Top 5 Cable Mistakes That Bass Players Make (And How to Fix Them)

In this video, I explain and show Top 5 Cable Mistakes That Bass Players Make, and how to fix them. The Guitar and Keyboard players also will find this informative. I talk about the quality of cables, how to plug correctly, how to look after the cables, and also show the over-over and over-under wrapping techniques. This video can be useful for all-level musicians, but especially for beginners.

[titichartay]

As both a lighting tech & musician, the only way i was taught to coil cables was the over/under method. Great tips.

[timmerred]

Cables have a natural “coiling”. You should be able to coil them for storage in perfect circles if you take your time. You’ll feel where the cable wants to coil naturally. Similar to a garden hose.

[ElectricSmurf]

Another good thing about looping the cable through the guitar strap or amplifier handle is it acts as a cable restraint, meaning that any movement on stage by the musician isn't tugging at the connectors/plugs and potentially damaging the internal wire of the plugs.

[techslfink]

Great advice! I always build my cables myself since I have control over the quality and it is cheaper

[madnessbydesignVria]

She's right.

I made custom cables for about 20 years. I had touring bands tell me they wanted my cables on tour because they knew the cables would work. My cables were not much more expensive than the commercial (I'd say "garbage") cables available. Invest in your cables - the best instruments will sound like crap (or nothing) if your cable goes bad. I also really recommend learning to solder. A band member who can fix cables is worth their weight in gold.

I also freelanced for a video production company, and they would let anyone go who didn't wrap cables 'over-under'.

Last, about cable length: 
An Unbalanced cable (guitar or unbalanced mic cable, for example) becomes an FM radio antenna at about 20' or more. This can introduce unwanted noise easily. 
A Balanced cable (an XLR mic cable, for example) can be run much longer with less noise, but as a general rule, keeping cables shorter is better... :)

[ChrisJohnsonChannel]

A rarely talked about subject.. thank you for taking time to make this video.. there a lot of helpful tips in this video!

[Riccardo_Silva]

Perfect! Especially the last tip...ah those guitarists😂! Thank you Tatiana!

[graemerobertson]

Good advice! Remember that our friends in the USA will refer to the cable as a "cord". My tip is to avoid the cable being pressed at 90 degrees to the jack plug. It could strain the internal wires and even make a few snap.

[Bannaeable]

All you said is worth but the thing is : capacitance.. use a professional cable with golden plated plugs from a well known brand. Generic cables act like a tone control, cutting all high tones and harmonics...you will be amazed how your bass will sound with a good cable.. and adittionally i have a plenty of famous basses and got a Cort just like yours but 5 string active, and it is amazing how it plays well and sound well.

[MrDanilop]

Good tips, I would add that for freedom think about going wireless if possible.

[rothaarbiker]

I (bassist) always have a spare cable with me on gigs, in case the guitarist needs one (saved him twice) ;-)
One more tip: On gigs, have a cloth with you to be able to clean your cable after the gig. Some floors are very dirty.

[thomasfioriglio]

Some nice tips of a topic that is basically ignored. Thanks for sharing.

[lrowlands]

Hi Tatiana, my advice with rolling a cable is to, yes, over/under, but also make sure each coil is sitting flat. It may take some slight twisting though in the end it is worth it. I have been doing over/under for many years (40) so can roll a cable perfectly in a very short time. As I mention, the secret is to twist the cable as you create each coil. The test is to roll a 10 meter cable a throw out the end and if the cable sits completely flat, your technique is good - just like practising scales!

[josephplaugher]

Thank you. That was chilling and felt very real. I think it’s all going to be OK. But I’m still scared.

[SombraDeLaMosca]

I would recommend doing one extra loop through the strap when plugging into the instrument, gives you extra safety not having friction on the plug in when stepping on it once.

[trevorgrenon]

I suggest that all cables should be coiled using the under/over method. If you only coil using the over/over method you will stress the braided wires within your audio cables, where they will soon break, causing a 'scratchy' sound. I use the under/over method for power cables etc too (and even my garden hose) - it really helps to keep them tangle-free and easy to lay. I like your idea of having differing cable lengths, but also like to have a mix of standard and angled jacks. The cables I run between pedal boards, DI boxes and amps are always brightly coloured (as my ID tag) so that these don't get packed down with PA system after a gig.

[Kunibert_Knatter]

Since I play wireless, I can't trip on my wire. I love it! ;-)

[insidewater]

As for the cable tier I use this product reference: Daddario PW-ECT-10
It's meant to be clipped on the cable so you don't lose it and you can tie the cable with the elastic string, pretty handy

[freddiecrumb]

Also never leave your cable on the floor unplugged. The tip of the quarter plug can easily damage when Simeon accidentally step on it. It happened a couple of times with mine and they were suppose to be the tough monster cables.

[frozenborderline]

Right-angled cables c/w Dunlop strap locks are my preference for a more safer and tidier fit.