Best Guitar Cable – An Essential Guide

Finding the best guitar cable for your rig can involve some research. Let us help you narrow your options…

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In this free lesson you will learn:

• Our top five picks for the best guitar cable
• Why not all cables are created equal
• What to look for in a good quality guitar cable
• Where to find the best guitar cable for your rig

Let’s Find You The Best Guitar Cable For Your Rig

Guitar patch cables come in a seemingly infinite amount of variety, but they are not all created equal.

You might think that there isn’t such a thing as the best guitar cable, but you’d be wrong.

It can be said that if a guitar cable sends your signal from one end to the other, it’s probably a good cable.

With that in mind, we’re not going to start a debate on signal transmission quality or anything like that.

Instead, we’re going to break down our Top 5 list for the best guitar cable based on overall build quality.

Any guitar cable can send a signal, but the best guitar cable is one that will be able to endure whatever you throw at it.

Often our cables will be stepped on, tripped over, yanked on and tossed around – and that’s just at home.

If you’re a gigging musician, your cables will most likely suffer even more abuse.

In our quest to find you the best guitar cable, we’ve found five that are built tough and won’t quit out easily on you.

Pro Tip: Make sure that when you’re shopping for your next cable, you find the length that is appropriate for what you need.

Let’s dive in below.

Best Guitar Cable #1 – Planet Waves/D’Addario American Stage Instrument Cable

Planet Waves are known for their well-built cables, as well as the guitar tools they make.

Over the years, these ingenious individuals have made long-lasting, semi-indestructible cables that hold up fantastically both in the studio and on stage (not to mention at home).

The American Stage series of cables is no exception.

Featuring a “Geo Tip” designed for a more secure fit inside your guitar’s input jack, Planet Waves have taken strides to ensure that you get the best quality build in the best guitar cable.

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK 

Sweetwater

GAK

Best Guitar Cable #2 – Ernie Ball Instrument Cables

Ernie Ball produce a whole lot more than just guitar strings, and their cables definitely measured up in our hunt for the best guitar cable.

These cables boast extra shielding, as well as a lower noise output than most cables, meaning you can focus on playing guitar instead of figuring out where that strange sound is coming from (is it the amp? Is it my jack? Is it the power? Who knows.)

As an added bonus, these cables tend to be a bit more tangle-resistant – so if you’re a maniac who likes to coil their cables in strange ways, this is the best guitar cable for you.

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sweetwater

GAK

Best Guitar Cable #3 – Fender Professional Series Instrument Cables

Fender is as reliable a name as they come, and their cables are no different from that name.

Built tough with a durable jacket around the end to resist cable kinking, this line of cables won’t quit on you easily.

This makes our list for the best guitar cable due to it being a bit thicker than some other cables on the market. This cable is well-crafted and built-to-last.

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sweetwater

GAK

Best Guitar Cable #4 – HOSA Instrument Cables

Although a bit thinner in design, HOSA guitar cables hold up perfectly well in our quest to find you the best guitar cable. 

These cables are a little bit lighter in their overall weight, but don’t let that fool you – HOSA cables work incredibly well, especially for the price.

HOSA cables are built with serviceable, all-metal connectors. This means that on the off-chance that your cable breaks, you can easily get it repaired.

Despite their lighter design, HOSA cables hold their ground just fine for the title of best guitar cable.

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sweetwater

GAK (N/A)

Best Guitar Cable #5 – D’Addario Circuit Breaker Cable (w/Killswitch)

This one is a personal favourite for us. 

D’Addario’s Circuit Breaker cables feature a unique killswitch design with a button on the head of the cable to cut the signal. This is an especially great design if you want to switch guitars without turning your amp on standby mode.

An added bonus of this design is the ability to use the killswitch in a musical context like a stutter effect, similar to what Buckethead can be seen doing here.

Add some convenience and musicality to your guitar rig with our personal pick for the best guitar cable.

Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Sweetwater

GAK

The Best Guitar Cable Comes Down To Preference

As much as we can make our recommendations, the best thing for you to do is try out a few different cables to find the best guitar cable for you.

Each type of cable is built differently and made of different materials, so be sure to experiment to see what type of preference you have.

Recommended Resources

Want to see some other gear recommendations from us? Check out the links below for more.

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