Best guitar cables 2024: Hard-working cables that will preserve your tone

We guitarists are finicky about our guitar tone and for good reason. From the strings we play to the amp we use, it all has an effect on our tone. However, an often overlooked part of the tone equation is the humble guitar cable. With one of the best guitar cables linking your guitar and amp, your hard-earned sound will be transferred with maximum sound quality and a minimum of noise. 

Mastering your dream guitar tone is a journey that can take years of experimenting with different combinations of guitars, amplifiers and pedals – trust us! But it shouldn’t stop at your guitar cables either. A good cable will put up with plenty of abuse, reliably delivering your sound whether you’re playing in your bedroom or at your local venue.

Especially at a time when finding the funds for a more expensive addition to your guitar rig is harder to do, upgrading a more budget-friendly component such as your cable can do wonders for your tone as well as your bank balance. With awesome picks from brands like Fender and Mogami, spending around $40 gets you a cable that not only boosts your tone but should  hang around for the long haul. 

If you'd like to read more about how a guitar cable will improve your tone, then we've included some in-depth buying advice at the end of this guide. Click the link to take you there. If you'd rather just get straight to the products, then keep scrolling.

The quick list

Best overall

Best guitar cables: Mogami Gold Series Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Mogami)

1. Mogami Gold Series Guitar Cable

Probably the best guitar cable money can buy

Specifications

Features: Oxygen-free copper conductor, carbon-impregnated PVC, Neutrik black and gold plugs, ultra-high density spiral shield, conductive polymer sub-shield, lifetime warranty, 130pF/m capacitance
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-to-right-angle
Length: 3-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Low noise
+
Lifetime warranty

Reasons to avoid

-
On the expensive side
-
You don’t like gold?

Hailing from Nagano, Japan, Mogami swiftly earned its reputation as the preferred option for seasoned musicians in search of the utmost reliability and precision in signal transfer. The Mogami Gold Series cable is widely regarded as the best guitar cable on the market for good reason, regularly topping best-of lists thanks to its high-quality construction and excellent sound transfer.

It features a heavy gauge, oxygen-free copper core with an ultra-high density spiral shield, which means a minimum of interference in your guitar signal. To help with noise reduction, the outer cable construction is conductive carbon-impregnated PVC.

The quality doesn’t stop there and Mogami’s gold jack connectors ensure optimal signal integrity, so you won’t have any issues with frustrating breakup. It comes in an array of lengths to meet the needs of everyone from bedroom warriors to the regularly touring musician, and when something comes with a lifetime warranty, you know it means business.

Best on a budget

Best guitar cables:Fender Professional Series Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Fender)

2. Fender Professional Series Guitar Cable

The best guitar cable for players on a budget

Specifications

Features: 8mm outer diameter wire jacket, 22 AWG, 95% OFC spiral shielding, Nickel-plated connectors
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-to-right-angle
Length: 6”-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Great value for money
+
Wide variety of lengths

Reasons to avoid

-
Not much color choice
-
Plated connectors

Manufactured to the same exacting standards as the company's guitars and iconic tube amps, Fender Professional Series cables provide players with a cost-effective option for all their cabling needs. Whether you need to wire up a pedalboard or plug in on a large stage, the Professional Series will do so with budget-friendly convenience. 

The wide gauge of this cable offers a reassuring feel, despite its low price compared to some of the other cables on this list. The outer PVC jacket also has a ‘physical memory’ to prevent it from getting tangled, no matter how badly you wrap it up after rehearsal.

Featuring 95% OFC spiral shielding, it reduces unwanted noise and interference to a minimum, transparently delivering your guitar tone. Available in a huge number of lengths, you won’t have to look far to find one of these to meet your needs. Although the connectors aren’t gold plated, that's perhaps no surprise given the wallet-friendly cost. 

Best for style

Best guitar cables: Ernie Ball Braided Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Ernie Ball)

3. Ernie Ball Braided Guitar Cable

For musicians who want to stand out

Specifications

Features: Dual conductors, tangle resistant, braided jacket exterior, 99.95% oxygen-free copper to resist corrosion, dual-shielded, dual-conductor design
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 10-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Braided sleeve is tangle-resistant 
+
Excellent selection of colors
+
Incredibly durable

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited cable lengths

The Ernie Ball Braided Cables eschew the tired old black cable aesthetic for something far edgier. Ensuring excellent sonic transfer, these high-quality cables offer excellent durability and look great whilst doing it.

