ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR PRACTICAL MUSICIANS: Guitar Cable Repair / How to Fix

[@TheGuitologist]

STUFF YOU'LL NEED: 1: A Broken Cable 2: Wire strippers/clippers: amzn.to/3xtIUja​ 3: Soldering Station (This one has built-in helping hands): amzn.to/3vmRH4h​ 4: 1/4" Phone Plug: amzn.to/3xnqa4N​ 5: 1/2" Shrink Tubing (cheaper by the roll): amzn.to/32Ro9zw​ 6: This is the solder I like: amzn.to/32QKDRm​ I prefer 60/40 composition. rosin core. 0.032 Diameter

[@hkguitar1984]

Time for a new Solder Tip Brad! Like yourself I've been soldering for many Decades and find an old Solder Tip more of an annoyance more than anything else. That said, an individual new to soldering would be much better served with a newer/thinner tip design. Either way great content, and yeah, we all love fixing our cables.......................ugh/sigh

[@hkguitar1984]

Back in 1975 I purchased a 50' Whirlwind Instrument Cable. I still have that very same cable and still use it regularly. Originally starting off at 50' in length it's now only an 8' cord...........LOL I did get my money's worth as the original solid brass Military-Grade connector ends are still very serviceable.

[@jari7018]

It is good to show those common mistakes. I use my cutter to strip cable outer shield. Idon't use knive cause I always fuck it up the cut.😁 Anyway this was really good video for young players. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@canigetachannel]

Looks like a "SwitchCraft" end....Good stuff; even "Neutriks". made a lot of cables buddy ! lol

[@canigetachannel]

HA ! Don't forget to put the sleeve on before you solder the leads, lmfao !!!

[@BlueCollarLogic]

So I wasn't stoopid to amass a dozen non-functioning cables? Now I have a project for summer vacation.

[@TheGuitologist]

Being a pack rat sometimes pays off. And other times it just makes your relatives more money at the estate sale. ;)

[@imannonymous7707]

Lol x2

[@Nemoando]

Hey Brad, good to see you're passing this stuff along. I'm a "fixer" of things my own self. At work, I'm known as the, "Wizard". I will assume that it was likely Dave from Blue Collar, but if I'm wrong, then Jason, it's good to see you here. Cheers guys!!

[@DetroitWrecker666]

Nice to see one of my favorite channels, commenting over here!

[@martinreid1740]

I just drilled holes at different angles into a small block of wood, then use it to hold the plug while I do this job. Works fine if you don't have helping hands.

[@andrewsmith1520]

I've probably forgot the barrel part at least 1/4th of the times I've ever done any cable work.

[@rickashford4005]

We're like... a fraternity or something!! Forgetta Cable Kappa.

[@WoodworkingforAnyone]

You aren't that good and you know it :)

[@santrixhimself3679]

this was one of the things my dad taught me when i was young. being able to repair cables is not only handy for guitarists, but for anybody using any kind of electronics.

[@framusburns-hagstromiii808]

Coil cables were the hot ticket back in the day. Had to have a black 20 foot coil cable to plug your Teisco DelRey with a paisley guitar strap into your buddies Harmony combo...then you could jam😁😁🤗🤗👍👍

[@ricoeugene2628]

Yess! Greate video! Brad is the only one to show/make a video about these basic skills! -Will save You a lot of money! Would You (Brad) also do "microphone" cabels/connections? ..they are a little bit different.. ..and maybe also loudspeaker connections , like , "speak on" connections?

[@G60syncro]

One night I was fixing the other band's guitar with the cheapo Radio Shack pencil iron I keep in my gig bag... Soldered the jack back in and the show was back on track! After the last set we were at the bar and I kind of forgot the rest of the story.....

[@martonkovacs7584]

Hey Brad, could you make a series on essential skills like these, electrician based? It’s a breath of fresh air compared to HoW YoU ShOuLd TuNe YoUr GuItAr, and HeY PlEbs I hAvE a KlOnE cEnTaUr.....

[@TheGuitologist]

That's the plan. As I think of other things like this, I'll start making more of these Essential Skills vids.

[@mattfleming2287]

But did you pay $5000 for it? True test of a KZbinr......

