Loaded for Bear - premium braided audio cables

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

Hello

Great forum! Look forward to getting into it and learning more from you wise folk.

I recently launched my humble brand Loaded for Bear Audio to bring together some ideas and cable designs that I've been working towards for just over a couple of years. A full time job, a house renovation and two young kids have forced me to take it slowly, but I think that's a good thing and I'm pretty happy with where I'm at to start with. There's a lot more to come.

I've been an audio engineer for just under 20 years now and have been making my own cables for much longer than that since I started playing guitar when I was 11. However simple they are, I have always had an appreciation for their importance in maintaining a reliable signal chain and probably get more excited than I should do over braiding, connectors and heatshrink!

I wanted to make a cable that would not only perform to a high standard, but that would look great too. I find it a real shame when I see great kit hooked up using mediocre and generic cables.

Many cables often use plastic moulded connectors which are impossible to repair and as such can only be disposed of once faulty. My cables are fully repairable as all components are replaceable and reusable. The braiding makes them more robust whilst maintaining great flexibility and makes coiling them less troublesome. I want to reduce the amount that ends up in landfill or waste recycling processes by experimenting with the model of the circular economy, but with cables. So, I offer I lifetime guarantee with all cables that covers free repairs or replacements in the event of a manufacturing or component fault. In time I will attempt to reuse or repurpose stock and components to get the most use out of the materials. These will be resold in a new section of the shop as 'remodelled' and at a reduced rate (not yet live).

I currently have instrument (guitar) cables, pedalboard patch cables and instrument kits listed on my site. Very soon I'll be introducing Eurorack patches with other types planned for the near future and I'm very happy to take custom orders that fall within my brand identity. I have specifically chosen components that work for my cables so if I can't offer exactly what you're after then I'm happy to suggest alternative cable companies who may be able to help - I recognise that there may be others out there who suit your needs better. I'm ok with this.

I'd really appreciate your comments and feedback on any part of what I do. I'm just here to share my ideas and to learn, so please be honest. Just a note: there are tons of people out there who love to get into arguments about the tech spec of system designs, cable capacitance and tone, the correct way to solder etc. I'm not one of them. I find it all too subjective. While I appreciate there's a place for this type of conversation, I've been doing this too long and don't have the energy. I have confidence in what I do and accept it may not be aligned with every other person's idea of what is correct. These days I tend to be more interested in how folk use their kit and what they do with it, so if you want to challenge me on my choice of solder, the conversation probably won't get very far. However, if you'd like to discuss spoon carving and homebrewing alongside cables, we're good!

Check out @loadedforbearaudio on Instagram for updates and please check out my site https://loadedforbear.co.uk/

I'm currently running a welcome offer of 15% discount on orders of £20.00 or more until Halloween. Use voucher code HEY!BEAR

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Cheers! Jon

GoldenEraGuitars · October 2019

So.... on the subject of tone, red cables sound better... right?

All sounds great and the website is really nicely done. The cables look fantastic quality too.

Welcome to the forum.

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

GoldenEraGuitars said:

So.... on the subject of tone, red cables sound better... right?

All sounds great and the website is really nicely done. The cables look fantastic quality too.

Welcome to the forum.

Totally...as long as you use them in the right direction

Thanks for the feedback and the welcome!

hywelg · October 2019

Cable capacitance is an important factor for guitarists who don't run with a line buffer. I would add the capacitance value for Van Damme XKE to your spec sheets and also consider offering lower capacitance variants.

XKE is 90pf/m
Van Damme Lo-cap is 55pf/m
George L 67pf/m
Summer Spirit LLX 52pf/m

Etc.

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

hywelg said:

Cable capacitance is an important factor for guitarists who don't run with a line buffer. I would add the capacitance value for Van Damme XKE to your spec sheets and also consider offering lower capacitance variants.

XKE is 90pf/m
Van Damme Lo-cap is 55pf/m
George L 67pf/m
Summer Spirit LLX 52pf/m

Etc.

Thanks for the feedback, I hear you and am very aware that this would come up.

I'm still working on the site and a way to provide this info that suits a more general user experience. The comments I'm receiving here are already helping out a lot. I have a list of cable stock that I'll be introducing as I develop the brand and the Van Damme was chosen as a good all-rounder for a starting point. I have to start somewhere and allow for growth...

hywelg · October 2019

The Van Damme Lo-Cap is very transparent cable, I tried some, but I'd avoid it TBH, far too bulky and inflexible. I'd personally want to try the Sommer.

I went through (and still have) loads of cables, A-B'ing them, and its a trade off between tone and flexibility. I have a couple of Providence cables that I tend to use the most, and S-102 and another I can't remember the code for. Lava Soar is a little too stiff, George L's are way too stiff also but good for peadlboard -> amp. Klotz La Grange was one of the first good cables I made, but then they discontinued it.!

Johnnyseven · October 2019

What 'low profile' jacks are you using for patch cables?

BeardyAndy · October 2019

Welcome to the forum, website and product looks great. Can I ask a (potentially stupid) question?

What's the advantage to Switchcraft plugs over Rean? Genuine question as I need a new 3m cable and I'd rather you had my money than Mr Anderton!