Braided cables are far more resistant to tangling than their PVC-covered cousins while also offering a reliability upgrade due to the hardy exterior. This means these cables will be more than adequate to stand up to the use and abuse of life on the road.

Dual conductors reliably transfer your guitar tone clearly with crisp highs, tight mids and rich harmonics. It’s a very well-shielded cable that delivers a minimum of interference and susceptibility to extraneous noise. Although there is plenty of color choice, the limited cable length options may not make them applicable for every situation, particularly pedalboards. 

Best for connections

Best guitar cables: D'Addario Planet Waves American Stage Guitar Cable

(Image credit: D'Addario Planet Waves)

4. D'Addario Planet Waves American Stage Guitar Cable

For players who need a rock-solid connection

Specifications

Features: 22 gauge oxygen-free copper twisted pair conductors, 95 percent tinned copper braid shielding, Geo-Tip plugs, approx 92pF/m capacitance
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 10-30ft

Reasons to buy

+
Geo Tip Neutrik connectors
+
Low capacitance

Reasons to avoid

-
Lack of color choices
-
Not many length options

Planet Waves by D’Addario has been manufacturing guitar cables for a long time now, so it knows a thing or two about making a cable that can put up with the rigors we guitar players like to put them through. The American Stage guitar cable upholds D’Addario’s fantastic reputation, and for the quality it delivers, it comes at a very reasonable price.

Perhaps the best feature of the American Stage cable is its connectors. Neutrik is widely acknowledged as producing the best connectors in the business. It's a comforting sight knowing that their exceptional components are part of the package. The Geo Tip connectors on offer ensure a rock-steady connection, no matter what kind of guitar you play. The connectors use HelioFused soldering to connect the inner cabling for added reliability.

This is a low-capacitance, audiophile-grade cable for transparent tone transfer, with an oxygen-free copper conductor for exceptional signal transfer. It utilizes 95% tinned copper braiding, virtually eliminating noise and interference.

Best for recording

Best guitar cables: Evidence Audio Lyric HG Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Evidence Audio)

5. Evidence Audio Lyric HG Guitar Cable

A premium option used by the pros

Specifications

Features: Dual solid core made of refined IGL copper, braided copper shielding, and a tough nylon/rubber outer
Connection: 1/4″ phone plug on the input side and a straight plug on the output
Length: 10-20ft

Reasons to buy

+
Exceptionally clear signal transfer
+
Incredibly durable

Reasons to avoid

-
It’s pricey
-
Stiff cable not great for pedalboards

When you’ve got endorsements from Dave Gilmour, Jeff Beck and Guthrie Govan, you know you’re doing something right. Evidence Audio’s Lyric HG guitar cable is a premium offering for guitarists that take their tone seriously.

The dual solid core is made of refined IGL copper which is what gives this cable its incredibly transparent tone transfer, as well as its stiff construction. This cable features Neutrik connectors and TRT Wonder Solder so it will put up with plenty of strain.

It’s hard to fathom the effect a guitar cable can have on your sound, but we saw a noticeable difference using these cables. There was more body and definition in our guitar tone with plenty of bite and attack once the break-in period was through.

However, this Evidence cable may be best left in the studio. Not only is it super expensive and cables often mysteriously go missing at venues, but its stiffness can make it a little awkward to move about on stage, being rather restrictive. On the other hand, if you’re in the studio, accept no substitutes.

Best lightweight cable

Best guitar cables: George L's .155 Guitar Cable

(Image credit: George L's)

6. George L's .155 Guitar Cable

A customizable option for DIY guitar players

Specifications

Features: Solderless connection, George L’s .155 connectors, high-density braided shielding, 67pF/m capacitance
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 10-20ft

Reasons to buy

+
Extremely lightweight
+
Very low capacitance

Reasons to avoid

-
Can get tangled
-
On the pricey side

George Lewis made his name selling cable in bulk, allowing guitar players to custom spec lengths for their particular needs. This ready-made version of George L’s cable means you can get that renowned sound instantly.

