[coupon]

what all use to connect the pedals to each other from the in/output parts. does it matter what i use? i heard some peopel talking about it a while back but i wasnt paying attention and now that i got a bunch of pedals i dont think that using my spare guitar cables is the best way to go. what are some quality ways i can hook em up together? thanks

[Luder]

They have litte 8 inch and such cables.

[coupon]

i think they are called patch cables or something. anyone got any info on what works best?

[telecasting]

The smallest length patch cable you can get away with. Most are 9" or so (I may be wrong) with jacks at right angles, which are fine for connecting pedals. Some pros and people particularly vested in their tone make their own patch cables to be the right length. This is because of some frequencies that are lost when pushing an unbalanced signal (from a guitar pu) through a long set of cables.

As for patch cables, they are quite a bit cheaper than normal guitar cables, and they rarely if ever are useless. I would recommend getting a pack if you have any more than 4 pedals you'd like to hook up.

Little tip with cables. Look after them by winding them when not using them. I seemed to do damage to cables when I left them in my guitar/amp. Treading on them mostly.

[BiggSteve777]

There are allot of companies making patch cables. In my pursuit, here's what I've tried. (and in some cases are still using)

Cheap patch cables : great price, but wear out easily and the more you use the more signal loss you get
Pedal Couplers: Work great. They have offset couplers for pedals that don't line up perfect. Be careful if you use industrial strength velcro. I've broken a tip off in a pedal by prying it off the board.
Hosa shallow right angle cables: Shallow right angles let you put your pedals closer together and get better use of your pedal board real estate. Pretty poor quality though.
George L's: I have some friends that absolutely love these. You can trim to any length. My problem is that I didn't always get the best connection when I assembled them and had problem shorting out.
Lava Cables: This is what I'm moving toward. Pricey but great quality and you can order them to any length.

[thesteve]

I'm just going to use the links you posted to reference and drop my own $.02 from my experience.

Originally Posted by BiggSteve777

Cheap patch cables : great price, but wear out easily and the more you use the more signal loss you get

I've been using similarly designed cables by Hosa, and they've been running just fine for the time I've been using them.

Pedal Couplers: Work great. They have offset couplers for pedals that don't line up perfect. Be careful if you use industrial strength velcro. I've broken a tip off in a pedal by prying it off the board.

I've not used these, but I've read alot of reviews about pedal jacks taking damage from accidental kicks and such when coupled with these

Hosa shallow right angle cables: Shallow right angles let you put your pedals closer together and get better use of your pedal board real estate. Pretty poor quality though.

From what I understand these are pretty much identical to the first link you posted, only with a "vintage" jack (this is what the guy at the store told me when I was looking at the two cables)

George L's: I have some friends that absolutely love these. You can trim to any length. My problem is that I didn't always get the best connection when I assembled them and had problem shorting out.

by far these are the most recommended here at CGR. I've yet to try them out though.

Lava Cables: This is what I'm moving toward. Pricey but great quality and you can order them to any length.

I've read nothing but good things about this store. I don't know much about the Klotz brand cable itself though...I just can't seem to justify $85 for 5 6" cables.

[Hopeful]

BigSteve, I've been using the George L's for nearly three years and never had a failure. But, I have had to check to make sure the cable was seated all the way in the plug a couple of times. Once you make sure it's secure, then when you tighten the screws, it will hold much better than solder. I use it in my entire chain from guitar to pedals to the amp. People might not think they're sturdy since they are thin compared to other cables, but trust me, they work fine. And I haven't bought cables in a long, long time - only the plugs if I need to make more cables.

[BiggSteve777]

Originally Posted by Hopeful

BigSteve, I've been using the George L's for nearly three years and never had a failure. But, I have had to check to make sure the cable was seated all the way in the plug a couple of times. Once you make sure it's secure, then when you tighten the screws, it will hold much better than solder. I use it in my entire chain from guitar to pedals to the amp. People might not think they're sturdy since they are thin compared to other cables, but trust me, they work fine. And I haven't bought cables in a long, long time - only the plugs if I need to make more cables.

I'm getting readiy to assemble a new board and I've got a bunch of them still lying around. Maybe I'll go with Lava & George L's... instead of Lava & Hosa 'vintage'

[Hellfighter]

I agree with Hopeful on the George L's, sometimes it can be a little difficult to get them together the first time (if you've never done it before), but after that, it's a snap, and I've never had them go out.

[LWatford]

I was using a combination of George L's, the Hosa's with the shallow metal ends, and some cables I had wired up from old guitar cables and right angle connectors. While I worked at Guitar Center I could get the Planet Waves cable station stuff pretty cheap, so I did that. I like it, though the connectors have this little locking thing that makes me nervous with some pedals (it can be a tight fit).