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

Johnnyseven said:

What 'low profile' jacks are you using for patch cables?

Thanks for your comment. You can find out more about our choice of connectors in the FAQ section of the site: https://loadedforbear.co.uk/about/faq/

Cheers!

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

BeardyAndy said:

Welcome to the forum, website and product looks great. Can I ask a (potentially stupid) question?

What's the advantage to Switchcraft plugs over Rean? Genuine question as I need a new 3m cable and I'd rather you had my money than Mr Anderton!

Thanks for the welcome and your comments.

Not stupid at all, there are so many choices out there it can be hard to know unless you're in a position to try them all. It comes down to personal preference. I personally like the two brands we currently stock as it's possible to get really good solder joints on the contacts and their strain relief is good. The Switchcraft plugs are constructed from nickel plated brass and are considerably heavier than the Rean. From my understanding of alloys, brass is malleable and less likely to crack, whereas zinc, being a base metal perhaps doesn't display the same properties. So I guess it comes down to durability and whether you need something a little more weighty and potentially more robust. Have look at our FAQ page for more info and links to the manufacturers websites.

So, that's what I think you'll notice more about using the Switchcraft over Rean and I'm sure others will have different opinions or further useful comments on material conductivity etc. Does that help at all?

Cheers!

bbill335 · October 2019

i much prefer the look and feel of old-school type switchcrafts, but can't fault the cost and reliability of proper neutriks

SteveRobinson · October 2019

I like Neutriks too but I don't think they'll accept the diameter cable that Jon (O/P) is using.

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

SteveRobinson said:

I like Neutriks too but I don't think they'll accept the diameter cable that Jon (O/P) is using.

Thanks Steve

This is one of the practical reasons why I have chosen not to go with them. I have used them a lot in the past and still do, but they're not practical for this style of cable.

Shark_Eyes · October 2019

Do you have any info on the eurorack cables? I'll be in the market for some soon.

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

Shark_Eyes said:

Do you have any info on the eurorack cables? I'll be in the market for some soon.

Hoping to have them up on the site within the next week. I’ll give you a shout when they’re added to the shop.

Thanks!

Johnnyseven · October 2019

loadedforbearaudio said:

Johnnyseven said:

What 'low profile' jacks are you using for patch cables?

Thanks for your comment. You can find out more about our choice of connectors in the FAQ section of the site: https://loadedforbear.co.uk/about/faq/

Cheers!

I've had a look and you don't specifically mention who makes your low profile jacks, can you advise?

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

Johnnyseven said:

loadedforbearaudio said:

Johnnyseven said:

What 'low profile' jacks are you using for patch cables?

Thanks for your comment. You can find out more about our choice of connectors in the FAQ section of the site: https://loadedforbear.co.uk/about/faq/

Cheers!

I've had a look and you don't specifically mention who makes your low profile jacks, can you advise?

Thanks again for your interest.

Apologies if the information is confusing or unclear. This is why it's great to have feedback from folk like yourself.

By using the term 'generic brand' I hoped I had conveyed that they are essentially unbranded. They are quite easy to find from a variety of suppliers and marketplaces and from the options available offer a good compromise between affordability, quality and practicality (being low profile).

I'm interested to know if this didn't come across clearly and the type of information you would like to see on the product page.

Cheers

Johnnyseven · October 2019

Tbh it would be clearer if you just put that on your site on the product page. If I hadn't gone to your website via here I would have just walked away. Tbh though I would much rather buy jacks by a known maker whose reputation I could research, such as Hicon (which are not expensive at all) for pancake jacks.

loadedforbearaudio · October 2019

Johnnyseven said:

Tbh it would be clearer if you just put that on your site on the product page. If I hadn't gone to your website via here I would have just walked away. Tbh though I would much rather buy jacks by a known maker whose reputation I could research, such as Hicon (which are not expensive at all) for pancake jacks.

I appreciate that honesty. I've used Hicon and while not expensive they are similar in dimension to the 228 so don't really offer much other than a lower price. My research has informed me that there is a desire for a less expensive and lower profile plug and these have received decent feedback from customers so far. I am constantly researching and working with alternatives so hope to offer a wider variety as the business grows.

I'm totally comfortable that not everybody that visits my site will become a customer, that's the way it goes and I would encourage folk to support other small businesses who may better suit their needs.

Cheers

loadedforbearaudio · November 2019

loadedforbearaudio said:

Shark_Eyes said:

Do you have any info on the eurorack cables? I'll be in the market for some soon.

Hoping to have them up on the site within the next week. I’ll give you a shout when they’re added to the shop.

Thanks!

So there was a bit of a delay, but the Eurorack patches are live in the shop now at an introductory price: https://loadedforbear.co.uk/product-category/eurorack-patches/

Thanks for your interest!

loadedforbearaudio · December 2019

26% Discount on all items in the shop until midnight today. Use code BOX26 at checkout:

https://loadedforbear.co.uk/shop/

Hope you've all had a good one so far!

Howdy, Stranger!

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Loaded for Bear - premium braided audio cables

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