What is the best cable lenghth to suit my needs

[Guitar Cowboy]

OK, this is from an admitted  amplification novice . I am getting new acoustic cables  for my ES 2 equipped Taylors. I have been given a recommendation on a good quality brand and one to stay away from in another post - thank you very much btw. .

... so my next question is what is the correct cable length? My assumption is that  the shortest length you can get away with and still function/ move about  properly. My understanding is that cable should be short in order to reduce noise.

I am mostly a solo act so far on my journey - just me, my Taylors, my Bose L1 compact and my John Deere  stool. Mostly,  I sit,  so I do not need to move around. My current  (now "back -up" ) cable is 12 ft and this generally does the trick  as my amp is positioned only 3-4 ft behind my guitar stool.

So far, with my smallish gigs ( mostly outside where sound dissipates - approx 50 people ),  I have had no problems with feedback with my guitar and amp both generally at 50%. I am told volume is good. But I also have tested ( accidently ha -oops- sorry folks) and it seems  if I need to bump it up a bit under certain conditions I may start having  feedback problems.

So,  my solution would be a 12 ft. and a 20 ft. cable - using the 20 footer if I have to increase volume and move away from the Bose, if needed . Do I have this all correct?

Also, even though I am only a few feet from my amp,  I have been changing between two guitars lately - one tuned 1/2 step  down  so 12 feet does not seem overly long , so I don't think I want to go below that length .

I guess I am done rambling. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated  Thanks for helping out a newbie to the world of playing while other actual human beings are in the room.

My next question will probably be about pedals and sound enhancing ( Bose Tone Match  vs  Body Rez , for example)

Thanks again!
Steve

 

[Edward]

Hi Steve,

Short answer: at or under 20' is fine.

There are two reasons you want to keep your guitar cable short:
- noise: the longer it is the more surface area that cable has that is susceptible to noise, be it RF, lighting, or?...
- capacitance: longer cable adds capacitance, which in effect acts like a tone capacitor that attenuates highs (BTW, cheap cables have high capacitance ...another reason to avoid them).

That said, when you get that good-quality cable of yours, I'd seriously doubt you'd ever hear a difference between, say, 12' and 20' so buy the 20' if it helps you with your setup.  Just use common sense since more length simply adds "opportunity" for noise, but within reason (say 20-ish feet), you'd be hard pressed to hear fault.  No need to worry or overthink it, sir.  A good cable 20' +/- will serve you many, many years of trouble-free use ...until it gets nailed with your singer's high heel or wheeled over with an anvil case

Edward

[mgap]

Hi Steve,

Short answer: at or under 20' is fine.

There are two reasons you want to keep your guitar cable short:
- noise: the longer it is the more surface area that cable has that is susceptible to noise, be it RF, lighting, or?...
- capacitance: longer cable adds capacitance, which in effect acts like a tone capacitor that attenuates highs (BTW, cheap cables have high capacitance ...another reason to avoid them).

That said, when you get that good-quality cable of yours, I'd seriously doubt you'd ever hear a difference between, say, 12' and 20' so buy the 20' if it helps you with your setup.  Just use common sense since more length simply adds "opportunity" for noise, but within reason (say 20-ish feet), you'd be hard pressed to hear fault.  No need to worry or overthink it, sir.  A good cable 20' +/- will serve you many, many years of trouble-free use ...until it gets nailed with your singer's high heel or wheeled over with an anvil case

Edward

Just want to point this out right here and now.  Edward I never wear High heals.

[Craig]

Just want to point this out right here and now.  Edward I never wear High heals.

Don't you want to reach a bigger audience? 
Seriously though, mine are all 6 meters, I guess that's a metric 12 feet to you guys :-)

[DennisG]

Just want to point this out right here and now.  Edward I never wear High heals.

Don't you want to reach a bigger audience? 
Seriously though, mine are all 6 meters, I guess that's a metric 12 feet to you guys :-)

I think it's about 20 feet.

[Craig]

I think it's about 20 feet.

That's what I meant Dennis, the text on my phone is pretty small nowadays :-)

Craig

[DennisG]

I think it's about 20 feet.

That's what I meant Dennis, the text on my phone is pretty small nowadays :-)

Craig

We're all getting old, Craig.

[Edward]

LOL!  Um, thanks, but I was referencing (or trying to but clearly failed) one's lead singer

Edward

[mgap]

Ha.  Just razzing you a bit for fun.

[Edward]

It just wouldn't be right if you let an opening like that slide by without a shot!     

Edward