Who Make The Best Guitar Cables?

The conductor is the inner signal wire (“hot”) that carries your guitar signal.

In an unbalanced guitar lead there are two conductors overall:

the centre conductor (hot) and

the shield/return (the copper screen tied to ground).

Material

Pure copper (OFC/BC or tinned copper) = the standard for quality guitar cables.
Avoid CCA (copper-clad aluminium)—weaker, higher resistance, poorer soldering.

Cross-section (thickness)

More area ⇒ lower resistance and generally tougher cable.
Sweet spot for guitar cables: ~0.20–0.25 mm².

Touring/“road” cables may go much thicker for brute strength


Stranding:

Many small strands (e.g., 28×0.10 mm) ⇒ supple, resistant to metal fatigue.


Few large strands ⇒ stiffer, more prone to work-hardening.


Plating:

Tinned copper resists corrosion and solders consistently (tiny resistivity difference—inaudible).

Bare copper is common and excellent when well protected.

Concentricity/finish:

A round, evenly centered conductor helps maintain consistent spacing to the shield (part of keeping capacitance uniform).

Not as such but you may be interested in "tinned copper" vs what is described as "bare copper".

Here is an overview and its something you may find interesting.

Bare copper (BC / OFC)

• Plain copper strands.
  
• Pros: very flexible; slightly cheaper.
  
• Cons: surface oxidises (darkens/“greens”) over time → can make soldering a bit fussier after years; a touch less corrosion-proof in sweaty/humid use.
  

Tinned copper (TC)

• Each copper strand has a thin tin coating.
  
• Pros: resists corrosion, stays easy to solder for decades, great for sweaty stages, damp cases, marine-ish conditions; common in shields on touring cables.
  
• Cons: marginally pricier; can feel very slightly stiffer (tiny in practice).
  

Sound/tone impact?

None you’ll hear. The tin layer is microscopically thin; DC resistance and audio-band behavior are effectively the same. Capacitance (set by insulation/spacing) is what affects brightness, not tin vs bare.

When to choose which

• Tinned copper: longevity + reliability in tougher environments, frequent soldering/service. (e.g., Cordial CGK 122 uses tinned copper.)
  
• Bare copper: perfectly good for typical studio/home use; maximizes flexibility (e.g., Cordial Elements series).

• For everyday guitar leads (3–6 m): 0.2–0.25 mm², fine-stranded copper (bare or tinned).
  
• For hard touring or heavy stage use: consider “road” styles with larger cross-section for extra mechanical strength.
  
• For pedalboard patching: smaller, ultra-flexible centres are fine—just keep lengths short because patch cable types often have higher capacitance.
  

Capacitance is how much a guitar cable behaves like a tiny tone-cap between the signal wire and the shield.

More capacitance (and longer cables) gently rolls off treble, making the sound a bit darker—like turning your tone knob down a touch.

Lower-capacitance cables (and shorter runs) keep more sparkle / original clarity.

Better insulation (dielectric): Materials like foamed polyethylene (foamed PE) or PTFE/FEP hold less electric charge than PVC. Using these lower a cable’s capacitance per metre.

More spacing: Thicker insulation between the centre wire and the shield increases the gap, which reduces capacitance. (Bigger gap = less “tone-cap” effect.)

Cable geometry: Designs that keep more air in the dielectric (e.g., foamed insulation or spacers) lower capacitance compared to tightly packed, thin-walled builds.

Avoid ultra-slim builds for long runs: Flat/mini patch cables often use very thin insulation, so they usually have higher capacitance. Fine for short pedalboard jumps, not ideal for a long guitar-to-amp lead.

Length counts most: Capacitance adds up with length. A shorter lead always has less total capacitance than a longer one of the same type.

Insulation (also referred to as the dielectric) is the layer of plastic that sits between the centre signal wire and the outer shield. It keeps them from touching and—together with spacing—largely determines the cable’s capacitance per metre (how much treble a long lead may shave off, thus impacting the original tone produced by the guitar). A lower number signifies a clearer signal that can be maintained over distance.

Why Insulation Matters

• Tone / capacitance: Lower-ε (low “dielectric constant”) materials and smart spacing (often using foamed or skin-foam-skin insulation) give lower pF/m, preserving more top-end over distance.
  
• Flex & size: The type and thickness of insulation set the cable’s feel and outer diameter. Thicker/foamed dielectrics lower capacitance but can make the cable fatter/stiffer—good makers balance this with materials and jacket choice.
  
• Handling noise control: Movement can create static in the dielectric; pro cables add a thin conductive anti-static layer (not the main insulation) to drain charge and keep microphonics low.
  
• Heat & durability: Some dielectrics (e.g., PTFE/FEP) tolerate soldering heat better and stay stable for years; others (e.g., PE/TPE) are cost-effective and robust but need careful design to match performance.
  

Common insulation materials you’ll see

• Foamed PE / foamed PP (skin-foam-skin): low capacitance without huge size.
  
• PE (solid): affordable, low loss; capacitance depends on thickness.
  
• TPE: tough, flexible; typically a touch higher ε than foamed PE/PP.
  
• PTFE/FEP: premium, heat-proof, very low loss; usually stiffer and pricier.
  

Don’t confuse it with…

• 
  Shielding: the metal screen tied to ground that blocks noise.
  
• 
  Outer jacket: the tough outer sleeve you see and touch; it protects, not insulates electrically.

What is shielding in a guitar cable?

Shielding is the metal “screen” that surrounds a cable’s signal wire and is connected to ground (the sleeve on a ¼″ plug). Its job is to block interference (hum, buzz, radio/phone noise) and, in a guitar lead, it also carries the return path of your signal.

Why it matters

• Cuts electrical/RF noise from lights, power supplies, wireless devices.
  
• Reduces handling noise (when paired with a thin conductive layer under the shield).
  
• Doesn’t change tone directly; any tone effect comes from overall cable capacitance, not from the shield itself.

#1 Spiral copper: very flexible, easy to repair.

Braided copper: tough and coverage stays consistent; but stiffer, making it less agile on stage and harder to coil.

Foil-only shields (aluminium/Mylar + drain wire): great in fixed installs, but they crack when flexed → handling noise, buzz, early failure.

Very low-coverage spiral shields (< ~85% coverage): gaps open as the cable twists → RF gets in and microphonics go up.

CCA / plated-steel shielding (not pure copper): higher resistance, poorer flex life, and worse solderability → noisier and less durable.

“Conductive plastic only” posing as a shield: the black anti-static layer is meant to reduce handling noise, not replace a real copper shield.

It’s the tough outer sleeve you see and touch. It protects the cable’s internals (insulation, shield, conductor) from abrasion, kinks, foot traffic, drinks, and temperature changes. It has no direct effect on tone—that’s set upstream by capacitance—but it massively affects feel, durability, and reliability.

• PVC (most common): Soft, flexible, affordable. Available in matte (less grabby, fewer tangles) or gloss (can feel “sticky” on stage floors). Good all-rounder for guitar leads.
  
• TPE / elastomer blends: Very supple with good cold-weather flexibility and tear resistance; usually pricier than PVC.
  
• Textile over-jacket (e.g., “tweed” braided sleeve): Cosmetic sleeve over a standard PVC jacket. Looks great and adds scuff resistance, but can fray or snag, and can hold dirt/moisture more than plain PVC. (Cordial offers tweed versions in the Elements line.)
  

Cordial context: Most Cordial instrument cables use a PVC outer jacket; Elements also comes in textile “tweed” options. Their heavy-duty “Road” styles use thicker jackets for abuse resistance.