Need suggestions for custom/DIY Pedalboard Cables...

[sbpark]

Just ordered my first pedal board (Pedaltrain Jr.) because I have grown tired of always setting up and breaking down my pedals, having a tangled mess of cables, and no real way to transport them together, so I pulled the trigger finally.

I want to di it right, so I am looking for suggestions for kits/resources for custom patch cables. Ideally I would like the connectors to take up al less space as possible (the 'pancake' style connectors look nice), but more importunely I would like the ability to create cables of custom lengths to accommodate different distances between pedals so I can have a really nice, clean looking board in the end.

All ideas and suggestions appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jnepo1]

If you can solder, build them. If you can't, Lava, George L's, Bill Lawrence, and Planet Waves to name a few. I prefer the DIY soldered method, it is definitely much cheaper and I prefer a soldered connection.

If you go the soldered method. GLS pancake plugs are @ $1/each thru speakerrepair.com. Mogami 2319 cables are very neutral in sound. The 2319 sells for @ .40/ft and can be ordered thru Redco.com. The 2319 are small in diameter and are perfect for pedalboards.

 

[sbpark]

If you can solder, build them. If you can't, Lava, George L's, Bill Lawrence, and Planet Waves to name a few. I prefer the DIY soldered method, it is definitely much cheaper and I prefer a soldered connection.

If you go the soldered method. GLS pancake plugs are @ $1/each thru speakerrepair.com. Mogami 2319 cables are very neutral in sound. The 2319 sells for @ .40/ft and can be ordered thru Redco.com. The 2319 are small in diameter and are perfect for pedalboards.

I am very handy with a soldering iron, so I think I will make my own. Thank you very much for the resources for the parts, too! Much appreciated!

 

[DblStop]

Been using Planet Waves cables on my board for the past 6 or 7 years now with no problems what so ever!!

 

[sbpark]

something about the solderless kits that just doesn't sit well with me. will probably end up going with GLS pancakes and 10 or so feet of lava or george L cable and call it a day.

 

[Telephonic]

GLS pancake from speakerrepair.com and lava MINI ELC is a great combo...loving mine.

 

[TeleSky]

If you can solder, build them. If you can't, Lava, George L's, Bill Lawrence, and Planet Waves to name a few. I prefer the DIY soldered method, it is definitely much cheaper and I prefer a soldered connection.

If you go the soldered method. GLS pancake plugs are @ $1/each thru speakerrepair.com. Mogami 2319 cables are very neutral in sound. The 2319 sells for @ .40/ft and can be ordered thru Redco.com. The 2319 are small in diameter and are perfect for pedalboards.

+1
Mogami cables are seriously underrated, and i too do not like the idea of a solderless connection.

 

[Delta63]

Awesome pancake connectors thanks to the discovery by: Armchair Bronco

http://www.amazon.com/Mono-Right-An...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237140696&sr=8-1

Was wondering what is the best shielded cable to use?

 

[jnepo1]

Awesome pancake connectors thanks to the discovery by: Armchair Bronco

http://www.amazon.com/Mono-Right-An...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237140696&sr=8-1

Was wondering what is the best shielded cable to use?

No thanks, I prefer the GLS pancake plugs thru Speakerrepair.com, much cheaper than those and easy to solder.

As for cables, it's subjective. I use the Mogami 2319 because it is very neutral sounding. The GL's can be soldered but they are very bright. Monorails are good cables also. Don't know the GL's price, the Monoralis are @ $3/ft and the 2319 are @.42/ft.

 

[sbpark]

No thanks, I prefer the GLS pancake plugs thru Speakerrepair.com, much cheaper than those and easy to solder.

As for cables, it's subjective. I use the Mogami 2319 because it is very neutral sounding. The GL's can be soldered but they are very bright. Monorails are good cables also. Don't know the GL's price, the Monoralis are @ $3/ft and the 2319 are @.42/ft.

yes, from the research i did these were not worth it and the extra cost ($1.00 for the GLS compared to $0.50 for this cheaper version) was not worth it. People rave about the quality of the GLS, most say these are cheap crap. I ended up going with Lava cable.

 

[jnepo1]

yes, from the research i did these were not worth it and the extra cost ($1.00 for the GLS compared to $0.50 for this cheaper version) was not worth it. People rave about the quality of the GLS, most say these are cheap crap. I ended up going with Lava cable.

Interesting, David Friedman of Racksystems and David Philips of LA Sound Design uses the GLS pancake plugs for all there builds. David Friedman has been touting the GLS plugs since they came out 12 years ago. I've never heard of anyone complain about the GLS plugs, they are even easier to solder than the Switchcraft pancake plugs.

So you went w// the Lava Solderless patch cables? Just make sure you build them correctly. They are fickle, especially for the cost. I would prefer a soldered connection. I would much rather spend my money on effects and or guitar. I think spending $80 or a solderless kit is ridiculous. Especially that it can only build you 5 patch cables. Man that better be a damn good patch cable for that cost.

I know Lava cables are good quality, I'm not knocking that, but cost per patch cable is exorbitant. A GLS pancake plug cost @ $1/each. Mogami 2319 cable (small diameter, very neutral sounding pedalboard cables) cost .42/ft. That's $1.84 in cost for a 1' patch cable, what's the cost breakdown for a solderless patch cable of the same length?

 

[sbpark]

Interesting, David Friedman of Racksystems and David Philips of LA Sound Design uses the GLS pancake plugs for all there builds. David Friedman has been touting the GLS plugs since they came out 12 years ago. I've never heard of anyone complain about the GLS plugs, they are even easier to solder than the Switchcraft pancake plugs.

So you went w// the Lava Solderless patch cables? Just make sure you build them correctly. They are fickle, especially for the cost. I would prefer a soldered connection. I would much rather spend my money on effects and or guitar. I think spending $80 or a solderless kit is ridiculous. Especially that it can only build you 5 patch cables. Man that better be a damn good patch cable for that cost.

I know Lava cables are good quality, I'm not knocking that, but cost per patch cable is exorbitant. A GLS pancake plug cost @ $1/each. Mogami 2319 cable (small diameter, very neutral sounding pedalboard cables) cost .42/ft. That's $1.84 in cost for a 1' patch cable, what's the cost breakdown for a solderless patch cable of the same length?

i re-read what i wrote and just realized that it came across wrong! i was totally endorsing the GLS connectors and saying that the extra $0.50 each one cost over the cheap ones is money well spent, and that they are of superior quality over the cheaper ones! i must have been a bit out of it when i typed that because my point was not converted accurately and i apologize for that!

i didn't go for a solderless set. i went with GLS connectors and bulk Lava cable.

with that said, the connectors showed up in the mail today and they are great quality and solid. just waiting on the cable and pedal board and i'll start soldering!

 

[JHall55]

Quick question guys, I'm new to this diy stuff. I got my mogami cable and gls pancake plugs, but when I open the plugs, I'm not sure which wire gets soldered to which tab. My first thought was the "shield" wire goes on the top tab and the "signal" wire goes on the bottom tab, but the only picture I found online says the opposite?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[noah330]

I just made a bunch of these last night.

I used these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UIC78W/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

And I followed Bob Bradshaw's advice and used Mogami 2319, as I figure he knows what's good.

I bought the cable from Redco. It's 42 cents a foot. I actually had this cable left over from something else, but that's what it costs:

http://www.redco.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=78&cat=Mogami+Instrument+Cable

The hot wire goes to the plug and the ground goes to the other tab. I found plugging the end into an MXR style pedal on its side made for a good stand while working.

 

[JHall55]

The hot wire goes to the plug and the ground goes to the other tab. I found plugging the end into an MXR style pedal on its side made for a good stand while working.

Those are the exact plugs I've got. I know the hot wire goes to the plug etc, I just can't tell which one is the plug, and which one is the other tab. They both look like they are on the centre post. I guess my question is does the hot wire go to the top or bottom tab (assuming the post is pointing down)? The picture I found online has the hot wire going on the top tab.

Using the pedal for a stand is a GREAT idea, I was gonna go spend $30 on some clamp device thingy...

 

[noah330]

Hot on left, ground on right

 

[JHall55]

Awesome. Thanks a million.