Low capacitance is the name of the game here, giving you probably the best value per meter on the market today. This means you get an incredibly clear guitar tone, and when switching from higher capacitance cables you’ll feel like a veil has been taken off your amp speaker. 

The gauge of the cable is very thin, which makes it particularly lightweight but still incredibly durable. It is somewhat susceptible to tangling when longer lengths are used, but the quality of tone transfer more than makes up for it. Although there’s nothing too fancy about the connectors, they are adequately durable and give you a comforting ‘click’ when slotted into your output jack. No complaints here. 

More we've tested

We test a lot of cables here at Guitar Player. While we would point you to the top 6 highlighted above first, these are more cables we've also loved recently. 

Best guitar cables: Boss Instrument Cable

(Image credit: Boss)

7. Boss Instrument Cable

An outstanding value guitar cable

Specifications

Features: Studio-grade, oxygen-free copper core wire, 24K gold-plated contacts, heavy-duty braided shield
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 1-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Gold plated connectors
+
Excellent value for money

Reasons to avoid

-
Only comes in black
-
You might want something more premium

Renowned for its world-famous, indestructible effects pedals, Boss also has a range of fantastic guitar accessories. Boss Instrument Cables offer outstanding value for money, giving you a cable that’s reliable and durable without costing the earth. 

A studio-grade, oxygen-free copper core delivers transparent tone transfer, whether you’re going straight to your guitar amp or wiring up a pedalboard. The 24K gold-plated contacts have been custom-designed for maximum sound reproduction.

The braided exterior prevents any unwanted tangling whilst further enhancing the reliability of this cable. Boosting longevity is another key perk; if you're tired of swapping cables after every gig, snag one of these. Boss' woven jacket is one of the most durable in the business and considering its price, this is seriously impressive. 

Available in a wide variety of lengths, including patch cables as well as the solderless pack for wiring your pedalboard, this is one of the best value guitar cables you can buy today.

Best guitar cables: Fender Deluxe Series Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Fender)

8. Fender Deluxe Series Guitar Cable

The only cable for vintage Fender lovers

Specifications

Features: 24K gold-plated connectors, 20 AWG 99.99% oxygen-free copper conductor, 95% braided oxygen-free copper shielding, molded plugs w/strain relief, yellow or black tweed outer jacket, hook-and-loop cable tie
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/right-angle
Length: 5-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Durable braided construction
+
Value for money

Reasons to avoid

-
You’re not a fan of tweed
-
You want a premium cable

When a cable carries a lifetime warranty and the Fender brand name, you know it means business. Despite not being the first name that comes to mind when you think of cables, these are extremely high quality.

Custom-molded 24-karat gold-plated connectors deliver a solid and reliable connection, strong enough to put up with plenty of abuse. It’s a thick-gauge cable too, which feels nice and solid, working in tandem with the braided jacket to prevent any unwanted tangling. Unlike other braided cables, this one isn’t overly stiff, so if you’re looking for a stage cable, this is a brilliant choice. 

Excellent shielding prevents interference from clouding your pristine guitar tone, while there are various size options, from pedalboard-friendly sizes to 25-foot length, that will cover the biggest stages. Moreover, if the yellow tweed isn’t to your taste, Fender also produces it in black for those after something a little more discreet.  

Best guitar cables: Ernie Ball Coiled Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Ernie Ball)

9. Ernie Ball Coiled Guitar Cable

An old-school cable for vintage guitar lovers

Specifications

Features: Dual conductors, 99.95% oxygen-free copper to resist corrosion, dual-shielded, dual-conductor design
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight
Length: 30ft

Reasons to buy

+
Great for taming treble-heavy pickups
+
Cool vintage aesthetic

Reasons to avoid

-
Easy to tangle
-
Only one length

Harking back to a bygone era, the coiled guitar cable has seen a recent rejuvenation amongst modern guitarists thanks to its unique tonal quality. With a high-quality design and superior components, this cable oozes the vintage aesthetic.

As famously used by Jimi Hendrix, the coiled cable results in a slightly tempered high-end thanks to its long length. This makes them great for pairing with certain single-coil pickups, reducing any harsh top end.

Ernie Ball uses several shielding materials in the construction of this cable, ensuring it rejects interference and unwanted noise. Meanwhile, a durable PVC jacket makes certain it will put up with the abuse that comes from life on the road. 

