Making A Professional Guitar Cable

People asked how we make our cables, so I got Brett to film me making one for myself. I mention a couple of steps we do on customer cables that I didn't do for the cable I made for me in the video. They are steps we take to ensure our customers receive top quality cables that are suitable for touring professionals. I'm not a touring musician. In fact, between small kids and the business, I basically never have time to play guitar any more. :( I'm just not worried about flux residue or thread locker on my personal cables. But, rest assured, we would never let a cable out the door that missed those steps.
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[@longlivebytor]

I really like the idea of using the 1/2" heat shrink over the entire plug as a finishing touch. Looks very professional.

[@jesusgirarte-sandoval7535]

Exactly what I was looking for!! Thanks!!!

[@jazzydog]

Very neat & professional!! Thanks for sharing this. Cheers.

[@alienn4hire]

Great job! I'm glad I watched this before trying my first cable!

[@tokk3n-hj4xg]

Exactly what I needed. Thanks.

[@brianohehir9515]

Great tutorial! Thanks.

[@larryjordan9587]

Fantastic!!!!!

[@FuzzFanboy]

Loved this, hope you make more videos in future

[@davidbachy5627]

Fantastic explanation!

[@niconine268]

Cool video. Clean results

[@davidwhitson4558]

Very nice

[@ivanstegachev]

Thank you for your tutorial, it was very helpfull! I did many cables before, but now I've done best ever thank to this detailed instruction. It turned out so professional. Also didn't expect the difference to be so big: I've used Sommer cable + jacks with no plug\unplug noise, it not only new experience now with thoose smart jacks, but the noise completely gone and the tone has changed in a very good way.

[@NextGenGuitars]

That's great to hear!!

[@stephanematis]

Funky Talman! Nice tutorial

[@geoffedwards189]

Thanks so much! I have made many cables for myself but learned a bunch from this. Very well done. Many thanks from an Aussie (in Australia at the moment waiting to get back to my partner in Montreal ..lol..) PS: I didn't know you guys had a KZbin channel. Looks like a lot to learn here. I have subbed. 👍

[@NextGenGuitars]

Thanks for the kind words. Glad you found it helpful! Hopefully you'll get back soon. 👍

[@waltsgarcia8086]

I like the Jack Thammarat jam! Very informative video too.

[@NextGenGuitars]

Thanks! He's a great player. 👍

[@Za7a7aZ]

Would be nice if you gave some tips what to pay attention to for a good (noiseless, durable, frequency covering) cable.

[@NextGenGuitars]

That's always a battle of compromises... A larger gauge main conductor with no shielding allows for the greatest fidelity, at the expense of a high noise floor and more interference from the lack of shielding. The more shielding you add to reduce the noise floor and decrease interference, the thicker/heavier and more cumbersome the cable becomes, and the greater the capacitance of the cable. Braided shielding is stronger and more durable, but provides a little less shielding (for the same amount of wire used) and increases capacitance more. Spiral shielding improves on those weaknesses, but sacrifices a bit of durability. Increased capacitance leads to greater high frequency loss over long cable lengths. For these reasons (among many others, this is just a short discussion), there is no "perfect" cable. There is just the "right" cable for your needs. Most guitar cable is around 40-50pF/foot with around 90-95% shielding, which is great for most guitar players. If you've got long cable runs and a complex pedalboard, you may want lower capacitance cable to retain more high end across the total cable length. You could also just use a buffer, but that opens up another long discussion. Suffice to say, it's complicated. lol Lot's of choices, and no "right" answers. The fact is, most industry guitar cable is just fine. The difference that separates them is the quality of the connectors and solder joints.

[@hball6695]

looking forward to your solder tutorial!

[@NextGenGuitars]

Hopefully someday we actually have the time to make one! 👍

[@tompoynton]

@@NextGenGuitars please do!

[@AwilosnA2008]

Thanks for sharing this vedio. It's helpful. And I want to ask why my cable had the poor contack problem after using it for a year? It looks all right. Is it possible that the connector is oxidized?

[@NextGenGuitars]

Could be a lot of things. Poor solder joints, oxidation of the wire, poor connectors, etc. You'd have to open it up and diagnose the issue.

[@alexanderstavrinos7685]

Thanx for the informative video. Got a question, do you connect the shielding (ground) to both ends?

[@NextGenGuitars]

Absolutely.

[@jturquoise]

Best video on this subject. Hands down. #carlyraejepsen was my first clue that Canadians are awesome! Thanks for the details!

[@davidsala9549]

Wow! Great video. Thanks for sharing. Now I'm interested in making my own custom cables. Cool. Cheers!

[@wilrodzslayer]

so FUCKING cool!

[@Loopyllu365]

What is the mesh bit called on the write you show at the start

[@NextGenGuitars]

Techflex. It's a braided sleeving that adds some stiffness and durability.

[@dylkow]

I've been thinking to make my own cables, both instrument and xlr, and was wondering what your opinion is on just buying XLR cable for making both?

