George L's cable problems

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 29 Mar 2000 10:40 am

I'm using George L's cables in my home and stage rig (the thinner ones) and though I love their sound characteristics, I'm having
a lot of problems with the wrap (outside
insulation) material they use.

The wrap is stiff and the cable tends to kink, and not lie nicely on the floor like
most other cables. Plus I'm taking a lot
of verbal abuse from my bandmates for using
those "skinny wierd cables".

Comments?

-Bill

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 29 Mar 2000 10:44 am

Make sure the screws are tight. The connections are compression connections. That's all I have to say.

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Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 29 Mar 2000 11:33 am

Keith:

The cables themselves work fine, the screws are tight etc. It's their tendency to kink,
not lie flat etc that is so bothersome due to the jacket wrap they use.

Rick Tyson · Post by **Rick Tyson** » 29 Mar 2000 11:37 am

Bill
I use these little weird cables for all my sound applications. I solder all the connections though & dont rely on the compression screws.
Yes they are stiff & dont relax much,, but they are IMHO the best cables on the market today.

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Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 29 Mar 2000 12:08 pm

I have some that are about 15 years old. They are not as limp as some cables but then I wouldn't consider them stiff. I've never had any problems with them and wouldn't consider any other cables. The flexibility (or price) of a cable does not indicate it's electronics characteristics or the quality of the cable.

You have two options, nice flexible cable that make the other band members happy or you can continue to use the best cable on the market. The last time Guitar Player rated cords, the George L's were numero uno.

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 29 Mar 2000 1:38 pm

The George L cables seem to have a "memory." They want to maintain the same coiling orientation they had on the original bulk rolls. If you maintain that orientation when you coil and uncoil them they will lie flat.

I have never had any problems with the solderless plugs; just make sure when you attach them that you make a good, clean, straight cut on the cable. I use a new single edge razor blade.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 29 Mar 2000 2:01 pm

Thank you Mark. That's the sort of advice I was looking for. I already know George L's won the Guitar Player cable shootout (that's why I bought them) and I have no problem with their sound.

-Bill

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 29 Mar 2000 8:22 pm

When Bill Lawrence designed that cable, alot of people got with it...I loved it, Eric Johnson still uses the first cables he got from Bill.
Bill comes up with it...George L gets an award.....go figure.

Bill cole · Post by **Bill cole** » 29 Mar 2000 9:42 pm

Maybe if enough people would contact bill Lawrence he would go back to making the best cable like before. He sure makes the best pickups so why not the best cords to go with them

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 Mar 2000 2:51 am

That cable is Belden cable. I used to have a Belden number for that cable. I also saw several full rolls of that cable at St Louis one year and it was marked with the standard Belden Cable markings not "Bill Lawrence" or "George L's". I have a Dean Markley acoustic guitar pickup that has the same cable and plug and the cable is marked "Dean Markley" which also reinforces it's not designed by one person, but just OEM'd for whoever wants it.

As far as George Lewis getting the "credit" for it, "George L's" is the trade name L&L Sales uses for their products (L&L Sales originally was Lawrence and Lewis).

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 30 Mar 2000 12:04 pm

I'm glad this came up. I just trimmed a quarter inch off my shorter George L cable & lost my connection!

Does the compression screw have to penetrate the coating thru to the metal cable? Does the head of the trimmed cable have to make contact with the inside of the jack? Or both?
Thanks in advance.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 Mar 2000 3:18 pm

Cut the end of the cable as square or straight as you can. Make sure the set screw is loosened enought to let the cable go in and then push it down as far as it will go. Tighten the screw until it is tight and makes contact with the braid. Do not overtighten and it should work fine.

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 31 Mar 2000 1:24 pm

The compression screw on the side of the straight plugs only grips the cable so it won't come off. It does not make any electrical connection.

The electrical connection is made by two small, sharp projections in the bottom of the plug barrel. If the cut on the end of the cable is not clean and straight (90 degree) you may not make contact with both projections.

As I mentioned before, the best way I have found to cut the cables is with a single edged razor blade. If you cut it with wire cutters or "dikes" (sp?) you may distort the end of the cable and not make a good connection.

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 31 Mar 2000 1:25 pm

The compression screw on the side of the straight plugs only grips the cable so it won't come off. It does not make any electrical connection.

The electrical connection is made by two small, sharp projections in the bottom of the plug barrel. If the cut on the end of the cable is not clean and straight (90 degree) you may not make contact with both projections.

As I mentioned before, the best way I have found to cut the cables is with a single edged razor blade. If you cut it with wire cutters or "dikes" (sp?) you may distort the end of the cable and not make a good connection.