Ernie Ball is very confident in this cable’s longevity; the company even slaps a lifetime warranty on it, putting its money where its mouth is. Although be warned, in our experience we found it to be on the heavier side, so if you don’t want to be weighed down unnecessarily perhaps consider a lighter-weight option.

Best guitar cables: PRS Signature Series Guitar Cable

(Image credit: PRS)

10. PRS Signature Series Guitar Cable

For players who want a premium, handmade guitar cable

Specifications

Features: Oxygen-free copper core, dual screens of conductive and close-lapped copper, hermetically sealed reed switch connector, silent plugs an option
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 5-25ft

Reasons to buy

+
Supreme build quality
+
Bright and transparent tone transfer

Reasons to avoid

-
On the pricey side
-
Might be too skinny for some

As well as making high-quality guitars, PRS also offers a premium guitar cable that’s handmade in London. Made in tandem with Van Damme Cabling, you’re getting a serious guitar cable here, one that’s used by the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, and many more.

This cable features Neutrik connectors, which are probably the most reliable on the planet, so you know it’s going to put up with plenty of abuse. The cable is lightweight thanks to the small diameter but still retains a premium feel to match its price.

A carefully tuned capacitance value means your guitar tone remains bright and crystal clear. It’s available in various lengths with right angle and straight jack options, plus you can upgrade to silent connectors for additional investment.

Best guitar cables: MXR Pro Series Guitar Cable

(Image credit: MXR)

11. MXR Pro Series Guitar Cable

A high-quality, low capacitance guitar cable

Specifications

Features: 24 AWG oxygen-free copper center conductor, 95% shielded with 19-strand spiral oxygen-free copper, conductive plastic outer shielding, heat shrink tubing on soldered connectors, flexible PVC jacket
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-straight/-right-angle
Length: 10-20ft

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent noise rejection
+
Durable outer jacket

Reasons to avoid

-
Not many lengths
-
Slightly ‘middle of the road’

MXR’s Pro Series guitar cable offers the outstanding build quality you’d expect from any subsidiary of Jim Dunlop, one of the great guitar accessory manufacturers. This means this cable comes with a guarantee of long life and reliable performance.

A high-quality, 24 AWG oxygen-free copper center conductor delivers your tone reliably and transparently, whilst the 19-strand spiral shielding prevents any unwanted noise from entering your signal chain. While the connectors may not exude luxury, they provide everything you need – they are well-sealed, sturdy, and provide a reliable connection.

The PVC jacket is flexible, yet still firm enough to assist in preventing any unwanted tangling or kinks. It’s extra thick so will put up with you standing on it repeatedly just as easily as it will with frequent coiling and uncoiling. Since this cable is a winner in our books, it’s unfortunate that MXR doesn't offer it in more lengths. That aside, there’s not much to complain about and this MXR cable delivers on all fronts. 

Best guitar cables: Vox Vintage Coiled Guitar Cable

(Image credit: Vox)

12. Vox Vintage Coiled Guitar Cable

A cable for vintage-era guitar enthusiasts

Specifications

Features: Multi gauge 99.99% purity oxygen-free, copper cable conductor, precision formulated polypropylene shielding
Connection: 1/4” straight-to-right-angle
Lengths: 29.5ft

Reasons to buy

+
Super cool vintage vibe
+
Outstanding quality wire

Reasons to avoid

-
Only one length
-
Can get tangled

The second coiled cable offering on this list, this time from vintage leviathans Vox, certainly inspires a classic rock aura. Modeled after a classic design, this cable has featured in many iconic moments in rock history.

To get around the dreaded ‘tone suck’ coiled cables allegedly have on your tone, Vox uses a 99.9% purity, oxygen-free copper conductor to help prevent the loss of high end associated with these cables.

This cable also features a unique multi-gauge design. Individual conductor types are optimized for particular frequency ranges, which means you get a natural and organic-sounding electric guitar tone, great for vintage-lovers and modern players alike.

Vox keeps it simple with just one cable length at 29.5ft. It might not be the best fit for larger stages, but hey, for under $30, you're getting that sweet retro vibe. Plus, they've got a rainbow of color options – Black, Blue, Red, Silver, or White – so no matter what your guitar looks like, there's a cable that vibes with it. 