[@sentientsonicmachines]

Not the maker but XLR cable will not work well for carrying the instrument signal. The capacitance will be different and it might negatively affect the tone. Just use instrument cables for instruments and XLRs for whatever balanced signals you need to send.

[@NextGenGuitars]

@@sentientsonicmachines Nailed it. 👍

[@dylkow]

@@sentientsonicmachines The capacitance would be drastically different only if you twisted together both conductor wires, right? If you just clip off one of the conductors, how would it be functionally different from an unbalanced instrument cable?

[@cumA2Audio]

why not using neutrik silent plug?

[@NextGenGuitars]

That's a fair question. Primarily because I don't like them and find them unreliable long term. I want to make cables that last a VERY long time (we offer a lifetime warranty on our cables), so I'd rather not deal with unexpected/unwanted failures from regular use. If you're bored, do an internet search for "Neutrik Silent Plug failure", and you'll see a host of musicians and techs who have had issues with these plugs. I find it best to look past the marketing for most things in our industry. Professional techs working with touring bands typically follow the "simpler is better" mantra. The more complex things are, the more chances of failure. They generally make their own cables using the standard Neutrik or Switchcraft plugs and high quality cable, so they know they can rely on them. That, or they outsource them to people whose workmanship they can trust. Most of the cables you buy off the shelf at a music store have knock-off connectors, poor quality cable, and/or especially poor quality workmanship. Even some of the very high end expensive cables have cheap knock-off connectors and poor craftsmanship, even though they may use excellent quality raw cable.

[@Sabbra]

the cable on 0:12 is braided, do you sell that?

[@NextGenGuitars]

That's just standard cable with a covering on it called tech-flex. We do not sell that.

[@Chocoffee_battery]

My soldering iron is too powerful for the job and my wire is cheap(i use a cheap 60w) to the point if i try to solder the ground wire it melts through he plastic of the signal wire, no matter how short time i solder so i use an alligator clip or hold it with a longnose plier near the base of the ground wire so heat will spread to that instead of spreading inside the cable.

[@NextGenGuitars]

Good suggestion. If you don't have access to a digital temperature controlled iron, heat sinks are invaluable.

[@simonlinser8286]

if you have a scrap piece of aluminum laying around it will absorb heat even better and you could clip it with the alligator clip, just like a heat sink, the difference is noticeable the aluminium will get too hot to touch whereas the pliers will just be hot

[@Jamitjamming]

What kind of cable has been used?

[@NextGenGuitars]

Our cable: nextgenguitars.ca/products/next-gen-20awg-pro-instrument-cable-by-foot.html

[@patenlikoyun]

Why he melts the solder in the tip? That's usually a bad idea. What's the deal here?

[@NextGenGuitars]

It's more common than you'd think, outside of regulated industries (medical, military, aerospace, etc). As long as you hit the goals of what makes a good joint, the result will be reliable. Ensure a good physical connection, heat the parts correctly, fully permeate any wire, bond well to all joint surfaces, and burn off excess flux (if you used flux). Good idea to clean the joint afterwards too. The way shown in this video is just one of many ways of doing that. I really wish we had the chance to get to that soldering tutorial. There are many ways to do it with reliable results. Likewise, all of them (including this one) run the risk of having poor results if done incorrectly and the goals listed above aren't achieved.

[@namezuruful]

ヤニ入り半田使用ならばフラックスは不用です。それよりもケーブル側とコネクター側に予備半田した方が接続部の酸化劣化が有りませんよ。

[@macsolatorio24]

what is the cable name?

[@NextGenGuitars]

It's our cable (Next Gen Pro Instrument Cable): nextgenguitars.ca/products/next-gen-20awg-pro-instrument-cable-by-foot.html

[@reginaldorobson]

Like like like

[@radet.8457]

You hold the soldering iron on the joint for too long, it can be seen on the video that you have almost melted the heat resistant polyethylene protection of the inner conductor. By doing so, you only create the problem of a short circuit sooner. It should be soldered much shorter so that the insulation does not melt during soldering.

[@NextGenGuitars]

Good point of discussion! Our perspective here is that leaving flux in the joint is just as bad long term as melting the insulator. The difference is, a melted insulator will reveal problems much sooner in the life of the product. When you offer a lifetime warranty on something, you need to take all those aspects into account. I'd rather provide warranty support for a cable recently built than for a cable that has slowly degraded over 10 years due to too much flux being left over in the joint. It gets complicated when a cable is out in the wild that long, because you don't know how it's been used/abused. I'm confident that I've found the grey area between melting the insulator and burning off the flux sufficiently. The insulator swelling is one of those signs. A swollen insulator that hasn't begun melting yet isn't damaged enough to cause any potential shorting issues. That's why I stop when I do. A decade making cables, and not a single QC complaint or warranty replacement so far. 🤞 We have full confidence in our product. If a warranty issue ever does come up, we will happily provide the necessary support via repair or replacement. 👍

[@toolguyslayer1]

He's a warlock this is not real this is not possible but I got all the goodies and I'm going to see thank you in advance if it does work bro bro is there any specific type of solder that really worked for thatI mean I would like to think I did everything right

[@NextGenGuitars]

A good soldering iron (digitally temperature controlled) with 63/37 solder is easiest to work with. However, that is leaded solder, which poses many health risks. There's a lot to consider with different soldering options. Unfortunately far more than I can cover in a KZbin comment. Best of luck!