[@midi1529]

Im asking the same thing. Its not that I haven't used this skill, but its been 30 years since I had equipment and things change. First Im getting a good variable iron with the proper tips... ty

[@galactictravels224]

Found 50+ cables in the guitar center dumpster thanks to your channel I fixed a couple and still use them that was two years ago I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another one 👍🏻

[@TheGuitologist]

I’m sitting on a mountain of cables too because of their dumpster.

[@rickashford4005]

@@TheGuitologist They're probably those "Lifetime Warranty" Monster cables. Bring in your bad one. They give you a new one... and GC throws perfectly good wire in the dumpster. I usually cut their crap off and repair with Switchcraft ends.

[@discoveringhorseracing3078]

Wow! I'm normal! A man who has 1000 repairs and making the same mistakes I do! After 2 years in electronics repair school I just thought I was an idiot!

[@scarmyguitar]

Great vid man. The guys just getting started will really appreciate this one!

[@kimrice394]

My God! I remember back in the band days trying to keep on top of the bad cables as I was the only one that knew how to fix them and could solder. I could only imagine a big bands nightmare cable pile!

[@otraperspectiva]

Thank you for the in depth tutorial, I appreciate the close zoom while soldering

[@BockwinkleB]

This is the first thing I ever did as far as guitar related repair and the most frequent. I never bothered replacing the shrink tubing though. You learn something new everyday.

[@nohandleforme....]

Good video. I just did this to one of mine recently. I think showing mistakes and/or slip-ups is a good thing. That helps people remember what to watch for and reduces the intimidation factor some people might otherwise feel.

[@TheGuitologist]

I agree. That's why I always try to leave that stuff in when time permits.

[@shytweedabone2663]

That is so true, when one sees Brad have a goof it makes one realize everyone goofs.

[@petes3305]

Good video. I've been carrying out such repairs for years. One point needs emphasing; if you can help it, don't use cheap jack plugs - they are fragile, unreliable and will always let you down at the worst possible time. I used to pay around £5 per jack (UK), but worth it. Leads may break but you can reuse the jacks. They'll last a lifetime.

[@decomputerleraarable]

Simpel but instructive. Very good. Rob

[@redx69691]

I'm glad you kept the mistakes in there, and showed us what you need to do to correct course. I hope you do these as a running series.

[@tallthinkev]

Nice one mate, now... The best way to find the brake in a 30ft lead?

[@benskidmore6523]

Plug into an amp and get a lot of noise going (or a signal generator). Squeeze and wiggle starting one end and work down.

[@benskidmore6523]

Or of course you could cut the cable in half and make 2, one will work, one won't. Cut the non-working cable in half and do the same. Repeat... You'll find the break eventually!

[@Rogeramirez]

This and sewing your own buttons are two skills that we all should know

[@killerspyder1]

Learned to solder to fix a bad guitar output. Then I used that to replace pots and pups. Now I'll use that skill to fix my darn cables. Thank you for this knowledge.

[@pawnmack]

Everyone should know how to intonate a guitar as well. Learned when I was a teen.

[@bravotronalpha3787]

Fixed a cable that was going out on me this past weekend, and of course I forgot to put that barrel on first. I've soldered countless cables over the years and still do that!

[@TheGuitologist]

Same here. I do it probably 1/3 of the time.

[@nickborrrego]

Thanks dude, been wondering if this is an easy fix and your close up shots helped make it all make sense

[@musclecarmitch908]

Great lesson! I've been doing this for years but never used the heat shrink tape, that's great for the added strength and support! Thanks for sharing this! Next time I'll use the heat shrink tape!

[@TheGuitologist]

Aids in retaining the connections and keeps the end more rigid.

[@GuitarMooseMusic]

I bought myself a soldering station and a bunch of tools to work on my guitars. I had a heat gun from when I made countertops. I need to practice my soldering techniques but I learned something new today!!! Thanks Brad this is the other reason I watch your channel 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🎸🎸🎸🎸😎

[@IndependenceGuitar]

Good stuff. It’s videos like this between you and wills easy guitar that have made me much more self sufficient with my instruments and electronics. If only people knew how easy things like this are once you know a few basic things, they’d save a ton of money and stress.