Best guitar cables: Buying advice

PRS guitar on a flight case next to a guitar cable

(Image credit: Future)

How to buy the best guitar cable for you

You can trust Guitar Player. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

When buying the best guitar cable, you’d be forgiven for just grabbing the first one you see and being done with it. We get it, it’s not the most exciting thing in the world. The more you understand about how cables are constructed, however, the more you’ll understand the potentially unwanted effects cheap cables can have on your guitar tone. Budget guitar cables can introduce unwanted noise into your signal chain and their connectors often fail, usually at a most inopportune moment such as when you’re mid-way through your set. Save yourself the faff, and add a high-quality guitar cable to your rig.

The first thing you’ll want to look at is the connector. This is where a guitar cable is most likely to fail, so having a high-quality connector is a must if you want the best reliability and tone transfer. Neutrik connectors are amongst the best in the world, so keep an eye out for cables with these kinds of connectors as you know you’ll be getting a quality product. Your connector is subject to the highest stresses out of all the components in your guitar cable. Constant plugging and unplugging as well as the potential for pressure to be applied by accidentally stepping on your cable or catching it in something means that a top-quality connector is key.

Does cable length matter?

Cable length is also incredibly important. The longer a cable, the larger its effect on your tone. When your signal passes along the length of a cable, some is inevitably lost along the way, which results in some high-end sound loss when long cable lengths are used. 

This isn’t necessarily a negative, however – Jimi Hendrix swore by the longer length of coiled cables as he liked the slight cut of top-end from his signal, so if you’ve got a guitar that is particularly treble-heavy, a longer cable might actually help your guitar tone.

What is capacitance in a guitar cable?

Lastly, another buzzword you’ll hear in relation to the best guitar cables is capacitance. Without delving too much into the science, capacitance is the relationship between two conductors, i.e. the jack plugs on your guitar. As we mentioned previously, one of the ways this is affected is the length of the cable, the other is the materials used. 

Typically more expensive guitar cables use better materials and shielding, and thus have a lower capacitance, meaning less of an effect on your guitar tone.

Do more expensive guitar cables make a difference?

Investing more money in guitar cables typically translates to better quality, especially when it comes to longevity. Higher-priced cables often use superior components, ensuring they endure far longer than their cheaper counterparts. While dropping a significant sum on cables might not be the flashiest buy, it does mean you won't find yourself constantly swapping them out after every gig. Also, better-quality guitar cables will transfer your tone much more honestly and cause less noise. Cheaper guitar cables are more likely to buzz, hiss and pick up unwanted electrical interference whilst gigging. So if you’re after the best tone possible and don’t want to replace a cable after every gig, bite the bullet and invest. 

Do gold-plated connectors make a difference?

If you’ve been on the hunt for the best guitar cables you’ve probably noticed one thing, gold-plated connectors. However, do gold-plated connectors make a difference or is it just a marketing trick? Well, the former is true, especially if you look at cable performance under a microscope. Gold connectors are much more conductive and, therefore, offer you better performance and a truer signal transfer. Gold is also less prone to corrosion, so if you take care of your cables and have them for years, gold connectors will hold up better over time.  

However, noticing the sonic differences between gold and nickel connectors is a little harder to do in the real world – if you do a blind test, you’ll struggle to notice the sound difference. Also, rusty connectors aren't exactly a widespread problem with most cables – unless you're dealing with serious budget options. So, chances are, this won't be much of a headache for you. 

How we choose the best guitar cables

Here at Guitar Player, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides. 

When choosing what we believe to be the best guitar cables available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best guitar cables on the market right now.

Read more on how we test gear and services at Guitar Player.

Matt McCracken
Junior Deals Writer

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer at Guitar World and has been playing guitar as his main instrument for well over 20 years. He also plays drums, bass, and keys – producing out of his home studio in Manchester, UK. He has previously worked for Dawsons Music, Northwest Guitars, and freelanced for various magazines and blogs, writing reviews, how-to's, and features. When he's not downloading the latest VSTs or justifying yet another guitar pedal purchase, you'll find him making a racket with Northern noise hounds JACKALS.

With contributions from