Proper Cable for Fender Bassman Piggyback

[woodbutcher]

I just recently got my old 1964 Fender Bassman (serial# A 00185/AA864 circuit) head repaired and am going to try it hooking it up to a V.T. Bassman 15" (serial# 9790) cabinet. It's been so long since I used it that I don't have my old cord to connect the two and I'm not sure what to use. Will any unbalanced TS cord work for this? I have an old coil guitar cable to try but I am thinking about picking up a short ( 2-3 foot) cable. Just don't want to damage anything because I don't know what I'm doing.

 

[Paul G.]

No. No. No. Buy a proper speaker cable. 2 conductor, unshielded, 18 gauge.

 

[KeithDavies 100]

Paul got there before me! I too was about to say "no no no - stop!!"

 

[schmee]

Any speaker cable. Or make one from lamp cord.
You can use a short guitar cable for testing. I've done it a dozens of times.
But get a speaker cable. A guitar cable may have some losses due to the shielding.

 

[W.L.Weller]

Any speaker cable. Or make one from lamp cord.
You can use a short guitar cable for testing. I've done it a dozens of times.
But get a speaker cable. A guitar cable may have some losses due to the shielding.

SPEAKER cable. @schmee and everyone else is spot on.

"Short guitar cable for testing" is only going to work at the lowest volume. And even then, I would not trust the guitar cable afterwards.

Guitar cables have one conductor and a shield. They're made to transmit millivolts and milliamps.

Speaker cables have two (2) conductors and no shield. They're made to transmit volts and amps.

It's not too difficult to melt the conductor in a guitar cord with a speaker signal. Then, your Output Transformer is probably seeing an open circuit (they absolutely hate that) or maybe a dead short (they don't like those that much either) and the guitar cord is garbage.

Lamp cord, vacuum cleaner cord, any 2-conductor power cord works perfectly.

For ease of creation and distinction, I like the jumbo phone jacks:

Pro Co MF2P 1/4" TS Male Jumbo Cable-mount Connector

1/4" TS Jumbo Cable Connector

www.sweetwater.com

Or, you could do what normal people do and buy a 3' speaker cable from the Guitarget or the local shop and move on with your life.

Hosa SKJ-605 Speaker Cable - 1/4 inch TS to 1/4 inch TS - 5 foot

Speaker Cable, TS-TS, 5' Long

www.sweetwater.com

 

[woodbutcher]

Hey, thanks for all the quick responses. A quick search for speaker cables vs. guitar cables revealed exactly what you warned me about. Now to find a short 2-3' cord with a right angled connector on one end that doesn't cost $55.95!

 

[Back at it]

Amazon delivery is your friend

 

[Paul G.]

Hey, thanks for all the quick responses. A quick search for speaker cables vs. guitar cables revealed exactly what you warned me about. Now to find a short 2-3' cord with a right angled connector on one end that doesn't cost $55.95!

For a piggyback amp, there is no reason you need an angle connector. On a combo an angle is used because it stays plugged in during transport. If you move a piggyback,you need to unplug the speaker. A quality cable should cost under $10.

 

[woodbutcher]

So W. L. suggested a cord that is sold on Reverb as a speaker cable which fits my idea of what I want. It's made up of Mogami 3082 wire with Neutrik NP2X ends. The wire seems to be like a hybrid with a coaxial construction. I wanted to get some thoughts on whether this wire is really good enough for my intended purpose. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

MOGAMI® - W3082 Superflexible Studio Speaker Cables

Mogami W3082 Superflexible Studio Speaker Cables are designed to meet XLR audio connectors.

mogamicable.com

 

[Paul G.]

So W. L. suggested a cord that is sold on Reverb as a speaker cable which fits my idea of what I want. It's made up of Mogami 3082 wire with Neutrik NP2X ends. The wire seems to be like a hybrid with a coaxial construction. I wanted to get some thoughts on whether this wire is really good enough for my intended purpose. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks, Mark

MOGAMI® - W3082 Superflexible Studio Speaker Cables

Mogami W3082 Superflexible Studio Speaker Cables are designed to meet XLR audio connectors.

mogamicable.com

Why? You just need 2-conductor, standard speaker cable, 18 gauge. In your application there is no advantage to shielded cable, and this is a very expensive solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Explanation (if you need it): when your signal is low level, shielding prevents low level external noise, especially on long runs. Your speaker cable will be sending high level signal through a short run, any noise will be insignificant. Also, coax cable is essentially a capacitor and, for various reasons, you want as little capitance as possible in this application.