[@G5Hohn]

This is some of the best "hobbyist" soldering I've seen. Using a good high-heat tip (instead of a conical tip), pre-tinning conductors and terminals, using smaller diameter solder for good control and proper flux dispersion, heating the surfaces instead of the solder, not using crappy cheap solder. I've seen soldering on other guitar channels especially that is, shall we say, not something to aspire to.

[@dustinthiessen]

I think the biggest thing I learned in this video is to suck it up already and buy a set of helping hands! lol

[@TheGuitologist]

You can get a super cheap one at Harbor Freight, but I like these better.

[@dustinthiessen]

@@TheGuitologist got an Amazon link for a decent one? I’m Canadian, so no harbour freight... but you may as well get a cut if I buy one

[@randallknauss2326]

Good beginner video .a ton of kids really have no idea about this stuff.....yer doin' good man

[@TheGuitologist]

Kids starting out need to learn this stuff early in order to maximize the benefit of the knowledge. It really adds up over a lifetime.

[@toploadtele]

Everybody should practice proper soldering... It does take practice and good equipment. This tutorial reminds me of fixing cables as a kid before I started repairing people's broken 8-track tapes that were eaten by their dirty machines. It was extra to clean the transport in the deck that caused the jamb, most of which were in cars until they migrated into console stereo TV's. Good post Brad!

[@santiagomoreno696]

Very useful, please keep making these types of videos, some bare basics about amp fixing would be useful as well. Thanks and greetings from Colombia.

[@Jester-Riddle]

Been doing this for decades, but still loved watching Brad confirm that I haven't been doing it wrong for all that time ! Reminds me of the problem with old curly-cables that would crackle as they stretched ... so, straight and fair quality cables only for me these days. However, maybe things have changed and curly-cables are better now ... ? I think that the advent of non-board-mounted floor pedals also solidified the use of straight cables, as otherwise you'd catapult your pedals across the floor without realising !!! 😂 Thanks for the content Brad ... It was also nice to see someone else doing this particular repair for a change.

[@mhlevy]

Back in the day, I used to LOVE going to Radio Shack, the people who worked there actually knew things about electronics, and could make real recommendations, test tubes, etc. They were a wealth of knowledge. But during the last decade or more before they closed down, talking to people there made me believe that they changed their company motto from "You have questions, we have answers" to "You have questions, We have blank stares!"

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

This is brilliant Brad. I think you have a home run here. You can create many many videos to fit under this series.

[@PhantomOfTheMall]

Very helpful! I’ve actually got 2-3 cords that need this exact job done to them. My soldering skills suck, so I’ve been very hesitant to do the job. Watching this has given me a bit of confidence to go ahead and give it a go.

[@linuxlost]

Comes in handy for other cords too. Our Church had some young children pull an rca audio cable breaking center pin. I just ordered replacements today. So I watched you video at just the right time. So wastefully to just replace old cords. Can also be handy for creating your own custom length cords.

[@rickycompton2610]

Guitologist this is a great video we have become a throw away society when I was a kid we fixed and repaired stuff until you couldn’t fix it anymore people throw out perfectly good items everyday I’ve garbage picked many of usable items over the years glad you are teaching people to fix things instead of putting them in a landfill

[@TheGuitologist]

We gotta get away from the throwaway society thing. People should be encouraged to be thrifty and conserve resources. Tossing copper into a landfill is not a good practice.

[@advit_eeya]

My guitar jack was plugged in the amp and the amp fell down leading the cable joints to handle the entire weight of it. It makes a clicking sound when plugged in so any suggestions what could be done..?

[@FlyByNick]

Thanks for the info, it'll come in handy since I need to fix one.

[@simonkormendy849]

Totally agree with you Brad, I think every musician should have this skill under their belt, even the drummers, bassists, and singers, cause you never know when you'll need to use this very useful skill to save a gig that could earn you some money, I'm able to repair bad cables, but I go one better, I also make all my own cables too, the cables I make have turned-out to be more reliable than factory-made ones, so I'm happy to stake my reputation on all the cables I make, I've also been helping a friend out with his home studio by making audio cables for him.

[@fireantsarestrange]

I can not count how many times i have had to do this to a cable. At one time I had like 20 cables that didn't work anymore. Got to buy the end pins and find a good spot to splice it in, but sometimes its hard to find where the cable is compromised. Some of ones I have had get broken someplace in the middle and it's impossible to find the break. Cables are expensive and were not rich let's face it. Good topic Brad.

