said, I usually keep a couple of off-the-shelf patch cables in the bag in case of emergency.


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## JerS (Jun 16, 2014)

Great thread! I too have gone through the solderless, then multicoloured cables, and had failures with both (at the worst possible times, of course). The multicoloured ones were the biggest problem for me as they didn't just die - they died intermittently, cutting signal, but not completely. A real pain. Anyway, I bought a bag of 25 90 degree neutrik style plug ends off ebay (less than $1 each) and now make my own. The neutrik style plugs are easy to solder on, and seem to be quite robust. I have not had a failure in years since I started. As with any gear - to each their own!


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## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

I've had no issues with evidence sis cables in the 1year plus I've been using them. This is after using George L's for a few years and having many cables short out on me. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

If I was inclined to reconfigure a pedalboard frequently I could see some merit in solderless cables.


As I don't tend to make a lot of changes I like a nice solid soldered cable.


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