Why do my guitar cords keep shorting out?

guitar cord image

jihdwufb

I got a new guitar cords like a few months ago and it stopped working! This happened to me before with a different cord. I don't bend them or any thing so i don't know why they just stop working.

Answer
The #1 reason why guitar cables short out is that they are not taken care of. When not in use they should be carefully coiled up and put away.
The #2 reason is that they get stepped on which yanks on the cord. After awhile they simply short out. some of this can be avoided by running the cable out of the guitar and back over the strap so that it does not get in the way.
The #3 reason is built in obsolescence. Cheap cables, especially those with molded plastic ends, are made to be replaced frequently.

To avoid the problem of cables going bad, be sure to buy good quality cables. Spend at least $20 on a good cable. You do not have to buy ridiculously expensive cables either. I will not spend $50 and up on a single cable! But I will buy as many good cables as I can at one time to get a discount.

Use some common sense. Do not yank a cable out by grabbing the cable and pulling. Grab it firmly by the metal end plug and gently remove it. Do not throw a bunch of cables in a box without carefully rolling them up and securing them first. ("spaghetti cables" is a leading cause of malfunction.) Follow these basic guidelines and your cables can give you years of service.

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Which end of the guitar cord do I plug into the guitar?

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Jack

I just bought a Fender Standard Stratocaster and I'm trying to figure out which end of the guitar cord I plug into the guitar and which end I plug into the amp. My cord looks like the one in the link below.
Should I plug in the end that is bent 90 degrees into the guitar or the end that is straight?

http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/mrockgla_done-bc04502dec88620324fc56f762b03123.jpg

Answer
With the cord you have, it will be best if you plug the straight one into the guitar.
However, for future reference any instrument cord will work on either end for either guitar or amp.

On a strat, the 90 degree plug will cause a lot of cable bending and can damage the cord.
the 90 degree plug is made more for guitars with output jack on the top of the body that go straight down.
like this Gibson:
http://www.usedgibsonguitars.co.uk/images/D/gibson_sg_8.jpg

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Why do my guitar cords keep shorting out?

guitar cord image

jihdwufb

I got a new guitar cords like a few months ago and it stopped working! This happened to me before with a different cord. I don't bend them or any thing so i don't know why they just stop working.

Answer
The #1 reason why guitar cables short out is that they are not taken care of. When not in use they should be carefully coiled up and put away.
The #2 reason is that they get stepped on which yanks on the cord. After awhile they simply short out. some of this can be avoided by running the cable out of the guitar and back over the strap so that it does not get in the way.
The #3 reason is built in obsolescence. Cheap cables, especially those with molded plastic ends, are made to be replaced frequently.

To avoid the problem of cables going bad, be sure to buy good quality cables. Spend at least $20 on a good cable. You do not have to buy ridiculously expensive cables either. I will not spend $50 and up on a single cable! But I will buy as many good cables as I can at one time to get a discount.

Use some common sense. Do not yank a cable out by grabbing the cable and pulling. Grab it firmly by the metal end plug and gently remove it. Do not throw a bunch of cables in a box without carefully rolling them up and securing them first. ("spaghetti cables" is a leading cause of malfunction.) Follow these basic guidelines and your cables can give you years of service.

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what is the best website for guitar cords?

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gabriellei

what is the best website for guitar cords?
i would like a website that has both recent and old songs and one that is easy to use. So anyone know of any ?

Answer
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com is really good.
http://www.chordie.com is also really good, because you can transpose the songs into a different key if the chords are too difficult etc.

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I need help with buying some guitar items?

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Rachel B

Trying to buy xmas gifts and someone wants stuff for his bass guitar, heavy picks,a good medium guitar cord, and a tuner.I don't have a ton of money and know nothing about this stuff can someone help?
Thank you but what are good brands and what's a foot tuner?

Answer
You're either an awesome girlfriend or an awesome friend in general! ;)

Anyhoo, your misfortune is that bass stuff can be pricier than guitar stuff. Its just the way it is.
Anyway, picks will probably be your least expensive item. You can either choose & buy 'em straight out of a box they'll have behind the counter (they'll be divied up by thickness & corresponding color) or you can buy 'em nowadays in packs of 5 or more, in varying sizes of thickness, off the rack. While I mostly play with my fingers, when it comes to picks I play Tortex brand. They're a decent brand & come in varying colors (as mentioned). For Tortex, the purple ones are the thickest.

