XLR cable from an acoustic/electric guitar to a PA?

[LGOberean]

Ibanez acoustic/electric guitars have come up on my radar lately. Not the first time, but again. We could discuss the guitars themselves as to playability, etc., but I have a specific question about the outputs, hence this thread.

Quite a few Ibanez a/e models come with "Balanced XLR and 1/4" Outputs," and they say that the "balanced XLR jack is included for direct connection to a PA system."

My question: what cable do you use for this? I have never seen an instrument cable with XLR connectors. Microphone cables w/ XLR connectors? Yeah, of course I've seen those, but instrument cables w/ XLR connectors? Never seen one. So what does Ibanez expect me to use here? What would/do you use?

As a side note, anyone know of any manufacturer besides Ibanez offering these two output options?

 

[tom2caster]

You would use a mic cable for the XLR output.

I have an Epiphone that has both outputs. I don't know if the Ibanez is this way, but for the Epi you had to have a plug in the 1/4 inch output with a plug that is connected to itself (shorted plug) for the XLR output to work. I soldered an old plug together for it.

 

[aarondowns22]

Di box

 

[MrTwang]

I have never seen an instrument cable with XLR connectors. Microphone cables w/ XLR connectors? Yeah, of course I've seen those, but instrument cables w/ XLR connectors? Never seen one.

What's the difference between an instrument cable and a microphone cable?
Isn't an XLR cable, just an XLR cable?

 

[krisls]

Haven't seen the Ibanez you mention but they are generally decent guitars. I did a show some time back with a guy that played I am pretty sure an Epiphone that had the xlr socket just down from the strap. He plugged a standard xlr mic cable straight into the PA and it sounded fine.

Not sure there's any real improvement over a 1/4 " though. And that big socket looks a little ugly. Struck me more as a thing for dual source setups if you're after the more 'pristine' concert acoustic sound. Places I play it never matters quite that much, hah.

I have seen other makes too, pretty sure Yamaha, Washburn and Ovation but never played one.

Kristina

 

[LGOberean]

This is helpful stuff. I appreciate the comments, y'all, they've been helpful.

Di box

Well, except for your post, aarondowns22. I mean no insult, and I'm not upset or anything, but I just wasn't sure what you were trying to communicate. I was asking about what cable to use, not what device to plug into. Care to elaborate on your two word reply?

 

[Warm Gums]

Common 10 or so years ago, I had a Washburn with a XLR , and Gibsons with their proprietary Accu Voice system provided it. The biggest thing was the ability to go directly into a snake or the board using a long cable run. While instrument cables are best limited to 30 foot or less runs, XLR cables are commonly 50 to 100 foot long. With the advent of Internal mic based systems, and the movement to outboard preamps, and a general avoidance of punching large holes in nice guitars, it seems to be less common, although I could see it being usefull if you are using a mini mixer to give extra inputs to a acoustic amp/ one piece PA, depending on the mixer you may have more XLR inputs than 1/4".

 

[LGOberean]

You would use a mic cable for the XLR output.

I have an Epiphone that has both outputs. I don't know if the Ibanez is this way, but for the Epi you had to have a plug in the 1/4 inch output with a plug that is connected to itself (shorted plug) for the XLR output to work. I soldered an old plug together for it.

Thanks, Tom2caster. I was hoping that the answer would be as simple as using one of my mic cables. I'll have to check into that bit about having a plug in the 1/4" output for the XLR to work. If that's the case with the Ibanez as with your Epi, maybe it is designed for that dual source application, as Kristina mentioned.

What's the difference between an instrument cable and a microphone cable? Isn't an XLR cable, just an XLR cable?

All of my cables (Monster, Live Wire Elite) are specifically marked for their application: instrument, microphone, speaker. So when I was considering what cable to use for this XLR output of a guitar, I naturally thought "instrument" cable, but just had never seen one with XLR connectors. As I said above, I was hoping the answer was a mic cable with XLRs.

 

[LGOberean]

Haven't seen the Ibanez you mention but they are generally decent guitars. I did a show some time back with a guy that played I am pretty sure an Epiphone that had the xlr socket just down from the strap. He plugged a standard xlr mic cable straight into the PA and it sounded fine.

