Output jack cable

[shortbusx]

So from the sheilding and Lonestar wiring, it suggests using "twin-conductor shielded (two conductors plus shield) audio cable"...Ive purchased cloth insulated wire(black and white)...but where can I find QUALITY two conductor shielded wire?

Or should I just go with Gibson cloth with the shield?

Id really like this to look pro as well as sounding like so...so any help would be appreciated.

[gfxbss]

there are quite a few places that you can get wiring. here are just a few.

www.stewmac.com
www.alliedlutherie.com
www.warmoth.com

ive even used wiring that i picked up at radioshack

Tyler

[shortbusx]

Thanks for the links...Stew Mac was your closest link, but they only sell "wiring kits" that have that kinda wire....your other 2 links had nothing(or I missed it)...so a direct link to the product would be appreciated.

Im likely to got Radioshack too. But dont wanna.

[dd842]

shortbusx said:

Im likely to got Radioshack too. But dont wanna.

I don't know much about electronics, but I know enough to totally agree with that sentiment.

When I was working on a mini amp last summer, I went to a local electronics distributor to get parts. I mean the kind of place that the pros go to. I think I googled "electronics surplus" to find them.

They were knowledgeable, and there were lots of helpful and knowledgeable clients buzzing around the shop. I was able to get everything I needed cheaply (sometimes I was forced to buy a lot more than I wanted to, but it was still cheap).

When I needed one last thing and tried to get it at Radio Shack, I felt as if I had stepped into a parallel universe filled with people who - unbelievably - knew less about electronics than I do.

I can't say what your experience might be, but you may just find a local supplier with a good selection.

Dan

P.S. I am fairly certain that I read a thread on this forum suggesting that wire guage and all that wasn't as important as may be implied in various articles.

Does that ring any bells for anyone?

[ChrisK]

Radio Shack used to be semi-viable as a source of somewhat meaningful technical info many years ago. They've long since morphed into a less than successful vendor for cell phones and high(er) priced consumer electronics (although their clearance sales can be of value). Forget about meaningful technical info (let alone help).

While many more components can be sourced from their component web site, while you're on-line, you might as well buy wherever you want.

Wire gauge for internal guitar wiring is somewhat moot. The pickup windings are comprised of #42 to #44AWG solid wire (mostly) that is way smaller than the smallest hook-up wire that a human can successfully handle.

A #44AWG wire is 0.05mm in diameter.
A #26AWG wire is 0.5mm in diameter.
The difference is 10 times the diameter, or 100 times the conduction area. (Gee sparky, there's like a logarithmic relationship to wire gauges just like deciBels!)

1kM (1,000 Meters) of #44AWG wire is 8,750 Ohms in resistance (gee, there could be like 1,000 meters of wire in a pickup or sumpthin').

1kM (1,000 Meters) of #24AWG wire is 87.5 Ohms in resistance (gee, a hundred times less).

So, if you have a looooooong run of 1/2 meter of #24AWG hookup wire in a guitar, the 0.044 Ohms of additional resistance is less than meaningless.


Now, the shielding effectively and the capacitance (that "other" tone control) of a given external cable is much more important. Buy a cable with a good shield (I don't know how to tell other than empirically) and LOW capacitance. Special whoopty-doopty green Vulcan copper oxygenated Ferengi ear wax plated cryogenically dewobbulated harmonically tinted, er, wire isn't of great necessity.


Some will also claim that only orange capacitors printed with black ink on a Tuesday in May during a leap year by a short woman with six fingers are truly meaningful, while others will admit to reality.


Special kinds of wire are of most use when one wants to pretend that something is vintage. If the vintage ways of doing things were the optimum ways, we'd all still be doing it them there ways.