[@markb130]

Thanks Brad, such a needed topic!!!!

[@Apprentice_of_the_Leonine]

Very cool. I'll have to try this when one of my cables goes bad. Also, I recognize the tune at the end of the video, but can't think of the name. What is it?

[@BockwinkleB]

Thought for sure it would be one of his Nirvana covers, but no. I do recognize it though, It's on the tip of my tongue....

[@TheGuitologist]

"You're the Best Around...Nothing's Gonna Ever Keep You Down" Karate Kid.

[@BockwinkleB]

@@TheGuitologist lmfao, for real. Well done.

[@matthewf1979]

I love coily cables! The cheapest new ones are like $60.

[@bertrandmajorik6589]

Your absolutely right, how much did I saved for the last 34 years? Welding the cable and forgot to put the sleeve before Common mistake when your in a hurry. Reduce, re-use, recycle!

[@stevesuv]

SRV loved those cables. I heard a story where his techs replaced his with a high end ,solid core cable and he went nuts. The high end cable was not bleeding enough high end to ground. That is not what we all grew up with. Also I find dental floss very helpful in fixing cables.It Keeps the hot and ground from seperating.

[@jerrybriardy]

Great video! I especially liked the "mistakes" you made. I get the feeling that you did that deliberately, so we don't feel so stupid when we do the same thing. I have maybe half a dozen broken cables lying around I need fixing, just need the motivation.

[@fullwaverecked]

Perfect timing Brad. I spent last night "repairing" a cable. Plugged it in and bzzzzz. Pull it out a half inch and it works fine... Hmmm... Thanks for the vid! I'll try it your way this time. Cheers!

[@dooleykeith]

Brad - great video! I have a couple broken cables I have been meaning to fix. Thanks for the tutorial, and thanks for including stuff that goes wrong, as well as how to fix them when they do. This is what KZbin is for.

[@arilshagen8348]

Please do more video's like this. I Just started making my own cables and i saved a lot by doing so. I use the Neutrik silent plugs in one of the ends of my longer cables. They make guitar life so much more nicer. I also started to make some effect pedal kits and i replaced all the tubes and caps in my old Marshall 2204. I think i have you to "blame" for getting me into doing stuff like that. I used all the stuff in the recording studio this weekend and i worked perfectly.

[@jaybartholomew4931]

Thank you for the basics !

[@mattfleming2287]

My bag of ancient broken cables is suddenly looking like a goldmine! Thanks, Brad! Saw the video about Will’s Grandpas’s amp.....thought a feud was brewing....

[@sidneysnottley6414]

Yep ... Looked like a familiar scenario with the 're-works'. Cheers.

[@gregaltenhofel7326]

I needed picks or something and found myself inside a guitar center. A kid (probably 16 or 17) came in & wanted his strings changed. I was about 7 when I started playing guitar. Before I was 10 I was changing my on strings repairing cables changing out drum heads (I started drums about the same time). I didn’t take any guitar lessons back then. But I was taught how to tune my guitar and change the strings.

[@chukzombi]

haha you're the best around, nothing's gonna ever keep you down. nice repair man. i still have my old Realistic Nova 40 headphones from the 80s, i damaged my ears plenty good listening to Priest and Maiden on those. they developed that same issue with the connector. i used to tie them around the boombox to keep them from moving and cutting out.

[@rogerfurer2273]

Seems like I've been doing this since I got my first electric guitar--50+ years ago. I like using surgical clamps to grab the shield wire just by the strain-relief. They provide a heat sink to keep from melting the insulation of the signal wire. I can also use them to hold the connector, by clamping their handle in a vice-grip laid flat on the table.

[@BrianMark75]

Haven't had as much trouble with guitar cables as I do XLR cables. Those seem to all be made like crap, but the same principles apply.

[@pauldavis6356]

Brad : "I hope you got something outta this..." Me - yea, a good chuckle. I say you forget the cap and then put the shrink on first. Cable repair was one of the first things I learned as a kid. Yet sometimes I forget to put the cap on the wire before soldering too. Glad I'm not the only one. Also I leave a small "S" in the conductors just in case the crimped part doesn't hold. Could mean the difference between ending a song with the rest of the band, or going out early. Just a thought. Good topic tho.

