Using line level cables as guitar cables?

[Ruff-Muff]

Hi all. Sorry for asking this noob question on cables, but i guess i needed a good answer on this one...

Cable connectors and heads aside, what's the effect of using a line level cable for GUITAR -> AMP connection? (When i say "line level" cables, i'm referring to those audio cables for speakers) Will it spoil either the guitar or the amp in the long run? Does capacitance and inductance, etc, play a part significantly in the resulting tone? How would the tone be like anyway?

Any comments and thoughts appreciated!

 

[robsg]

Nothing will happen to either your guitar or amp.

I think the difference in tone is only slight (assuming your cable is of reasonable quality). The worrying things only happens if your do the reverse i.e. using signal cables as speaker cables.

Robin

 

[Indigo_blues]

hi ruffmuff,

actually those 'speaker' cables are usually not 'line-level'..

speaker cables are usually much thicker cause they are designed to carry a much higher current than normal line level cables.


yes but there shdn't be any problem using speaker cables as your instrument cables.. but the reverse is not true like the previous poster pointed out..

for simplicity sake, in any pro audio system, you can think of cables as having either 1. mic level, 2. line level or 3. speaker level. - mic level being the lowest and speaker level being the highest. Speaker level is always only found between your power amp and your speakers so usually you don't have to bother with that. So effectively you just have to ask yourself whether your cable is line level or mic level.

cheers.

 

[Ruff-Muff]

Thanks robin and indigo_blues.

I've recently acquired some unwanted Belden 8762 cables from a friend, and decided to hook it up to a pair of Neutrik heads. Having tested the cables, i realised that it does sound different, albeit subtle, from my Klotz and Planet Waves. The tone of the Belden is more midrangy, and seemed to have lost some highs. However, it seems to be a tad louder compared to the rest, strangely enough. Note that though the tone is different, i actually have to do a test recording to A-B the cables, to be able to tell the subtle difference). Also, it's not exactly a "bad" tone. Just different, im my opinion.

Any thoughts on this?

BTW, what will happen if i connect it "the other way" (using signal cables as speaker cables)?

 

[jbarks]

Your cables will overheat and very possibly melt or catch fire

 

[robsg]

Hey rUFF-mUFF,

Your experiment findings is indeed something of a revelation to me. Thanks. However, I think I will use your results as a guide as it is still not conclusive as the heads and soldering also may be different. However, all that really matters to us most of the time is good clean sound isn't it.

Also, I think if you use signal cables as speakers cables, it is still unlikely to catch fire. (I have done it before) Cable will become hot though as impedence and signal amplitude is different. The only downside is signal dinamic range seems more squashed.


Regards
Robin