MONSTER (GUITAR) CABLE silliness... documented... :-)

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:50 am

BradLyons wrote:While there are difference in cables for instrument, that's not really the area I was focusing on.

I hear you Brad. I guess, if you look at the photos I linked to, it *was* the area *I* was focusing on.

I will change the thread title to have the word "GUITAR" in it. Although one of those cablers was for the warmth and detail of analog or digital instruments.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:13 pm

So is there an Emoticon for sticking my tongue out at someone while making childish sounds? haha!

donreynolds · Post by **donreynolds** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:33 pm

AAAhhhhh....Things that make you go Hmmmmm?!

gearboy · Post by **gearboy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:01 pm

I used to work in the Pro Audio retail business... 5 yrs total in sales. I went to school (University... BS degree) for Recording and Music Theory. I've worked professionally in recording (still do) and live sound as well. I consider myself a very well educated pro audio consumer.

Monster cable and Mogami do sound better than Hosa. This is a fact of engineering.

The problem lies in MARKETING and MARK UP. Monster will not allow a store to devalue it's product by selling below MAP pricing. That $99 Acoustic cable costs GC or Sweetwater or Sam Ash etc approximately $35-$45. I know because I used to work for one of the dotcom's and have sat through Monster training (brain washing) sessions. So, if it costs GC, say, approx $40 for a cable that they turn around and sell for $99 (and are strictly told NOT to discount by Monster or else risk losing the line), how much do you think that it costs Mosnter to make that cable? They're allowing an approx 150% markup on the cable, or at least a 100% markup, whatever. Moster has to be marking it up more than that. I bet that $99 Acoustic Guitar cable costs Monster less than $5 to make if you consider their purchasing power, etc. They have marketed themselves well.

Their cable sounds better than cable made with inferior materials and designs. True. But if you learn simple soldering and go here http://www.redco.com/ you can roll your own that sound just as good and cost much much less.

If you own a studio you should be making your own custom length mic and instrument cables. Period, the end.

Jeff

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:22 pm

I'm one of those people who generally make my own cable in my studio. I had a friend who was a radio engineer and did lots of installation in various facilities and he recommended Belden 8451 (I think that's the number). It's a thin cable with foil shielding. So all my stuff is wired with custom cables that I soldered myself with Belden and Switchcraft.

Even if I decided to upgrade, I don't like having lots of extra cable, so I'd be inclined to make my own.

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:55 pm

It all depends. When Jeff Beck toured in 1990 (I think, maybe '91) behind "Beck's Garage" album - the one he did with Terry Bozzio - I read an article describing his touring setup. His main amp was an old 60's era tube amp (probably Fender, but I can't remember) but it still had the ORIGINAL TUBES!!!! Freakin' 25 year old tubes!! Supposedly, the tubes were so rusted that he couldn't get them out to replace them, so he left them in. The amp sounded great, so he didn't care. What would Groove Tubes marketing team say about that?!?!?!?! ha ha ha

Something tells me he didn't sweat over making sure he had Monster "Rock" cable to plug in with either.

Back on topic - Monster cables in general do sound cleaner - whether that matters to you or not is completely subjective, and I do think the whole "Rock" versus "Jazz" cable thing is retarded. As someone else said, if the cable is actually coloring my sound, I probably want a different cable.

Best point made in this whole thread goes to James regarding the "Acoustic" cable. Like he said - if you are recording your acoustic and you give 1/2 a sh!t about the sound quality, who the F in their right mind is going to record it DIRECT?!?!? You want a great sounding recorded acoustic? Get a frikkin' mic, people. As James said, if you are plugging your acoustic in direct, you are probably playing a live gig, and at that point, who cares what cable you are using as long as its not popping and crackling!

HE HE

Phil O · Post by **Phil O** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:37 am

gearboy wrote:If you own a studio you should be making your own custom length mic and instrument cables. Period, the end.

Jeff

Thank you!

Resonant Alien wrote:Monster cables in general do sound cleaner

Cleaner than what? It all depends on what you are comparing them to. Cleaner than Hosa? Probably. Cleaner than high end Belden, Mogami, Canare? I doubt it.

The whole thing comes down to this. Someone has 10 year old (and stepped on) cheap cables with oxidized cheap connectors and decides to upgrade. They get convinced that Monster is so much better than all the other cable manufacturers on the planet that they buy them. Suddenly they can hear a difference and in their mind all that Monster hype must be true. Duh!