[@mikaso]

Thank you Brad, I appreciated that a lot! Looking forward if you should decide to make more videos like this.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

Yep! I was yelling at the screen! I thought to myself, Brad is very kind... he wants to teach how to solder - TWICE! Done it a ton of times myself... looking forward to more of these essentials... how about going through electronics on a guitar... tune up... cleaning pots... tightening pots and jacks, etc. And is there a 'right' or good way to clean/dust amps inside and out? Great stuff.

[@graxjpg]

I was just watching another one of your videos on an ampeg amp. I make my own cables and love to repair ones I find!! It’s therapeutic for me. I just bought the end of an old hifi coiled headphone extender and I think I bought a stereo one.

[@lance8167]

I've done that I've done that with shrink wrap and the housing for the chord yeah I was the drummer but I was the one that can fix the cord so I was always doing that

[@TheGuitologist]

Every band needs at least one guy who can.

[@bebo5558]

I started hollering at you from the beginning of the video, "slide the barrel on, slide the barrel on", but NO you didn't hear me! I'm a ham radio operator and musician, I don't know how many coaxes and patch cables I've made over the years and YES I have forgotten to do this once or twice before!!

[@TheGuitologist]

I forget probably 1/3 of the time.

[@bebo5558]

@@TheGuitologist Yep, Ha Ha!

[@simonkormendy849]

When I prepare audio-cable for soldering onto connectors, there's 4 steps I do, which go as follows Cut, Strip, Twist, and Tin, generally 99% of the time doing that guarantees that I'll get good solder-joints, it is now very rare that I'll get a dry or cold solder-joint, here's a tip for you all, buy yourself a good temperature-controlled soldering station, you'll get better and more consistent solder-joints with it, I find setting my soldering-stations to around 350 degrees C works well for me.

[@cyrilharris]

Thanks a bunch, it was nice to see your mistakes as well. Shows that you’re human and it gives us a clue on what to expect

[@AlexisGitarre]

7:10 even after 10 years and at least hundreds of cables, this still happens to me. just recently I made a batch of 18 cables and on the last two i forgot the two parts... man so annoying when you got it perfectly soldered and have to unsolder it

[@Vrangor]

It's a real pain to have all the cable perfectly made up and soldered without a cap on the cable. However, never thought about applying a shrink tubing before. Learning everyday.

[@jamescorvett]

this is such a great money saving tip all should learn!! I remember starting out and i couldnt afford the nicer metal ends cables. And i paid for it literally! After 5 or 6 cheap cables I soldered my longest bad cable right into the input jack. MY Crate G80 didnt mind much. Lol But it lasted long enough to buy a nice metal plug(1987) and i actually still have it today. Its never failed with thousands of hours of use. Back then they cost a lot more, but today you can buy decent 10'-15' cables for $5-10. thanks for sharing this t(r)ip, down memory lane!

[@starr_shine3060]

Using the side of the soldering iron to shrink the tubing. That advice alone was worth watching the video :)

[@simonkormendy849]

Before I solder the cable to the plug, I always make sure the sleeve is on the cable, then I tin the plug where the cable will be soldered to, next I solder the cable's shield to the ground connection on the plug, and then the inner signal conductor to where it's supposed to be soldered to, I let the solder-joints cool down before crimping the cable-retainer so it holds the cable in place, once that's done I use my multimeter set to continuity test to verify that the cable is a good one.

[@nickdevriese]

I just did this in the early AM. I did catch the mistakes. But, so have I and made me laugh. Keep this series up.

[@BricksAxeMan]

Thank you for this video!

[@kenhancock8931]

Thx brad for ya video! hope your havin a great day.. hope you and your girls are enjoying the weather

[@stu-j]

I make patch pedal cables from old broken cables just like this with flush jack plugs to get more pedals an my board and different sizes. Saves money and time waiting for cables to show up.

[@oliverlangrall2014]

my instrument cable has he bare wire and two colored wires (red and white) I assumed instrument cables were mono. Do I solder both colored wires to the inner lug?