[@ironmaiden5658]

When it comes to the 1/2 inch heat shrink, I'd recommend getting the shrink that has the glue on the inside. That way when you shrink it it seals and your copper wire doesn't become oxidized.

[@NextGenGuitars]

Adhesive heat shrink doesn't do much to reduce oxidation further. It might add a slight bit more strain relief because of how it further binds the cable to the plug body. But the adhesive isn't overly strong, so the difference would be negligible when the cable is in use.

[@ironmaiden5658]

@@NextGenGuitars False. The glue acts as a bond and a seal. Regular heat shrink still has air gaps.

[@NextGenGuitars]

@@ironmaiden5658 I'm not disagreeing with the fact that it provides a better seal. I'm simply arguing that the benefit is negligible. Oxidation is one of the last things that would cause a cable to fail. The overwhelming majority of cable ends do not allow for a complete seal anyways, even if you apply heat shrink with adhesive (which many plug ends won't even work with). The evidence is in the last 50 years of cable making, where many pro cables have lasted that length of time without a perfectly sealed environment inside the cable.

[@ironmaiden5658]

@@NextGenGuitars If you buy some German leads you can see that a seal from the atmospheric elements actually stops the copper from oxidizing. All guitar leads, no matter make or model, boasts "oxygen free". Kirlin, Fender etc. You need to keep them oxygen free. Or they will rot.

[@NextGenGuitars]

@@ironmaiden5658 You are correct. All of them boast "Oxygen Free". Fun fact, none of them actually are.

[@Martin_Gregory]

But you used an elcheapo crapo jack! That's not pro-grade, that'll come to bits after a bit of pulling on the cable...

[@NextGenGuitars]

Lol. No. 0:37 We use Switchcraft. Don't settle for less. 👍

[@Martin_Gregory]

@@NextGenGuitars But but ... we can see that the cable is pulling straight on the solder joints. Where is the insert that claps the cable and transfers the pull to the socket? That's what pro quality guitar cables have...

[@NextGenGuitars]

@@Martin_Gregory This cable's strain relief is clamped into place at 5:14 . You're probably thinking of the Neutrik style plugs that have a different type of strain relief system built-in. Both are effective when applied correctly, and both have their benefits and drawbacks... The Switchcraft style of strain relief requires manual tightening. The benefit of that is, if tightened properly, it is effective on all diameters of cable. However, because it requires manual tightening, that leaves the door open for it to be over or under-tightened, causing other potential problems. The Neutrik style automatically clamps down as you screw the back on. The benefit of that is that it removes the chance of human error by over or under-tightening. However, it is really only ideal for cables with a diameter of 6.0mm-6.5mm. Above that, you have to buy a special chuck separately that is made for larger diameter cable. With cable 5.5mm or less, the strain relief is effectively useless because it is too loose on the cable. So, you have to be aware of that when making your cables. There are "el cheapo" budget versions of both types of cable ends. They are generally machined poorly from lower quality materials that are more easily bendable/breakable and more difficult to solder. The cheap knockoff versions of Neutrik plugs tend to use very weak/flexible plastic for the strain relief clamps. Just like on jacks, I recommend you never cheap out on cable ends. IMO, always look for either Switchcraft, Neutrik, or SquarePlug (newcomer with great stuff) when looking at cable ends. Buy cheap and buy twice. Hope that helps! Rock on!

[@Martin_Gregory]

@@NextGenGuitars Thanks for your excellent answer. I guess I've opened too many failed guitar cables with those Switchcraft clamps not even attempted to be squeezed closed :)

[@NextGenGuitars]

​@@Martin_Gregory That's very likely true! Commercial cables cheap out in a lot of areas. Cheaper parts, sure, but also as little labour as possible. Poor quality solder joints and poor clamping is more common than people think. It's one of the reasons most commercial cables use Neutrik plugs. It saves labour time.

[@The_Bit_Player]

DO NOT BUY LAVA CABLES!!! VERY POOR QUALITY EVEN WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON LAVA CABLES.👎👎👎

[@NextGenGuitars]

?? We don't use or sell Lava cables. 🤷‍♂

[@ozicryptoG]

I wish you wouldnt mumble.

[@NextGenGuitars]

🤔 Must be my accent. 🤷‍♂️

[@ozicryptoG]

@@NextGenGuitars Your work is second to none. But you know that ;-)