Not sure there's any real improvement over a 1/4 " though. And that big socket looks a little ugly. Struck me more as a thing for dual source setups if you're after the more 'pristine' concert acoustic sound. Places I play it never matters quite that much, hah.

I have seen other makes too, pretty sure Yamaha, Washburn and Ovation but never played one.

Kristina

I didn't actually mention a specific Ibanez model #, because I'm not looking at just one, and I'm not necessarily looking for me.

A friend (Emet) expressed interest in taking up the guitar, and an Ibanez AEF30E (Transparent Blue Sunburst finish) in our local GC caught his eye. I was sort of familiar with this feature on Ibanez a/e's, because an acquaintance from a local open mic event a couple of years back had an Ibanez (don't know the specific model) with this feature. So I just wanted to familiarize myself with this if Emet takes it to the next level.

That this could be designed for a dual source setup makes perfect sense now that you mention it. I don't know why my mind went to either/or instead of both/and.

If (and it's a big if) I ever pull the trigger on an a/e with this feature (whether Ibanez, Epi, whatever), I may or may not employ it live, but it might be interesting to experiment with for recording purposes.

 

[LGOberean]

Common 10 or so years ago, I had a Washburn with a XLR , and Gibsons with their proprietary Accu Voice system provided it. The biggest thing was the ability to go directly into a snake or the board using a long cable run. While instrument cables are best limited to 30 foot or less runs, XLR cables are commonly 50 to 100 foot long. With the advent of Internal mic based systems, and the movement to outboard preamps, and a general avoidance of punching large holes in nice guitars, it seems to be less common, although I could see it being usefull if you are using a mini mixer to give extra inputs to a acoustic amp/ one piece PA, depending on the mixer you may have more XLR inputs than 1/4".

Informative post. I was marginally aware of XLR long cable runs; I've played a local opry gig a few times ( a charity thing for the Shriner's hospital) where the sound guy was about 100 feet away. But as a guest artist, my part was simple: come up onstage at the appropriate time and plug my a/e into a DI box on the floor. Actually, now that I think of it, I do the same thing when I play that same a/e (Breedlove Atlas AD25/SM) at church.

Most of my gigs, however, are small/small-ish (coffee shops, house parties, etc.), and so my cables are always as short as I can get by with comfortably. All of my cables (mic, speaker, instrument) are 30 feet or less.

 

[thumbpick]

..LGOberean....this was a good question..ive learned something too

 

[Big John Studd]

I've got an Ibanez acoustic and you can use a mic cable from the guitar right in to the mixer. Or you can use a 1/4" instrument cable...it has both XLR and 1/4" connections built into it.

 

[LGOberean]

..LGOberean....this was a good question..ive learned something too

Thanks, and just call me Larry.

It was just an honest question I didn't know the answer to, but I had faith that someone in TDPRIland would be in the know, have the answer and be willing to share it. We're collectively great that way.

 

[LGOberean]

I've got an Ibanez acoustic and you can use a mic cable from the guitar right in to the mixer. Or you can use a 1/4" instrument cable...it has both XLR and 1/4" connections built into it.

So, Big John, can you answer the question tom2caster raised above? Can you use the XLR output independently of the 1/4" output, or do you have to plug the 1/4 inch output "for the XLR output to work" (as he put it)? Can you dual source them?

 

[Big John Studd]

So, Big John, can you answer the question tom2caster raised above? Can you use the XLR output independently of the 1/4" output, or do you have to plug the 1/4 inch output "for the XLR output to work" (as he put it)? Can you dual source them?

Not sure if you can run both at the same time, but you can definitely just use the XLR by itself with nothing plugged in to the 1/4" jack...this is how I ran it the last time I used it at a gig. I'll take a look later today and see if I can figure out what happens if both are plugged in.

 

[Big John Studd]

You would use a mic cable for the XLR output.

I have an Epiphone that has both outputs. I don't know if the Ibanez is this way, but for the Epi you had to have a plug in the 1/4 inch output with a plug that is connected to itself (shorted plug) for the XLR output to work. I soldered an old plug together for it.

Ok, I just read this question again. You do NOT have to do this on my Ibanez (guitar model #K080900086...the logo on the pickup controls says "Ibanez SST Fishman equipped").