Mark Herrick · Post by **Mark Herrick** » 31 Mar 2000 1:51 pm

I hope I'm not repeating myself; I tried to post this earlier and don't think it made it into the thread.

I don't believe the compression screw on the side of the straight plugs makes any kind of electrical connection. It just keeps the cable from pulling out of the plug.

The electrical connection is made by two small, sharp projections in the bottom of the plug barrel; one for the center conductor and one for the shield. If the cut on the cable is not clean and straight (90 degree) you may not make contact with both of the projections.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the best way I have found to make the cut is with a single edged razor blade. If you make the cut with wire cutters or "dikes" (SP?) you may distort the end of the cable and not make a good connection.

Frank Freniere · Post by **Frank Freniere** » 31 Mar 2000 2:58 pm

Thanks guys! Very clear directions.

John Russell · Post by **John Russell** » 2 Apr 2000 7:03 pm

I have had a couple of problems with the George L cables.

At my house where we practice, we have old wiring with the two-prong outlets. When playing my Strat and using the George L cables, the noise coming from the guitar was pretty unbearable. I was using about a 5' George L's cable for the guitar. I switched to a DiMarzio cable with the braided nylon fabric on the outside and the noise was much reduced. I don't know exactly why this fixed the problem. I can only guess the DiMarzio cable had better shielding and insulation.

My steel guitar has a humbucker (George L's in fact) pickup and the problem isn't nearly as severe. I do use the Geo. L cables for the shorter hookups, i.e. guitar to volume pedal, effects in and out cords.

Also on the George L's plugs, you can tighten the screw too tight and it will knife right through the braided shielding and short out. It's happened on both straight and right angle plugs. I solved the problem on the straight plugs by filing down the sharp ridge on the set screw, cutting a small hole in the insulation on the cable with an x-acto knife (carefully) and gently tightening the screw.

JR

Ernie Renn · Post by **Ernie Renn** » 4 Apr 2000 5:54 am

I've used these cables for about 20 years. I've never really had any problems to speak of. The method I use for making connections is as follows:
Cut the cord end off. (If the cut didn't leave the cord round-make it round with a tweak with a pair of pliers). Insert the cord all the way into the connector, pressing it in tightly. Turn the screw two complete turns. This should get it to the proper place for the contact you want. If you screw it in all the way you may be cutting off your cord and possibly shorting out the cable.

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My best,
Ernie

The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 4 Apr 2000 9:42 am

I have used the G/L cables since they were B/L cables. Absolutely never had a problem. In fact I would get so frustrated that I could not walk into a music store and purchase these, I became a dealer out of my house for the local (and some long distance) pickers.

The best cable out there, bar none.

Bill Ferguson

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"Stop worrying about what makes a steel work and concentrate on how YOU make it sound"

Jeff Peterson · Post by **Jeff Peterson** » 4 Apr 2000 12:02 pm

Just to make things clear Jack, Bill Lawrence 1500 and 2500 by Belden WAS designed by Bill. He had an exclusive material and anti-static treatment contract with Belden on his cable in 1980, because of this, when he went out of the cable business, George L's cable was not made by Belden. It may have looked like Bill's cable, but it wasn't. Without Bill's design, the cable is not the same and because of the exclusive contract, Belden could not sell it.

Dan Dowd · Post by **Dan Dowd** » 4 Apr 2000 1:19 pm

I have tried the right angle connectors and couldnt get them to work . The straight or in line connectors work great. Anyone know how to make the angle connectors work.??

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 4 Apr 2000 3:40 pm

Yep, drop me an email Dan.
Bill

Bill cole · Post by **Bill cole** » 4 Apr 2000 8:05 pm

Bill F you are 100% right I was just talking with Mr. Lawrence on this very subject and it still holds true today with the Belden cable. I have been trying to find the real thing now ffor a year and cannot but if I do I will buy up what I find

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 5 Apr 2000 4:11 am

The cable thing is interesting. I wonder how they had several reels of cable marked with the Belden name and number (on the cable), if it was a custom produced cable.

Dennis Manuel · Post by **Dennis Manuel** » 8 Apr 2000 8:04 am

A few years back I had a Tascam Recording console and I used Belden low capacitance
co-axial cable to connect the outboard devices to the console. It looked identical to the George L cable that I was using on my steel guitar so I decided to do a little experiment.
I replaced the George L cable with the Belden cable and guess what. The cable not only gave me the same results it fit into the solderless plugs also. I have gobs of this cable so I should be able to pass it on to my great, great great grand kids.