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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… April 28, 2025 The Best Guitar Cables for the Metal Guitarist (Part Two of Two) In the last issue we looked at the best way to convert a guitar signal to something that works really well in most situations (click here for a refresher) and there was also a free piano download called Really Bad Day. This is part two of a two-part series and we’re only looking at the most bang-for-the-buck quality guitar cables. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free- thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. Guitar Cable Introduction (part two of two) Welcome to this second part of this two-part guitar cable edition. There are many guitar cables available, but we are going to eliminate many of them before the ratings begin. Why? From my experience there are cables that don’t warrant the price or the troubles. I have several 20-gallon plastic boxes of cables that are in serious need of repair with not enough time to do it. So with that in mind, the following cables are automatically out of the running: cables that are covered in cloth or fabric (they tend to fray and they’re difficult to repair), cables that have an auto shutoff when pulling out the plug (one more thing to go wrong), cables that are over 20 ft (about 6 meters) in length (you’ll need a buffer anyway), cables that have the 1960s type of telephone coiled look (they kink and they’re difficult to repair), cables that cannot be salvaged for parts or cut shorter or easily repaired (they eventually go in the junk pile), and cables with a poor or spotty shield or that receive radio signals (“Come in Moscow. Do you read me? Over.”) Poorly made cables were much more common back in the 1960s and 1970s than they are now, and the available cables have improved greatly. So here we go, let’s explore commercially available guitar cables from the efficient economy models to the higher dollar selections. And they are all free shipping. Oh, and by the way, you are using a buffer pedal before using one of these cables, right? If not, click here for a buffer pedal refresher. THE FINE PRINT: We never use affiliate links to monetize this website. Unlike most music websites, Zystrix never receives any commission on any gear or software you may purchase via a link on this website. Ever. This keeps our reviews dead honest, removes financial conflicts of interest, and also helps keep your price of gear lower. The Best Guitar Cables at the Best Price. Musician’s Gear Guitar Cables Musician’s Gear is the brand from Musician’s Friend music store. They’ve been around for quite a while; I remember when their mail order catalog was the size of a pamphlet. And back then good music gear was hard to find unless a person drove a long ways. The cables they now offer are relatively easy to repair, and if you get a 4-pack of 20 foot cables it’s a steal-deal at $49.99 USA and free shipping. Click here to learn more or to purchase some Musician’s Gear Cables. Rapco Guitar Cables This company has been around for a long time, and their cables are reasonably priced. And they are easy to repair. This one is 15 feet long (almost 5 meters) at $12.95 and free shipping. Click here to learn more or to purchase a Rapco Guitar Cable. Hosa Guitar Cables Hosa cables are made using oxygen free copper, and they are easy to repair. They also feature a braided shield for stray radio frequency rejection. It’s a quality cable at a fair price. Click here to learn more or to purchase a 15-foot (almost 5 meters) Hosa Cable. $16.25 USA ProCo Excellines ProCo has a special place in my heart. They were an excellent place in Kalamazoo to hang out back in the day. They sold band and P.A. gear, had an 8-track recording studio upstairs, repaired guitars, made Rat pedals, and later they also made guitar cables, among other things. I still own their high to low rack- mount buffer, and it still works. Their cables were always quite good, and mine are still good even from way back then. And they are easy to repair if they ever go bad, although I still have some and they still work great. Click here to learn more or to purchase a 18.5 foot (less than 6 meters) ProCo Excelline Cable. $22.99 USA Fender Professional Series Relatively easy to repair and well built, although these are more expensive than many of the same build quality. These feature 95% oxygen free copper and spiral shielding. Click here to learn more or to purchase a 25-foot (over 7 meters) Fender Professional Series Cable. $27.70 USA Roland Gold Series These are very well made cables coming from a manufacturer not really thought of as a cable company. And they even have a lifetime warranty. I’m not sure if they mean my lifetime, their lifetime, or the cable’s lifetime. At any rate, a lifetime warranty is a nice gesture. The copper is oxygen free, they have an excellent shield wrap, and they have an external mesh that holds it all together (not cloth). And the ends are replaceable or repairable. There’s a lot to like with these cables, especially now with the $25 price drop. Click here to learn more or to purchase a 20-foot (over 6 meters) Roland Gold Series Cable. (ON SALE $25 off) $26.99 