[@rcknicholson]

what kind of cable jacks do you use

[@shepp7988]

I'm so glad Brad that I subscribed to your channel I did so a while back possibly a couple of years but my main question is can you brace an ovation guitar for me I Love It tone and to me the top looks like it is trying to come in on itself and I was hoping you might be able to brace it for me if so how can I get ahold of you thank you so much Brad for everything you do

[@Clmkxoxo]

Very cool info and watch. Ty for sharing

[@Wolf_K]

When my older guitar cables go bad I usually cut them down and add new plugs, turning them into patch cables. I have cables over 20 years old that work perfectly.

[@SuperJiggawhat]

I literally just had a monster patch cable break on me last night. This video was ment to be.

[@TheGuitologist]

Monster cables aren't all they're cracked up to be. They made many of those harder or impossible to fix the plugs. They use these high quality plugs, but they epoxy the end connections.

[@SuperJiggawhat]

@@TheGuitologist Monster cables suck ass lol. I went through my cables hoping you weren't telling me the truth about the epoxy, but you were. I am definitely looking for a new brand now. Thank you for the pro tip. ✌

[@grberendzenproductions312]

I'm a former theatrical sound designer, a "tech" if you will. I take the cable, bend it at the location I want to strip it at and take my sharp knife and lightly score the insulation until the interior conductors "pop up". They tear through when you get REALLY close to them. Then, I turn the cable over, bend and carefully lightly score at the same location, until the outer insulation is free from the interior insulated conductors. Voila!

[@Slickwillie121]

Thanks Brad. Would like to see more videos like this for pickups and pots and explaining what different capacitiers do. I have a good station but I’d rather try and stick weld a piece of steal than try and solder something. I’m afraid I’ll burn something up. Give me more Video Whiskey to get the courage. Thanks again.

[@phillippitts6294]

Thanks Brad !

[@RobbDizzl]

Ah yes, isn’t it great when you‘ve gotten nice and neat solder joints and realize you’ve forgotten the sleeve of the plug. 🤣

[@TheGuitologist]

And it's the prettiest connections you always seem to have to undo. :D

[@simonkormendy849]

I know that only too well, been there and done it too.

[@lichkrieg4898]

any tips for when the plastic washer between the tip and sleeve?

[@lichkrieg4898]

@Dearly Diane wrong tip lol

[@nehomarrichardson4063]

if my life depended on my soldering skills, i'd be dead long ago. lol. Very handy tip though, would love to see more of these essential skills videos

[@pgilly7783]

Great video had to repair just about every cable I've owned I like the idea of the common skill idea and would love to see more 👍☮

[@mikeivey8471]

We all have at least a couple cables with a short in them . Good info to know that will save us a ton of money in the long run because cables ain't cheap!!! LOL

[@churchbryan35]

Great video!!

[@khanstoker]

i didnt have soldering station but knotting worked well thank you!

[@bigtguitars7312]

Enjoyed that Brad any chance of a soldering for dummy’s video you know how to safely solder that iron’s an intimidating bastard and what kind of solder to use for guitars for a nervous newbie

[@manormonkeyband8114]

Sometimes the simplest things are the thing. Maybe the fastest way to trouble shoot a rig at a gig? I am continually amazed how long it takes someone to figure out they have a dead battery or a bad cable.

[@elijahwilliams7975]

Vary useful information

[@TheTactical6string]

very timely video....

[@davidmolina3520]

Great advice 🎶

[@Shnapps12]

Would this be the same process for a 1/4” “speaker” cable?

[@TheGuitologist]

A speaker cable is still just two conductor. So yes, essentially the same.

[@jburtonca]

I've been making my own cables for many years. My cables are 10 feet with a straight plug on one end and a right angle plug on the other. I use Neutrik plugs exclusively, Neutrik NP2RX-B on one end and Neutrik NP2X-B on the other. Neutriks are rock solid and clamp down like a vice on the cable, I've never had one fail. Switchcraft type jacks are, in my opinion, garbage. For the cable I use Canare GS-4 (4 mm). I always carry several back up cables. I also use a Hakko FX-888 soldering station. They look like a Fisher Price toy but they are very nice.

[@LainsProxy]

I really appreciated this video...sadly a little to late as my cheap guitar cable has been sent to the recycling center but at least i know for next time THANKS a BUNCH!!!! also I found it really nice how you admit your mistakes and laughed at them and used it as a learning experience :)