I use Belden and Mogami cables in my studio. The connectors are either Neutrik or Switchcraft. I clean the connectors on a regular basis. All cables were made by me. The model/type of cable was selected for it's application.

I tell you what. If someone wants to spring for a Monster cable and send it to me, I'll design a blind test to post and we'll see once and for all if Monster is really what they claim. I'll even send the cable back to you when the test is done and the results are in. Any takers?

Phil

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:50 am

Well, if anyone is interested, when I get a chance I can setup an Earthworks mic to record a noise-floor through a high-end colorless pre into my 192io and show the waveforms as well as provide a .WAV file--would this be of interest?

Tritonemusic · Post by **Tritonemusic** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:40 am

BradLyons wrote:Well, if anyone is interested, when I get a chance I can setup an Earthworks mic to record a noise-floor through a high-end colorless pre into my 192io and show the waveforms as well as provide a .WAV file--would this be of interest?

I'd like to see you identify the acoustic cable, rock guitar cable, and the enhance the warmth and detail of analog and digital instruments cable in a blind listening test. That's what I'd like to see. Will it happen? Of course not. By the way Brad, do YOU pay $100 per monster cable? Of course not.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:16 pm

Listening tests are subjective, a visual test will really show the difference between the cables. Then, listening would certainly be fun!

Do I pay $99 for a $99 cable? Well come on, one of the perks I get is discounts on the products I sell

But make no mistake, it still adds up when I'm buying cable. The most recent cable purchase included a 16-ft 40ch snake, (24) XLR Female to TRS Male cables...I could have saved a great deal of buying other brands, but I have heard the difference and that's why I still personally buy Monster. I'M NOT TRYING TO TALK ANYONE HERE INTO BUYING ONLY MONSTER, I'M SIMPLY SAYING THAT FROM MY EXPERIENCE--IT'S WHAT I PREFER FOR MY OWN NEEDS.

That's all.

Tritonemusic · Post by **Tritonemusic** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:26 pm

BradLyons wrote:I'M NOT TRYING TO TALK ANYONE HERE INTO BUYING ONLY MONSTER, I'M SIMPLY SAYING THAT FROM MY EXPERIENCE--IT'S WHAT I PREFER FOR MY OWN NEEDS.

Okay, okay...must you YELL so much?

I never said you were trying to sell Monster cable (however, that is your job, isn't it?). The original point of this topic (I think) was questioning the different kinds of Monster cables. My question remains: Can you identify which Monster cable you're listening to without visuals, in a blind listening test? I say you can't.

gregwhartley · Post by **gregwhartley** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:38 pm

666 wrote:Can you identify which Monster cable you're listening to without visuals, in a blind listening test? I say you can't.

I say you can. If you use the Monster cables as the packaging demands it really becomes quite simple. The style of music dictates which cable is being used. The end.

I don't know why you guys are going on about this- we all know that the color and texture of your strap makes the most impact on your guitar sound, not cables. I prefer black, none more black to be specific. Sure it costs a little more but it's worth it! I don't even mic up cabs anymore, I just go straight to the strap with a U47 (about 4.647" above the highest strap button has yielded phenomenal results on my current project).

gregwhartley · Post by **gregwhartley** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:41 pm

Sorry, I meant 4.648".

chrispick · Post by **chrispick** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:43 pm

gregwhartley wrote:I say you can. If you use the Monster cables as the packaging demands it really becomes quite simple. The style of music dictates which cable is being used. The end. I don't know why you guys are going on about this- we all know that the color and texture of your strap makes the most impact on your guitar sound, not cables. I prefer black, none more black to be specific. Sure it costs a little more but it's worth it! I don't even mic up cabs anymore, I just go straight to the strap with a U47 (about 4.647" above the highest strap button has yielded phenomenal results on my current project).

They make straps for guitars? Man, that saves me all kinds of headache. I get tired of carrying that chair around with me everywhere. And I usually have to make a second trip for the lamp. All that running around pisses off my bandmates to no end, imaginary though they be.

Kind Of Loud · Post by **Kind Of Loud** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 3:58 pm

gregwhartley wrote:Sorry, I meant 4.648".

I was going to correct you on that, but I see you caught the error....