Planet Waves cable

FenderBender

A customer brought in a Planet Waves instrument cable that had become intermittent. The cable has molded plugs, but using a multimeter and flexing the cable, it was easy to diagnose that the ground connection had broken off in the plug. I decided to dissect the plug, since the owner was told that the lifetime warranty only applies in the US and I was curious as to how it was constructed.

After stripping the plastic molding off the plug I found this:

The brass crimp was loose, allowing the plug to flex and break...

After removing the crimp...

After removing the interior potted molding, revealing the break...

\

Notice how thin the metal is...

Planet Waves use great shielding techniques (2 cores for signal and the screen connected to only one side)...

My opinion in short: Nice cable, nice shielding, but shoddy plugs!

AlanRatcliffe

My opinion in short: Nice cable, nice shielding, but shoddy plugs!

Bingo! My thoughts exactly. They sound quite good too, but I've always been wary of the jacks (based on what I could see at the springy "banana" section and the gold plating).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that type of shielding also makes the cable directional (the shield should be connected on the source side). Do they note that on the cable itself?

FenderBender

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong, but that type of shielding also makes the cable directional (the shield should be connected on the source side). Do they note that on the cable itself?

The shielded side should be connected to the amp or pedals, because this is the closest point to earth. The cable was not marked!

MikeM

I have one, there's a shielded side non shielded side. Been running it the wrong way around... Woops :-[

Sean

MikeM wrote: I have one, there's a shielded side non shielded side. Been running it the wrong way around... Woops :-[

Oh great, I better check mine as well :-[

inflames

Matta made me some Mogami cables with Amphenol connectors, absolute bliss!

Danny-B

Just to be sure, you plug the shielded side into the amp?

Got me some new Planet Waves 20ft cables on the weekend ?

AlanRatcliffe

Funny, my Carver cables are shielded from the source side.

Ray

Heck! I've got one of these 20'. How do I tell what is the shielde side and non-shielded side?

FenderBender

You cannot tell which side the shield is connected to without opening the cable, although it's not critical which side the shield is connected to. My advice is to try the cable both ways, plug your axe into your amp, turn up the volume a little on both and listen for noise. The connection with the least noise is the one you want.

Sean

Graeme Parfett wrote: You cannot tell which side the shield is connected to without opening the cable, although it's not critical which side the shield is connected to. My advice is to try the cable both ways, plug your axe into your amp, turn up the volume a little on both and listen for noise. The connection with the least noise is the one you want.

Seems a bit silly to me that the manufacturer would not mark it. Why have one side shielded (and for good reason;better quality sound) and then allow those of us who do not know any better to just plug it in any old way? Is it me, or does that just not make any sense ??? What also annoys me is the "lifetime warranty" issue - only valid in the US. Good grief! Not that that was a factor in me buying the cable (not directly anyway) but that it said something about the quality of the cable. I'm not impressed with these people. I won't be buying another Planet Waves cable.
I suppose what you're saying Graeme is that if (or when ? ) the plugs fail, one could still use the cable, just have better quality plugs put on?

Squonk

@ Graeme

Any good/bad stories on these cables?
Will these also be shielded on one side?

peters

Graeme Parfett wrote: You cannot tell which side the shield is connected to without opening the cable, although it's not critical which side the shield is connected to. My advice is to try the cable both ways, plug your axe into your amp, turn up the volume a little on both and listen for noise. The connection with the least noise is the one you want.

Hi Graham, just realised all our shielded twisted pair ethernet cables are not earthed, I have seen small amps with a two pin power lead, are these amps to be avoided due to no grounding ?

Danny-B

Graeme Parfett wrote: You cannot tell which side the shield is connected to without opening the cable, although it's not critical which side the shield is connected to. My advice is to try the cable both ways, plug your axe into your amp, turn up the volume a little on both and listen for noise. The connection with the least noise is the one you want.

On my Planet Waves cable, it is marked 'Shielded End' on one of the ends, so yes you can tell. But where do you plug the shielded end into to?

FenderBender

Sean wrote: I suppose what you're saying Graeme is that if (or when ? ) the plugs fail, one could still use the cable, just have better quality plugs put on?

Exactly what I have done here! Because the cable is of an exceptionally high quality, I decided to keep it and replace the plugs with Neutriks.

@Squonk: I couldn't tell ya mate. I tried looking for the specs, but all they go on about is the tweed jacket ?

@PeterS: Oops re your cables! In my book all decent audio equipment should be earthed, for noise as well as health benefits ?

@Danny B: I would connect the shielded end to your amp or pedals, but try it both ways and see if you can hear a difference.

AlanRatcliffe

I've looked into it further and Graeme speaketh the truth (not that I doubted him) - apparently the shield should be connected on the amp side. It will work either way though and not everyone agrees on whether there is a difference to sound or shielding efficacy or not. In other words, you probably shouldn't worry if you can't hear a difference.

FenderBender

+1 Alan

My reason for connecting the shield to the amp side is purely technical:
Electro Magnetic or Radio Frequency interference that strikes the shield will travel along it, straight through the plug and to the ground of the amp, whereas if the shield was connected to the guitar end, the noise would have to travel along the shield and then back to the amp through the signal ground wire and the noise would superimpose itself onto the guitar signal. Remember, if there is no EMI or RFI in the first place, you would not notice a difference either way.
To put it in a nutshell - wiring a cable like this makes it pretty future proof should you enter an area with hectic levels of EM and/or RF interference. Incidently, I noticed that the pair of wires in the planet waves cable we are talking about were twisted - further reducing (possible) noise.

Unfortunately, using single core (coaxial) cables leaves you no option for superior noise immunity as the screen also carries the signal ground.

Sean

Danny B wrote: On my Planet Waves cable, it is marked 'Shielded End' on one of the ends, so yes you can tell. But where do you plug the shielded end into to?

Checked mine again...nothing

Danny-B

Have you got the Custom series? Maybe other series' aren't shielded?

Sean

Danny B wrote: Have you got the Custom series? Maybe other series' aren't shielded?

Guess not. Doesn't say Custom series anywhere on the lead.