Coil Cable Tone Suck - Fact or fiction?

[neonblack]

So I want to get a coil cable for purely aesthetic reasons. I think they look super cool. But I've heard they rob your lows, or muffle your highs, or make everything flat, etc. Is any of this true? Does anyone have experience with reasonably priced coil cables? I definitely don't want to drop $75-$100 on a lava cable just for looks, but I've seen some Vox cables on Amazon for a decent price.

So, in summary:
1) Tone suck: myth?
2) Are cheaper cables much worse than lava? Should I just be an adult and buy the more expensive cable?

[Greenfuz]

who cares

caring about tone suck ain't punk rock


cool lookin coily cables are punk rock

[Achtane]

who cares

caring about tone suck ain't punk rock


cool lookin coily cables are punk rock

[neonblack]

That's sort of my thinking. Not like I ever play clean anyway.

[greyscales]

I basically only use coiled cables for my main cables. Don't give a fuck about any treble loss playing bass, I cut treble usually anyways. Can't go back to straight cables now.

But really, in a mix (and even at home) I guarantee the average person wouldn't know the difference. Not having a cable knot up and get tangled is worth more than tone suck to me anyways.

Bullet is great if you can find one, I'm always looking for another. Vox is okay, nothing special (not a fan of that weird custom right-angle plug) but still coiled and works. Yet to try a Lava yet since it is expensive and I have a Bullet, but it is probably good. I even have a super old freebie coil that is gross as fuck which I use at home for my stereo rig. As long as it works, I use it.

[Eivind August]

gearmanndude is punk rock?

[backwardsvoyager]

who cares

caring about tone suck ain't punk rock


cool lookin coily cables are punk rock

>cables
>not tying bare electrical wire between your guitar and amp

punk rock my ass

[Ugly Nora]

No personal experience, but gearmandude uses them and he has the best tone I've ever heard.

[Gone Fission]

Old 60s-70s stuff is high capacitance as fuck, which is gonna roll off a bunch of treble, but also going to lower the resonance of Strat pickups to something similar to a Les Paul. Thus Hendrix. I gather the modern stuff actually tends to be fairly low capacitance cable, so with the extra coil length it'll probably approach the higher capacitance modern cables like Canare it Mogami of a similar practical length. If you reduce the resonance of Fender pickups but not enough you can be stuck in 5kHz ice-pick resonance range. You can find some math-y formulae for this stuff, or just be aware of it and make some cable comparisons until things sound right.

When people talk about cables sounding different this is the shit they're talking about, if they aren't just talking out their ass or hearing out of their wallet. Oh, if you have active pickups or a buffer on the instrument, none of this really matters much.

[goroth]

Yep. I use a buffer and whatever cables I can get my hands on.

[hbombgraphics]

I have been using the same bullet coil for about 5 years I think and that thing is a flipping beast
I haven't noticed any difference in tone but I keep at least one buffer in the signal all the time
plus I would be used to any rolloff now anyway
coily is easy to pack
and harder to be strangled with
win win

[neonblack]

I plan on using an accountant as an always on compressor, so it should help at least.

Man, those lava cables are pretty cool looking. I might just have to break down and get one.

[PetZounds]

Even though physics dictates that there's going to be a difference, you're likely not going to really hear it.

[Jwar]

I think Gearmandude is insane. That being said, get the cable that fits your heart bro. Fuck everything else.

[Glenouille]

get the cable that fits your heart bro. Fuck everything else.

This and I have a ton of coilies and I have never noticed any tone suck. Get yourself one you'll be happy.