The Steel Guitar Forum

Question #1---When it comes to guitar cords, which is the most reliable connection: A soldered connection, or a screw touching lose wires?
Question #2---Is it possible a guitar cord can start working by just touching it--let alone un-plugging and re-plugging it? These two things would be good for any serious musician to remember and think about-----forever!

Any musician knows that if you'll put a non working cable back in your gig bag, the equipment fairies will have it back working by next weekend! My guys do it with mic cables all the time.

Clyde,talking about "fairies". I looked up faries in the dictionary. The dictionary says: "Fairy-An imaginary being usually in human form and supposed to have magic powers, specif. one that is tiny, graceful, and delicate." Also found out where the tooth fairy is living. He is living in Hollywood, writing television commercials.

...if you'll put a non working cable back in your gig bag, the equipment fairies will have it back working by next weekend! My guys do it with mic cables all the time.

I think I have some of those same guys working for me, too, Clyde...

Scientifically speaking, a soldered connection is stronger and more durable, thus a physically "better" connection, and a non-soldered, screw to bare wire has a lower resistance, thus is a "better" connection electrically.

The clincher for me is the potential for stray strands to cause trouble in an unsoldered connector, so everything I own is soldered.

personally I use George L no soldering I've been playing with these cords for 20 years or longer and have virtually had no problems with them. the only problem is the ground wire on the 45's plugs and you can screw the cap in and it's O.K. the wire doesn't scratch when you step on them. and the plugs are guaranteed for life.