GOOD guitar cables can be as cheap as $15. This is a tricky item b/c while there are cheap versions, cheap versions aren't worth the money you shell out. A good 10 - 15 foot cord should have ends that are unscrewable so the wiring underneath is exposable. Why? So if some of the wiring breaks at that point & needs fixing, or the ends need to be replaced, they can. The "El Cheapo!" versions have molded plastic ends that, while they'll work, are so crappily made their internal wiring will soon break. Pretty soon everytime your bass player moves he'll be hearing annoying static coming out of his amp! To put an end to it he'll have to replace the cord altogether.

Tuners can get pricey depending on where you look. You can probably get a decent, bare-bones, generic one for about $20. Don't go crazy trying to find a bass specific tuner. A guitar tuner can work for both instruments. By the by, you may have noticed that some guitar & bass players have small electronic boxes on the floor, interconnected between their amp & instrument.These little devices are effect pedals, also known as 'stomp boxes' b/c they're activated when the player steps on a particular part of the box. Some companies have made tuners of this type, i.e. a foot tuner. Since you're tight on money, if you want to go that route you'd be best going thru a used music store. A good, new foot tuner can start at $50+ while a used one might go for $20 or $30. I lucked out something awesome b/c an ex-guitarist (& techno goon) gave me one of his old tuners, made by Ibanez.

Good luck!

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At the Arts music store how much does a guitar cord cost?

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Iamkyle015

I live in newmarket ontario and was wondering at the arts music store how much does a guitar cord cost that you plug one into an amp?

Answer
Chords usually cost anywhere from $5 to $50, depending on the type you want. I suggest you phone the arts music store and find out what kind they have.

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what is the best website for guitar cords?

guitar cord image

gabriellei

what is the best website for guitar cords?
i would like a website that has both recent and old songs and one that is easy to use. So anyone know of any ?

Answer
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com is really good.
http://www.chordie.com is also really good, because you can transpose the songs into a different key if the chords are too difficult etc.

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I need help with buying some guitar items?

guitar cord image

Rachel B

Trying to buy xmas gifts and someone wants stuff for his bass guitar, heavy picks,a good medium guitar cord, and a tuner.I don't have a ton of money and know nothing about this stuff can someone help?
Thank you but what are good brands and what's a foot tuner?

Answer
You're either an awesome girlfriend or an awesome friend in general! ;)

Anyhoo, your misfortune is that bass stuff can be pricier than guitar stuff. Its just the way it is.
Anyway, picks will probably be your least expensive item. You can either choose & buy 'em straight out of a box they'll have behind the counter (they'll be divied up by thickness & corresponding color) or you can buy 'em nowadays in packs of 5 or more, in varying sizes of thickness, off the rack. While I mostly play with my fingers, when it comes to picks I play Tortex brand. They're a decent brand & come in varying colors (as mentioned). For Tortex, the purple ones are the thickest.

GOOD guitar cables can be as cheap as $15. This is a tricky item b/c while there are cheap versions, cheap versions aren't worth the money you shell out. A good 10 - 15 foot cord should have ends that are unscrewable so the wiring underneath is exposable. Why? So if some of the wiring breaks at that point & needs fixing, or the ends need to be replaced, they can. The "El Cheapo!" versions have molded plastic ends that, while they'll work, are so crappily made their internal wiring will soon break. Pretty soon everytime your bass player moves he'll be hearing annoying static coming out of his amp! To put an end to it he'll have to replace the cord altogether.

Tuners can get pricey depending on where you look. You can probably get a decent, bare-bones, generic one for about $20. Don't go crazy trying to find a bass specific tuner. A guitar tuner can work for both instruments. By the by, you may have noticed that some guitar & bass players have small electronic boxes on the floor, interconnected between their amp & instrument.These little devices are effect pedals, also known as 'stomp boxes' b/c they're activated when the player steps on a particular part of the box. Some companies have made tuners of this type, i.e. a foot tuner. Since you're tight on money, if you want to go that route you'd be best going thru a used music store. A good, new foot tuner can start at $50+ while a used one might go for $20 or $30. I lucked out something awesome b/c an ex-guitarist (& techno goon) gave me one of his old tuners, made by Ibanez.

Good luck!

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Why do my guitar cords keep shorting out?

guitar cord image

jihdwufb

I got a new guitar cords like a few months ago and it stopped working! This happened to me before with a different cord. I don't bend them or any thing so i don't know why they just stop working.

