Connecting Amps & Extenstion Cabinets

[Tim]

I am hoping someone can explain why one must use speaker wire (chord) rather than an instrument (guitar) chord when connecting a second amp or extension cabinet? What drives the difference?

 

[ted s]

A week ago I got my VJ head, wired it into my combo after splitting it. I used a guitar type cable rather than proper cable. Oldguy corrected the error of my ways. The guitar cable is a smaller guage and also shielded. Now I'm thinking that the shielding could turn it into a capacitor ? and potentially create problems for the amp.
I've read the same advice elsewhere as well.

Sorry, kind of a crappy answer as to why not, someone else ?

 

[aeolian]

I think a guitar can generate a very small amount of electric current, whereas it takes a lot more current to drive a speaker. Maybe that is the difference between the cables required?

aeolian

 

[oldguy]

I think this may help. It's a long read, some of it not relevant, but it explains the basic differences.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/cords/index.php

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I think this may help. It's a long read, some of it not relevant, but it explains the basic differences.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/cords/index.php

In that long read (lots of rhetoric there yup) did they finally explain that it's ok or not to use a guitar cable for hooking up a speaker cabinet? I couldn't stand reading it anymore and closed the page.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Down and dirty.............................

Instrument cables are designed to handle very low signal levels, and we're talking milliwatts here. Instrument cable is also shielded to ground out electrcal noise.

Speaker cable has much more robust conductors designed to handle lots of watts. It is also unshielded for a very good reason - the shielding can create inductive heating, and that's not a good thing.

NEVER use instrument cable to carry a full load speaker signal - unless you don't like your amp.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Would 18 gauge speaker wire be good enough for speaker connections? Thats what I've been using for a long time.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

Would 18 gauge speaker wire be good enough for speaker connections? Thats what I've been using for a long time.

Should be fine, manola...

 

[Tim]

Thanks PS. That unabridged answer is just what the doctor ordered. I hate long-winded answers and articles. I like getting to the meat of the subject. Which reminds me … it is supper time.