“A message from John Helliwell of Supertramp

I have known Neil Ramsden of “The Den” for over 15 years, and I can attest to his honesty, enthusiasm, perspicacity and friendliness in all my dealings with him, both personally and commercially.

His vast knowledge of all products in the area of quality sound has enriched my life. I hope that our relationship can last another 15 years by which time I’ll probably be deaf!

www.johnhelliwell.com

Frequently asked questions

About cables

Here you will find the answers to our most popular questions.

Yes. Anything that carries a signal/musical information matters so cables are a vital part of your gear. Cable technology is evolving rapidly so there is much to be gained by paying attention to this area of your rig.
In our world, transfer your tone from one place to another with as little loss and interference as possible to preserve the sound you have created.
No. There are many different types of cable. A ‘one type fits all tasks’ approach will limit your tone and playing enjoyment. It may also damage your gear!

Most instrument cables are Coax, so why not. However, as this design is best used to transmit RF signals (TV/Radio) why not try a twisted-pair conductor with separate shield type (like Cream Instrument Cable) instead.

A Guitar pick up, for example, outputs an analogue audio signal containing your playing in the form of complex frequencies. Try both types of cable and decide which you prefer.

Absolutely not! The most efficient cables, like Turbo>Tone, lose less and are sonically neutral. Less efficient examples (preferred by some Artists) lose certain existing frequencies (thus destroying elements of the music) largely due to a combination of materials, design and engineering.

A speaker cable. Do not use a coax design.

Both. Cable Capacitance is very important at certain frequencies such as the Radio band. However, it is less important at frequencies you can hear.


Simplified, fashionable statistics can be both useful and misleading. Understanding the different types of instrument cable you can use is what really matters.

Research the subject and use your ears! It’s your money and you are using the stuff. Remember, what you actually need may be different from what you think you want. Oh, and you might want to check out the rest of this site as part of your research.