Articles.

What is the perfect guitar cable length?

What is the perfect guitar cable length? At Rattlesnake Cable Company, we often get asked, "what is the perfect guitar cable length?" That is a difficult question to answer without knowing some of the critical variables and applications for the musician. But before we get started, let's start with some of the common questions. Are long guitar cables bad? Yes and no. Typically, extremely long guitar cables can be a problem due to cable capacitance. The longer the run, the more capacitance can be...

What Is Rick-O-Sound? And what do you need?

What is the RickenbackerTM Rick-o-Sound (Ricko sound)? On the Deluxe RickenbackerTM models, they introduced the Rick-O-Sound circuit in their instruments. The Rick-O-Sound separates the two pick-ups (bridge and neck) into separate, independent lines that require a TRS (aka Balanced or Stereo) cable. You can then use these individual lines and send them to specific amps, pedal setups, etc., via our TRS to Dual Mono Splitter. This split signal handling is managed via a separate output jack but is...

How to measure custom patch cables for your pedalboard

I have wanted to write this article for some time. We often get asked, "what is the best way to measure custom patch cables on the pedalboard or pedal line?" We must be both on the same page in regards to measurement points! This article will go into measurement techniques and details about patch cables and plug options. Do patch cables matter? Before we start talking about measuring, let's ask the age-old question, "Do patch cables matter?" I've personally used the cheapest cables on the planet...

Monitor Cables / Balanced Patch Cables

I'm someone who suffers from chronic Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). Don't most of us musician types? It's easy to fixate on that next piece of gear, believing it will elevate my sound and take my recordings and mixing skills to the next level. Usually, It's an excuse to procrastinate and isn't a very efficient way to generate output. But some buys are hard to skirt around in the studio. The purchase I recommend before almost any other is a decent pair of studio monitors. They might not be the...

CL-1 Cloudlifter and Rattlesnake Cable Company XLR Cables

As we settle into the age of COVID-19, it goes without saying that the lives of musicians have shifted. Many of us continue to create and generate output during these uncertain times. Through live streaming, home recording, and podcasting, we adapt to the situation in front of us. This meant pivoting my focus towards recording at home and overcoming some technical barriers along the way. I typically outsource recording and mixing services from local studios. But adapting to our "new normal" and...

Can you use instrument cables as speaker cables?

Over here at Rattlesnake Cable Company and talking with various musicians over the years, I get asked this question a lot. It's a simple question that is easy to scratch your head. Both types of cables, at first glance, look the same. A cable with a couple of mono phono plugs on each end. Both seem to work either way, so does it matter? Absolutely! But, let's first talk about the differences between these cables. We need to know what makes a guitar cable or instrument cable different than a...

How-To: Converting a Rattlesnake Cable Company cable bag into a Face Mask

COVID-19 is here, and it looks like it will be around longer than we want. While most of us are in lockdown, quarantine, or self-isolation/distancing, staying inside is important. But if you need to leave your location for food, supplies, medications, etc., the CDC has recommended that you should have a face mask if interacting with the public. Some of you don't have a mask, and while supplies are limited, they are hard to get. Additionally, we don't want to add to the shortage of N95 masks for...

Let's talk about the TRS to Dual Mono Splitter

Depending on the situation, you may need a TRS splitter. A TRS splitter splits a TRS plug's Tip and Ring signal into two independent mono plugs. Often this is purchased as a Y-Cable. There are a variety of products that do this. Where it's beneficial to have a splitter is with the Rick-O-Sound and the Jerry Garcia style OBEL (On-Board Effects Loop). Rickenbacker's Rick-O-Sound On some Rickenbacker instruments, there are two output jacks on the guitar. One labeled "Standard" and the other...

How to find the best guitar cable.

When looking for the best guitar cable, there are many questions to ask. But typically, people first tend to ask, "what is the best guitar cable." And from this point, they get lost in the options, pricing, and specifications. I wanted to do a breakdown of these areas to help the understanding of features and specifications and what they mean for you. So let's ask a few common questions. What makes a good guitar cable? Conductor gauge or AWG or American Wire Gauge. This is what carries your...