Stormleader « Do yourself a favor, stay far away from this cable! »
Published on 07/26/11 at 10:43Back when I got my first electric guitar, I needed a cable. I went to Guitarcenter looking for the Monster Cables that are around the same price, but they were all out of those. I had read reviews on the Live Wire cables, and I knew that I would probably have to replace it every once-in-a-while, but I was OK with it, since it had a lifetime warranty. I walked out the door with the 18 and a half foot cable that day.
So, how does it sound? Well, it's OK for the price. You definitely loose some high-end sparkle, but overall there are much worse cables for the price. The shielding on the cable is HORRIBLE though, probably only 50% coverage, pretty pathetic really. Also, the type of plugs they use have pretty poopy strain relief, therefor the chance of the cable breaking is much higher.
Now, this is where this cable looses massive points. Reliability. I knew that I would have to replace the cable every so often, but it turns out I could typically make it a month and a half if I was lucky without it shorting out on me. I treat all my gear as best as I can, I try not to roll chairs over my cables, step on them, etc. It was especially pathetic because back when I first started I obviously wasn't on stage, so even just playing in my bedroom I had to replace it way to often. Part of the reason is because of the strain relief on the plugs, it's just a bad system. That's why when I build my cables I use nice Neutrik connectors, which have (IMHO) the best strain relief out there. With the plugs Live Wire uses the solder joints are put under stress whenever the cable is pulled, therefor in time the joints WILL fail, no matter how well they are soldered.
Overall, I highly suggest you stay away from this cable. Even if you are just a beginner, save your money and get a higher-quality cable. Planet Waves makes some great stuff for not too much more than this horrible thing.
So, how does it sound? Well, it's OK for the price. You definitely loose some high-end sparkle, but overall there are much worse cables for the price. The shielding on the cable is HORRIBLE though, probably only 50% coverage, pretty pathetic really. Also, the type of plugs they use have pretty poopy strain relief, therefor the chance of the cable breaking is much higher.
Now, this is where this cable looses massive points. Reliability. I knew that I would have to replace the cable every so often, but it turns out I could typically make it a month and a half if I was lucky without it shorting out on me. I treat all my gear as best as I can, I try not to roll chairs over my cables, step on them, etc. It was especially pathetic because back when I first started I obviously wasn't on stage, so even just playing in my bedroom I had to replace it way to often. Part of the reason is because of the strain relief on the plugs, it's just a bad system. That's why when I build my cables I use nice Neutrik connectors, which have (IMHO) the best strain relief out there. With the plugs Live Wire uses the solder joints are put under stress whenever the cable is pulled, therefor in time the joints WILL fail, no matter how well they are soldered.
Overall, I highly suggest you stay away from this cable. Even if you are just a beginner, save your money and get a higher-quality cable. Planet Waves makes some great stuff for not too much more than this horrible thing.