 

[Paul G.]

Something like this. <$8. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SKJ603--hosa-skj-603-ts-ts-speaker-cable-3-foot

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

Coaxial was not designed for speaker cable. There is no advantage and theoretically there is a disadvantage for using coaxial speaker cable. I doubt you could hear a difference but coaxial will likely cost more.

 

[slauson slim]

 

[W.L.Weller]

F-Cap - Plastic Cap for Straight Plug P-H55 | Amplified Parts

F-cap, black plastic. Similar to that used on old Fender ® amps.

www.amplifiedparts.com

1/4" Plug - Straight, Used with F-Cap on Fender amps | Amplified Parts

1/4" Plug - Straight, Used with F-Cap on Fender amps - Fender style 1/4" straight mono (tip-sleeve) open plug. Use with F-cap cover (P-H55F). Perfect for use as "open" plug for Fender "Hot Rod" and "Blues Reissue" amps having both "Main Speaker" and "External Speaker" jacks allowing you to...

www.amplifiedparts.com

4 FT - Mogami 3082 Speaker Cable - Neutrik NP2X-B Straight & NP2RX Right Angle - RA/ST - Amp To Cab | Reverb

4 Foot - Mogami 3082 15AWG Speaker Cable With Neutrik NP2R X-B Right Angle and NP2X-B Straight Connectors - RA/ST EndsOur Custom BulkCableCo Amp-To-Cabinet Speaker Cables are hand-made here in our shop with the following top-notch parts:- Mogami W3082 Professional 15AWG Speaker Cable- NP2RX-B Rig...

reverb.com

$26 for two (2) plugs & two "F" caps, supply your own lamp cord & solder vs. $27 for the cable

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

No need to spend $30.00​

​

Hosa SKJ-403 REAN 1/4" TS Pro Speaker Cable, 3 Feet​

Amazon lists this for $9.95
Sold and shipped by Amazon

 

[Paul G.]

F-Cap - Plastic Cap for Straight Plug P-H55 | Amplified Parts

F-cap, black plastic. Similar to that used on old Fender ® amps.

www.amplifiedparts.com

1/4" Plug - Straight, Used with F-Cap on Fender amps | Amplified Parts

1/4" Plug - Straight, Used with F-Cap on Fender amps - Fender style 1/4" straight mono (tip-sleeve) open plug. Use with F-cap cover (P-H55F). Perfect for use as "open" plug for Fender "Hot Rod" and "Blues Reissue" amps having both "Main Speaker" and "External Speaker" jacks allowing you to...

www.amplifiedparts.com

4 FT - Mogami 3082 Speaker Cable - Neutrik NP2X-B Straight & NP2RX Right Angle - RA/ST - Amp To Cab | Reverb

4 Foot - Mogami 3082 15AWG Speaker Cable With Neutrik NP2R X-B Right Angle and NP2X-B Straight Connectors - RA/ST EndsOur Custom BulkCableCo Amp-To-Cabinet Speaker Cables are hand-made here in our shop with the following top-notch parts:- Mogami W3082 Professional 15AWG Speaker Cable- NP2RX-B Rig...

reverb.com

$26 for two (2) plugs & two "F" caps, supply your own lamp cord & solder vs. $27 for the cable

If you spend more than $10 for a 3' speaker cable, let me sell you some magic beans.

 

[W.L.Weller]

If you spend more than $10 for a 3' speaker cable, let me sell you some magic beans.

I only spend money on plugs and make my own, as I mentioned above.

No need to spend $30.00​

​

Hosa SKJ-403 REAN 1/4" TS Pro Speaker Cable, 3 Feet​

Amazon lists this for $9.95
Sold and shipped by Amazon

@woodbutcher wants a cable with a 90° end.