Guitar cable - shielded end question

Ivan · January 13th, 2007, 06:11 AM

after many many years of playing through free cables, i decided it was time to invest in a quality one.
I just bought a Planet Waves one, and while reading the box i notice one end of it is a shielded end. I was wondering what this actually means - why just one end? is the shielded end meant to go in the instrument?

playanotherchord · January 13th, 2007, 06:17 AM

the shielded end needs to go into the amp, or effects, or whatever's on the other end. Its supposed to protect your guitar from electric surges. I've used Planet Waves cables extensively, and one thing you should note is that the compression spring thingys they have will widen the jack on your guitar, so it will become difficult to use cables without the compression springs. Not a bad thing per se, just that you may end up having to stick to Planet Waves cables if it gets really bad. My brother's bass had that problem, but it was a cheap bass, so I can't really say if it was more the cable or the quality of the jack.

woodman · January 13th, 2007, 06:32 PM

i use Planet Waves cables exclusively now, they're great gear for my money. you can color-code your shielded end with the little colored rubber-band thingies that come with the package, so you know which end goes where at a glance. why only one end? here's what Planet Waves sez:::

This configuration provides the best shielding against external noise. The shield intercepts external noise and diverts it to the amplifier ground, reducing interference. Connecting the shield to the amplifier end provides the shortest and most direct path to the amplifier ground and maximizes the shielding effectiveness. If the shield is connected at the guitar end, the intercepted noise is forced to travel through the cable before reaching the amplifier ground; this causes extra noise pickup by the cable and reduces shielding effectiveness. If the shield is connected at both ends, some of the noise can still travel through the cable before reaching the amplifier ground, thereby reducing shielding effectiveness.

the jacks i've had in my guitars can be bent to tighten back up if they get slack.

Ben Harmless · January 13th, 2007, 07:15 PM

Sooooo... the guitar is not grounded anymore?

No thanks, I'd rather maintain a safe amp and keep grounding the noise that's produced within the guitar.

"The intercepted noise is forced to travel through the cable..." So when you don't clip the shield on one end, it magically gets grounded without travelling through the cable?

A little snake oil there methinks. Not on the level of Monster Cable, as this is a genuine difference that does offer some utility in limited circumstances, but I doubt it'll really make for better tone in the end.

Pete Galati · January 13th, 2007, 07:27 PM

This isn't something I've looked into, but it seems like the guitar's negative still has to be connected to the amp, or you won't hear anything. So they must have two conductors inside the shield, but the shield is only conected at the amp end. I can't think of any other way to make that work.

Pete

woodman · January 13th, 2007, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

they must have two conductors inside the shield, but the shield is only conected at the amp end. Pete

that's the way i understand it. i found all that info after i'd already bought a couple -- mainly for rugged construction and low capacitance.

teleclarkster · January 13th, 2007, 07:38 PM

This is nothing new. In audio systems, especially on balanced cables I float the shield or "drain" wire on outputs of devices and tie it on the input of another device. This will prevent ground loops between equipment. Then any RF or other noises that get on the shield are drained through the ground of the gear that it's tied too. You can do the same thing with a guitar cable if it has 2 conductors and a shield. I've made plenty and they work well.

Rick S · January 14th, 2007, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodman

that's the way i understand it. i found all that info after i'd already bought a couple -- mainly for rugged construction and low capacitance.

That's correct. They are basically a conventional cable with a braided shield but it has an additional foil shield over that. They are still slim and very flexible, really no negatives and the secondary shield can be effective against some RF problems, but to the most part you will never notice any difference. So, don't worry if you plug it in backwards.

I'm with Woodman, I've used these exclusively for several years and haven't had a failure. Rugged rascals.

January 13th, 2007, 06:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ivan Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 381 2 Photos	Guitar cable - shielded end question after many many years of playing through free cables, i decided it was time to invest in a quality one. I just bought a Planet Waves one, and while reading the box i notice one end of it is a shielded end. I was wondering what this actually means - why just one end? is the shielded end meant to go in the instrument? __________________ Ivan __________________________ '06 Gibson Les Paul Standard '06 Martin D-35 '06 Fender AV '62 Stratocaster (Wildwood Thinskin) '05 Fender AV '52 Telecaster

January 13th, 2007, 06:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 63 Posts: 6,244	i use Planet Waves cables exclusively now, they're great gear for my money. you can color-code your shielded end with the little colored rubber-band thingies that come with the package, so you know which end goes where at a glance. why only one end? here's what Planet Waves sez::: This configuration provides the best shielding against external noise. The shield intercepts external noise and diverts it to the amplifier ground, reducing interference. Connecting the shield to the amplifier end provides the shortest and most direct path to the amplifier ground and maximizes the shielding effectiveness. If the shield is connected at the guitar end, the intercepted noise is forced to travel through the cable before reaching the amplifier ground; this causes extra noise pickup by the cable and reduces shielding effectiveness. If the shield is connected at both ends, some of the noise can still travel through the cable before reaching the amplifier ground, thereby reducing shielding effectiveness. the jacks i've had in my guitars can be bent to tighten back up if they get slack. __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

January 13th, 2007, 07:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ben Harmless Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany, NY US of A Posts: 3,387 12 Photos	Sooooo... the guitar is not grounded anymore? No thanks, I'd rather maintain a safe amp and keep grounding the noise that's produced within the guitar. "The intercepted noise is forced to travel through the cable..." So when you don't clip the shield on one end, it magically gets grounded without travelling through the cable? A little snake oil there methinks. Not on the level of Monster Cable, as this is a genuine difference that does offer some utility in limited circumstances, but I doubt it'll really make for better tone in the end. __________________ "I think I'll go for the life of sin, followed by the last-minute, presto-change-o, deathbed repentance." - B. Simpson

January 13th, 2007, 06:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
playanotherchord Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Age: 22 Posts: 246 2 Photos	the shielded end needs to go into the amp, or effects, or whatever's on the other end. Its supposed to protect your guitar from electric surges. I've used Planet Waves cables extensively, and one thing you should note is that the compression spring thingys they have will widen the jack on your guitar, so it will become difficult to use cables without the compression springs. Not a bad thing per se, just that you may end up having to stick to Planet Waves cables if it gets really bad. My brother's bass had that problem, but it was a cheap bass, so I can't really say if it was more the cable or the quality of the jack.

January 13th, 2007, 07:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
Pete Galati R.I.P. Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8,104 2 Photos	This isn't something I've looked into, but it seems like the guitar's negative still has to be connected to the amp, or you won't hear anything. So they must have two conductors inside the shield, but the shield is only conected at the amp end. I can't think of any other way to make that work. Pete

January 13th, 2007, 07:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
teleclarkster Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Way Out West Age: 54 Posts: 646 10 Photos	This is nothing new. In audio systems, especially on balanced cables I float the shield or "drain" wire on outputs of devices and tie it on the input of another device. This will prevent ground loops between equipment. Then any RF or other noises that get on the shield are drained through the ground of the gear that it's tied too. You can do the same thing with a guitar cable if it has 2 conductors and a shield. I've made plenty and they work well.