Planet Waves PWCGT20

CABLE ROUND-UP FROM £9.95
ACCESSORIES
Evidence Audio
The Melody MLSS15
£41.95
There are several candidates for the
title of the Rolls-Royce of cables, a
number of which feature here, and this
work of art from Evidence Audio is
pretty close to the top of the heap.
A full list of the detail into which the
company goes in the production of a
single cable would read like an
electronics grad’s thesis, but this
simple lead includes such wonders as
an IGL Spiral Served Shield, foamed
polypropylene insulation and carbon
skin to reduce triboeletric noise.
Needless to say, each feature is
included to improve the overall tonal
performance of the cable.
To a certain extent it’s true to say
that one would require the ears of a bat
to hear the difference between cables,
but the performance of this cable may
well change your opinions. EA suggests
a direction in which to use the lead
and, expensive though it is, this could
be the last cable you ever need to buy:
it’s that good.
Build Quality
In Use
Value For Money
RATING
KEY INFO ❘ GUITAR EXPERIENCE ❘ PHONE: UK 020 8973 1441 ❘ WEB: WWW.EVIDENCEAUDIO.COM
Whirlwind Leader Elite LE18-1
PRICE: £34.99
Whirlwind’s history stretches back well
over 20 years. The company is mooted
to have been the fi rst American brand
to produce a dedicated, high-quality
instrument cable: what’s certain is that
they were pioneers in the use of Belden
cable and Switchcraft fi ttings utilising
the diamond-shaped tip that’s
universal today.
The Leader Elite is a reintroduction
of a cable that fi rst appeared in 1990
and boasts a so-called ‘toaster cord’
braided cloth covering to the whole
shebang. The cable itself is Whirlwind’s
own Accusonic+1 design offering four
layers of shielding around the core, and
one of the features of the Elite line is
gold-plated versions of the Leader-
series plug.
These jacks are protected by
substantial yet fl exible jackets and,
although the cord pattern may not be
to everyone’s taste, there’s never any
danger of entanglement. The price
does cause something of a sharp intake
of breath, but the above average
performance means we can just about
rationalise it.
Build Quality
In Use
Value For Money
RATING
KEY INFO ❘ SELECTRON ❘ PHONE: UK 01634 840500 ❘ WEB: WWW.WHIRLWINDUSA.COM
X-Series cable NWS-20
£16.95
It goes without saying that it’s not just
nasty electric guitar players that
require leads: so do electro-acoustic
players. Although this cable is perfectly
useable with a solidbody due to its
standard coaxial construction, the
combination of brown hue and jacks
encased in milled wood immediately
suggests a more staid intention.
X-Series do propose this cable be
used exclusively by electro-acoustic
players and although an all-purpose
cable (the 20-foot SX20-BL retails at
£14.95) is available, we applaud this
idea. The cable’s outer sheath is made
from a low-friction nylon webbing that
positively disallows any sort of
tangling, and both jacks are spring-
loaded for added security. The fi nal
piece of the equation is the inclusion of
no less than three Velcro cable ties,
seemingly insignifi cant items that no
guitarist can ever have enough of.
The lead performs perfectly
acceptably with electro-acoustics of
varying quality and there’s no reason
whatsoever why this shouldn’t be part
of your set-up.
Build Quality
In Use
Value For Money
RATING
KEY INFO ❘ EMC ❘ PHONE: UK 01959 571600 ❘ WEB: N/A
138 MARCH 2006
■ When storing cables, never knot
them. Invest in some proper ties and
gently coil them instead.
■ Take leads out of your guitar by
fi rmly holding the jack, never the
cable, and gently pulling.
■ Own a Strat or Tele? Make sure the
lead you want actually fi ts those
guitar’s unique jack plugs.
■ Don’t overlook your patch cables
either! Consider custom-length double
right-angled jack options.
TIPS
GIT274.rev_cables 138GIT274.rev_cables 138 3/2/06 1:38:57 pm3/2/06 1:38:57 pm