Menu
Carvin Audio
0
  • Audio
    • TRC Column Array Systems
    • Subwoofers
    • Loudspeakers
    • Power Amplifiers
    • In-Ear Monitor Systems
    • Wireless Guitar/Bass Systems
    • Wireless Microphone Systems
    • Power Conditioners
    • Microphones / Direct Box
    • Speaker Parts
  • Guitar
    • KOA Acoustic Guitar Preamp
    • X1
    • Legacy Drive- VLD1
    • MACH100 100W Pedal Amplifier
    • WG5 Wireless Guitar System
    • V112E Extension Cab
  • Bass
  • International
  • Blog
    • Audio Info & Education
    • Guitar/Bass Amp Info & Education
    • News and Events
  • SALE
    • On Sale Now
    • Gift Cards
    • Newsletter
  • Rewards
  • Financing
  • SINCE 1946
  • Sign in
  • Your Cart is Empty
Carvin Audio
Carvin Audio
  • Audio
    • TRC Column Array Systems
    • Subwoofers
    • Loudspeakers
    • Power Amplifiers
    • In-Ear Monitor Systems
    • Wireless Guitar/Bass Systems
    • Wireless Microphone Systems
    • Power Conditioners
    • Microphones / Direct Box
    • Speaker Parts
  • Guitar
    • KOA Acoustic Guitar Preamp
    • X1
    • Legacy Drive- VLD1
    • MACH100 100W Pedal Amplifier
    • WG5 Wireless Guitar System
    • V112E Extension Cab
  • Bass
  • International
  • Blog
    • Audio Info & Education
    • Guitar/Bass Amp Info & Education
    • News and Events
  • SALE
    • On Sale Now
    • Gift Cards
    • Newsletter
  • Rewards
  • Financing
  • SINCE 1946
  • 0 0

What’s the Difference Between Speaker Cables and Guitar Cables? Why Does it Matter?

October 07, 2016

Guitar Cable

Somewhere along the line somebody probably told you “Don’t ever use guitar cables for speakers and vice versa!” If not you will be glad you noticed this article because it might save you some trouble down the road. What seems confusing is that from outward appearances the two cables can look much the same, if not identical. The plugs are interchangeable in most cases as well. So let’s take a look at why they are different, what they are optimized for, and why they don’t make good substitutions for one another.

Instrument (guitar) cables are designed to transfer the very small signal your guitar pickups generate or the line level signals from a preamp or mixer to an amplifier input. They need to do this without collecting a lot of outside interference. This is important because any small electrical signals it picks up on the way to your amp input will be amplified right along with your instrument! To prevent this, guitar cables have a small central conductor to carry the low level signal to the amp and a large outer shield of twisted or braided copper to ground out interference before it gets into your signal chain. 

Speaker cables must carry a much more powerful signal as they come after your amplifier has boosted the signal level many times over (how loud is your amplifier compared to what your electric guitar sounds like unplugged?) Those high AC currents allow your power amp to move large, heavy speakers and a lot of air to create sound. So speaker cables must have very large conductors compared to instrument cables. On the other hand because the signal level they carry is so high, outside interference isn’t a problem (without being amplified it can’t compete with your amp’s output), so speaker cables do not have an outer ground shield like your instrument cables.

It is easy to see how both cables have different designs so they can handle different jobs. But why is it so important not to confuse the two?

If you were to use a speaker cable to plug in your guitar it would collect all the electrical interference around you like an antenna and inject it into your amp input along with your guitar signal because it doesn’t have the outer shield. By the time that noise was boosted by your entire amp it would come out just as loud as your guitar and would probably only be useful for getting club managers to fire the band.

Now if you put an instrument cable between your amp output and the speaker, the small center conductor cannot handle the high power output current and can overheat, generate resistance that affects your output load (bad for your amplifier’s output section!), and might even melt down or catch fire in extreme cases! The shielding on an instrument cable creates a capacitor with the inside conductor that your amplifier may not like. This could send your amp into an oscillation and potentially cause damage. Because of this it is very important for you to know which of your cables are which and that you can tell them apart even under low light stage conditions.

If you are unfamiliar with a cable, in a pinch you can often tell the difference by unscrewing the end of the cable and looking at the wire coming in. If the cable splits into two fairly thick even wires that are side-by-side, it is a speaker cable. If it has one wire in the middle and many strands of twisted or braided copper wire wrapped around the outside the other, it is an instrument cable. Some fancy, high quality cables might have extra center conductors, so don’t let that confuse you- they’re wired in parallel. The outer shield is what is important no matter how many wires are in the middle. Fortunately most quality cable makers also print the type of cable on the wire itself which can be a big help if the end of the cable isn’t designed to unscrew.

Take some time out to check all your cables so you know which are which. You might even want to mark them with colored tape so they are easy to tell apart next time you’re fishing in your gig bag for a replacement only moments before downbeat. Knowing every part of your system is wired correctly will give you added confidence, and you will be rewarded with great sound and reliability in the future.
  • Share:


Also in Guitar / Bass Amplifier Info & Education

The Art of the Note Bend
The Art of the Note Bend

May 25, 2023

The ubiquitous note bend gives guitar players a layer that most instruments don’t have. You certainly can’t bend anything on a piano (unless you’re willing to risk losing a hand when a string breaks). It’s a simple enough technique, but there’s an art to pulling it off. For experienced guitarists, it may be automatic, but we thought we’d give a few quick tips for those still learning this time-honored trick.

Read More

Bass Tone 101
Bass Tone 101

May 16, 2023

It’s no secret that bass is the most important instrument in the band (except for most of the others!). Kidding aside, a killer tone can transform a set or a record from ordinary into classic, and for bassists (like any guitar player), achieving a unique tone is as much of an art as playing itself. So, it makes sense to dig into your bass tone in detail, if you haven’t already. Here’s a little on doing just that.

Read More

Recording Electric Guitar in 2023
Recording Electric Guitar in 2023

May 12, 2023

From Berry to Hendrix to Van Halen to Johnny 5, electric guitars are irrevocably embedded in our cultural identity, and contrary to what some think, they’re not going anywhere. The only difference now is there are so many more ways to use them and record them well. So, let’s revisit capturing electric guitars in the current times.

Read More

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more…

Contact Us    858-751-4884

International Sales

Warranty and Trial Period

Shipping

Manuals

NoFraud Frequently Asked Questions

Thiele/Small Parameters

Schematics

Firmware Download

Become a Dealer

About Us

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all of the earth; make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp and the voice of the psalm." - Psalm 98:4-5

© 2023 Carvin Audio. Carvin Corp.
POS and Ecommerce by Shopify

American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa