Expert: Giel van Geloven - 4/15/2006

Question
What are the differences between XLR and 1/4 in cable and is there any and I mean any difference between 1 1/4 in cable and the next. Some times when setting up for a live event I get guitarists that claim that the cable I am handing them is not for a guitar. I think what I have come to the cunclusion on this is that there is a instrument 1/4 in cable and a Speaker 1/4 that are supposed to be different somehow. How are these different?

Answer
Typical XLR cables have 3 cables inside (mass, hot and cold), 1/4 in cable have two (mass and hot). So your guitarist might be right, they aren't the same. But there is no difference in signal what so ever. So the only actual difference is the connection and the amount of cables inside.
Anyhow, i don't know any guitars that use XLR connections... so why not just use 1/4 in cables?