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Review
High-End Instrument Cables.

By Teja Gerken

An instrument cable is such a necessity for any guitarist who uses a pickup that it can hardly be called an “accessory.” Yet many players choose cables based on price rather than quality. I recently checked out two high-end cables made by Evidence Audio (www.evidenceaudio.com, [949] 306-7390) and Monster Cable (www.monstercable.com, [415] 840-2000) and was impressed by what each had to offer.

Lyric HG. (Photo Credit: Ray Larsen.)

Evidence Audio offers a variety of cable materials and plug options. I tried a ten-foot Lyric HG ($81) made with a high-density copper shield, woven cloth exterior, and beefy Neutric plugs. The cable made a very solid impression—removing one of the plug’s covers revealed superclean soldering and excellent fit.

Monster Cable Acoustic. (Photo Credit: Ray Larsen)

The Monster Cable Acoustic ($79.95 for a 12-foot cable) uses the company’s proprietary gold-plated plugs (with an attractive wood-grain cover), copper-braided shielding, and black rubber-like Duraflex exterior. This cable has a thicker diameter than most other manufacturers’, and its overall weight is considerably heavier than a typical instrument cable of similar length. Removing one plug’s cap also showed very clean work and heat-shrink tubing that left no bare wires exposed. Some people will think it’s crazy to talk about a cable’s inherent sound, but I was definitely able to hear differences between these two. The Lyric HG cable had a somewhat more “glassy” quality with a spunky high end, while the Monster Acoustic provided more bottom end and a slightly fatter overall tone. Are these differences subtle? Absolutely. And as one part of a longer signal chain, they may become irrelevant. But as any working musician knows, it’s a real drag when a cable fails at a gig. Having a cable with this high level of parts and craftsmanship means there will be one less thing to worry about.

This article also appears in Acoustic Guitar, Issue #145

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