Answer
The #1 reason why guitar cables short out is that they are not taken care of. When not in use they should be carefully coiled up and put away.
The #2 reason is that they get stepped on which yanks on the cord. After awhile they simply short out. some of this can be avoided by running the cable out of the guitar and back over the strap so that it does not get in the way.
The #3 reason is built in obsolescence. Cheap cables, especially those with molded plastic ends, are made to be replaced frequently.

To avoid the problem of cables going bad, be sure to buy good quality cables. Spend at least $20 on a good cable. You do not have to buy ridiculously expensive cables either. I will not spend $50 and up on a single cable! But I will buy as many good cables as I can at one time to get a discount.

Use some common sense. Do not yank a cable out by grabbing the cable and pulling. Grab it firmly by the metal end plug and gently remove it. Do not throw a bunch of cables in a box without carefully rolling them up and securing them first. ("spaghetti cables" is a leading cause of malfunction.) Follow these basic guidelines and your cables can give you years of service.

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How do i modify my thick guitar cord into a regular 3.5 audio cord?

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kingmeh11

How do i modify my thick guitar cord into a regular 3.5 audio cord?
Actually, now that i think about it, this question sounds kinda dumb...EDIT....i need 1 end to be regular guitar thickness, the other end to be the normal audio jack....

Answer
Well, you can just buy one... or you can make one up yourself. A guitar cord has only two wires in it, so you'd chop off the big end that you're going to replace, strip the wires inside of the cable, and solder them to a new 3.5 audio connector, which you can get from Radio Shack or somewhere similar. It shouldn't make too much difference which way you wire them.

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How do i modify my thick guitar cord into a regular 3.5 audio cord?

guitar cord image

kingmeh11

How do i modify my thick guitar cord into a regular 3.5 audio cord?
Actually, now that i think about it, this question sounds kinda dumb...EDIT....i need 1 end to be regular guitar thickness, the other end to be the normal audio jack....

Answer
Well, you can just buy one... or you can make one up yourself. A guitar cord has only two wires in it, so you'd chop off the big end that you're going to replace, strip the wires inside of the cable, and solder them to a new 3.5 audio connector, which you can get from Radio Shack or somewhere similar. It shouldn't make too much difference which way you wire them.

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What is the best Guitar tab and Cord Progression?

guitar cord image

ferretsk8t

Hi i am looking for the best system to teach you guitar cord progression, and tab progression, i am not looking to learn any notes being that tabs replaces them just fine. I just want to knwo what the best system is for begginer to expert guitaring just evolving tabs and cords. I dont care if its a movie or a book but please send me the link =)

Answer
Seriously dude, learn the notes. Tabs are not a replacement. Knowing note names will make a HUGE difference in not only your knowledge of the instrument, but your playing as well. And good luck jamming with some guys not knowing notes. If you were in my band and I asked you what note you were just playing and you answered I don't know, you'd be packing your shyte and getting the hell out of my rehearsal space.

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How can I wire my car audio system to allow an electric guitar to be played through it ?

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Bud

I'm a terrific guitar player and the girls love it when I play for them. I'd like to be able to hook up my electric guitar cord somehow and play it through my car audio system. This would possibly lead to many backseat adventures. Any ideas

Answer
Does your car audio system have a jack to connect an MP3 or an aux input ?

If not, there is a device where you plug your mp3 and it broadcasts an fm signal you can tune your car radio to, ýou would have to make a big jack/small jack cable, remember your mono jack (guitar), has to be wired to a stereo minijack so that the guitar can be heard in all four speakers.
BTW watch it with the volume of the guitar, you might blow the speakers.

good luck

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My crate flexwave amplifier makes clicking and buzzing sounds whenever I turn it on or plug in a cord?

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Audio

I have a crate flexwave 65/112 guitar amplifier. When ever I plug in my guitar cord it makes a very loud clicking or buzzing noise.

Answer
Well, one of the main causes good possibly be the cable. If your cables are old (5 years) maybe its time to invest in some new ones. If your using cheap ones from starter sets then that's the problem right there :P. There cheap and not reliable. If you go to a music store and ask for a guitar cable they will give you one for a fare enough price. Oh by the way, the better quality the cable, the better the guitar sounds.

there's only one other solution to that one now. The guitar's input jack may be loose. Just bring it to a music store and they will fix it for you. That's what happened to me a little while back when i had the same problem as you.
If none of this advice works then i strongly advise you to look in a new amp.


Hope I helped

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