Is this speaker cable?

SixStringSage

Apologies for the rookie question, I am pretty sure this being 2 wires like this means it's a speaker cable so can be used to connect a head and cab, but as I've been using combos for about a decade I haven't used a speaker cable in a long time. Can someone please confirm if I'm correct?
Here's the photo

Jonathangus

That looks like standard 2-core mains flex, so should be fine for a speaker cable.  If it were me, I'd take those plugs off and fit some Neutriks, though.

SixStringSage

Jonathangus said:

That looks like standard 2-core mains flex, so should be fine for a speaker cable.  If it were me, I'd take those plugs off and fit some Neutriks, though.

Thanks! What's the reason for the plug change?

ecc83

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

SixStringSage

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

octatonic

SixStringSage said:

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

It might well be fine, for years.
But personally I would.

Or just desolder, add the heatshrink and resolder.

The plug doesn't look to be of immense quality so perhaps use temporarily and then get something better?

SixStringSage

octatonic said:

SixStringSage said:

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

It might well be fine, for years.
But personally I would.

Or just desolder, add the heatshrink and resolder.

The plug doesn't look to be of immense quality so perhaps use temporarily and then get something better?

Do you recommend any in particular?

Jonathangus

SixStringSage said:

Jonathangus said:

That looks like standard 2-core mains flex, so should be fine for a speaker cable.  If it were me, I'd take those plugs off and fit some Neutriks, though.

Thanks! What's the reason for the plug change?

Just that Neutriks will be more robust with much better strain relief.  If a guitar lead breaks, it'll screw up your sound.  If a speaker lead breaks, it'll (potentially) screw up your amp.

SixStringSage

Jonathangus said:

SixStringSage said:

Jonathangus said:

That looks like standard 2-core mains flex, so should be fine for a speaker cable.  If it were me, I'd take those plugs off and fit some Neutriks, though.

Thanks! What's the reason for the plug change?

Just that Neutriks will be more robust with much better strain relief.  If a guitar lead breaks, it'll screw up your sound.  If a speaker lead breaks, it'll (potentially) screw up your amp.

I won't need to use this one much in the short term, so can buy a better one over the next week or so. Do you recommend any in particular?

octatonic

SixStringSage said:

octatonic said:

SixStringSage said:

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

It might well be fine, for years.
But personally I would.

Or just desolder, add the heatshrink and resolder.

The plug doesn't look to be of immense quality so perhaps use temporarily and then get something better?

Do you recommend any in particular?

I make my own up so not really.

https://www.gear4music.com/Cables/Speaker.html?page=1&filters[185]=1858&filters[186]=1859

I imagine any of these are fine.
The better ones might cost a bit more but you do get to diminishing returns.
It is a speaker cable, you can over think it.

Kurtis

Looks fine just make sure its gripping tight.

You could use a bit of electrical tape if you are worried but when it's covered it will be fine. 
In fact it doesn't look very new so it's probably been fine for ages already. If it ain't broke...

ICBM

Jonathangus said:

Just that Neutriks will be more robust with much better strain relief.  If a guitar lead breaks, it'll screw up your sound.  If a speaker lead breaks, it'll (potentially) screw up your amp.

It’s not just that - although that’s important too - it’s that the straight Neutriks have a unique construction where both conductors are formed from a single piece of metal - there are no rivetted connections, like in all other (including right-angle Neutrik) types. This means that as long as the solder joints are good, the plug cannot fail. The plugs are by far the weakest link in a speaker cable, and almost all failures happen there - even much more flimsy wire than 2-core 5/6A mains cable won’t break as easily.

Kurtis

Put a bit of tape round it or something so you remember it's a speaker cable. 

ecc83

SixStringSage said:

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

No, not really but if you can't solder wrap some electricians tape around those tags. Not my favourite fix because it tends to go sticky but keeps you going. Sorry for the break Doc phoned and I had to rush off for an ECG.

Dave.

SixStringSage

ecc83 said:

SixStringSage said:

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

Hmm, I guess it's worth replacing the cable then?

No, not really but if you can't solder wrap some electricians tape around those tags. Not my favourite fix because it tends to go sticky but keeps you going. Sorry for the break Doc phoned and I had to rush off for an ECG.

Dave.

oh this is after I unscrewed the end to see the cables, they aren't usually exposed

maltingsaudio

ecc83 said:

Yes, that is suitable for speakers (it is in fact mains cable) It looks like 6 amp cable and is therefore adequate up to 200W 4 Ohms or so.

One thing...WHY don't people use a bit of effin' sleeving?!! Those connections look close to shorting and that would seriously imperil a transistor amplifier! Just a bit of sleeving on the hot (tip) tag, job done. Bit of heat shrink on the cable clamp would be good as well.

Dave.

The tip is heat shrunk in the picture, and very unlikely to short out . looks a lot better than most Jack speaker cables I’ve come across! I agree about using Neutriks but don’t quite understand why the guitar amp industry sticks to jacks, PA amps and a lot of bass amps have been on Speakon for years now, a much more reliable and robust solution,easior to make and safer . Safer because it is impossible for any part of the plug to carry a current should the amp let go unlike a metal Jack 

ecc83

Fork, old eyes Maltings mate! Could still do with some shrink to beef up the cable clamp and afford strain relief.

Speakons? Yes, great but there is a simple reason they don't get fitted, cost. I have said in these pages many times before, guitar amps is a very competitive industry and in any case, a 'rare to some' connector makes for consumer resistance. There is probably a billion jack cables in the world by now so if a band is stuck one night somebody somewhere can generally help out. Not so with speakons.

Then jacks can perform switching functions which makes them useful in many situations (though I know ICBM is not keen on some!)

Dave.