A bad guitar cable can stop working mid-gig and embarrass you. It’s, therefore, important to know the signs of a bad guitar cable so you can either fix the issue as promptly as possible or replace your instrument altogether. That way, you’ll be able to play your guitar with absolute peace of mind and without having to fear any accidental interruptions.
You can tell your guitar cable is bad when it becomes defective and starts to work intermittently while providing a quieter sound. The cable will also buzz and crackle as you move its cord on top of having a thin body and brittle sheathing.
Read on to learn more about the different ways you can tell whether you have a bad guitar cable that is faulty or of poor quality. Moreover, you’ll get to learn more about what constitutes a good cable, as well as some of the high–quality cables you can buy for home use as well as live gigs.
Related: 5 reasons why your guitar pick sounds bad, TS vs TRS vs TRRS cable for guitar, and how to keep a guitar strap from falling off. Our list of essential guitar accessories covers the basics in one place.
1. Look Out for These Signs
There are many telling signs of a lousy guitar cable that can help you fix the cable before it dies or prevent you from buying the wrong cord. Here are some of the most common:
It Causes Crackling or Hissing and Humming Sounds
If the connectors are faulty, you’ll hear a crackling or hissing sound when the cable is moved around while you touch its ends.
The cable being bad can also cause the guitar to hum because its ground wire is damaged. Noise interference from the environment can bring it on too.
The Guitar Tone Sounds Weak
When the cable or its ground wire is faulty, the sound will not come out as expected. This is because the cord will fail to properly transmit all the signals to the amplifier.
Another cause of the tone not sounding right can be the length of the cable. Longer wires above 20 feet (6.1 meters) can make the sound travel far, making it susceptible to noise pickup, such as radio frequencies from the surrounding area.
The Sound Keeps Cutting In and Out
Sometimes the cable will work intermittently, disrupting the flow of play. To resolve this issue, you should replace the faulty connector or buy a new guitar cable.
Additionally, the problem could be caused by faulty audio jacks that are loose and need tightening or have dirt in them.
Receive No Sound When You Plug It In
When you connect the cable to the amp and hear no sound coming from it, it’s safe to assume that the cable is faulty. However, the problem could also be with the amplifier, so keep that in mind before proceeding any further.
In this case, you should switch cables, and if you receive a sound, the old cord is faulty. However, if the new cable also fails to transmit a signal, then you should have your amp looked at.
The Cable Electrocutes You When You Touch It
If the cable has exposed wires due to worn-out rubber shielding, electricity can shock you because it is no longer insulated. The zap from a bad guitar cable may not do you much harm, but the experience can be unpleasant.
You can use electrical tape to cover the area if it is not extremely exposed, and you have to use the cable right away. Later on, you should cut the cord at that spot and add a new connector there.
However, if it cannot be repaired because the conductor wires are cut, you should replace the cable.
Picks Up Noise From the Environment
Unlike microphone cables, guitar cables lack features that cancel noise because they are unbalanced. This makes them susceptible to picking up electromagnetic or EM fields and radio frequencies that can interfere with the guitar sound.
You can prevent this from happening by choosing cables with a strong and excellent shield. I highly recommend options with a braided shield.
The Cable Jack Is Loose, or Its Nose Is Bent
A loose jack can prevent the sound signal from smoothly reaching the amp and, in turn, weakens your guitar tone. All you have to do is tighten its nut with a socket wrench, and it can start working well again. However, if you cannot fix the looseness because the jack is completely stripped out, then you should try a loose jack tightener or discard it when it fails to work.
On the other hand, a bent jack nose will also stop the cable from fitting snugly and affect the signal transfer. To straighten the nose, this is what you should do:
- Use a small long nose plier to gently bend the plug back in place to avoid further damaging it.
- Place it against a ruler to check if it is perfectly straight. If not, continue to apply force on it until you get it right.
However, if the plug is overbent, you can either take the cable to a professional to replace it or do it yourself if you know how to in the following steps:
- Buy a 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) new cable jack, preferably a Switchcraft or Neutrik.
- Cut off the damaged plug using plies or a side cutter.
- Use a utility knife to cut a small part of the shield off.
- Separate the wires into three parts and twist the outer two together.
- Remove the outer covering of the middle conductor while taking care not to cut the inside wires, and after, twist the braid.
- Use a soldering iron to tin or heat the two wires and the jack terminals.
- Put the outer cover of the plug onto the lead cable.
- Burn the conductor onto the terminal that connects to the tip of the plug and the other wires to the shield terminal.
- Clap the backend of the plug onto the cable and place the outer cover on the plug before screwing on the solder joint.
- Use a multimeter to test the cable and ensure that it works.
The Cable Stops Working
This can either happen earlier than expected after you have experienced some of the above signs or abruptly without any prior warning of it having a problem.
To prevent this issue from occurring, you should buy good cables from reputable brands or those recommended by other buyers and enthusiasts. This misfortune may take place during your performance, disrupting it, not to mention putting you in an awkward situation where people doubt your professionalism.
The Cord Has a Thin and Brittle Sheathing
Most cables that have a bad shield are cheap. Therefore, when choosing a cord for your guitar, always critically check out its covering. Besides its weak and stiff sheath, the cable can also have cheap rubber ends.
These kinds of cables can easily get damaged as the brittle shield can break when bent or stepped on, while the inexpensive ends can wear out quickly. Besides, poor shielding can make the cable pick up noise from a location that can interfere with your guitar tone.
Therefore, it’s better to invest in high-quality cables because they can last longer, actually saving you money in the long run.