USA Mogami Silver Series It’s hard to find fault with this brand of guitar cable. They are somewhat affordable, they are very high quality, hand-built, and they offer a lifetime warranty. There’s no gold ends like the Roland, but that doesn’t make a large difference. Click here to learn more or to purchase an 18-foot (under 6 meters) Mogami Silver Series. $49.99 USA Honorable Mention Donner Cables They’re the same company who offers the impressive transparent overdrive Pure Sky pedal (click here for more info). One of the problems with the pricing of this company (and several others listed above) is the Trump Tax, so it’s hard to know what it will cost next week or even next month. However, their cords have replaceable or repairable ends, and they are reasonably priced. The copper is oxygen free, and the shielding is spiral copper. Unfortunately they only come in 10 foot (about 3 meters) length. The other thing I don’t like is the nylon cloth covering. If you can get past all that it’s not a bad cable. Click here to learn more or to purchase a Donner Cable. $11.59 USA EXTRA STUFF Here are some other excellent guitar cable brands you may enjoy if you don’t mind spending more. Will they do more for you? To me the differences are as small as fly-specks. However, you have to be the final judge. These cable companies are in no certain order: Transit Lab, Lava Tightrope, George L, Evidence Monorail, Bestronics, and Canare GS4. Conclusion Guitar Cables for the Metal Guitarist (part two) Guitar cables don’t make as much difference as the buffering. That is, unless the cable is just friggin crap. Look for oxygen free copper (or at least close) and a good solid or braided shield to avoid radio signal interference (“Todays weather will be…”). It’s amazing how much a bad cable improves with the right buffer. Unfortunately from what we saw in the last issue, finding a good buffer from reading the data sheet is often hit or miss, so I would recommend going for something you know. And always use an active (powered) and clean buffer for the best results. I hope this two-part series has improved your ability to find and pounce on a great guitar cable deal. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… Well, that’s it for the guitar cables discussion. It’s all about your buffer. Don’t be chicken, just buy one. And it might be a hell of a ride, but would it be too much to say that we should probably investigate wireless systems next time? Maybe I’ll see you then. I spent the whole morning building a time machine, so that’s four hours of my life that I’m definitely getting back. Knowledge, art, and music for all.

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ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. This download comes in three format options: the first option is a single file MP3 containing all the tunes in one chunk similar to tape recordings. The second download option is a folder with all of the separate MP3 piano pieces named and arranged in album order similar to a CD or MP3 player. The third download option is similar to videos found on “ZooTube” with the names and times on the screen. There is also a fourth surprise version made only for “ZooTube” and it is edited down to less than 15 minutes long because of their telephone number required rule. Basically it just guides the listener here. To download any or all of these options simply click here. Enjoy. Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses Introducing the next generation in guitar cabinet impulse responses. Try the new Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12. All of these cab IR files are based on old, new, and boutique 4x12 cab curves. All are recorded in beautiful 24-bit 48K mono and will work on most free and paid digital convolvers. 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Djammincabs for Guitar Free Guitar Impulse Responses This is the original Djammincabs guitar cabinet impulse response collection that started it all. Click here to download over 200 Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Djammincabs for Bass Guitar Download Free Bass Impulse Responses Click here to download over 200 Free Bass Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Best Free Guitar Impulses. The Top 11 Best Free Guitar and Bass Cabinet Impulse Responses for 2022 (in alphabetical order…) Find, download, and test the best free guitar cabinet impulse responses for 2022. FREE BASS LOOPS SAMPLES DOWNLOAD ROYALTY FREE BASS LOOP SAMPLES FREE BASS LOOPS Over 200 samples are included in the collection Download the complete collection of 24-bit bass loops here. NOTE: This download size is approximately 369 Megs. Free Pendulate Synthesizer Presets Original Newfangled Audio Pendulate synth patches/presets Click here to download over 240 Free Pendulate Synth Presets (patches) Synapse Audio Dune Synthesizer Download Over 200 Free Synapse Audio Dune 2 and Dune 3 Synthesizer Patches and Presets Click here to download over 200 FREE Synapse Audio Dune 2 or Dune 3 synthesizer patches or presets. NOTE: This synth patch download is slightly over 1 Meg in size. Free Reverb Impulse Responses This is our most popular download page. Choose from hundreds available in 48K 24 bit WAV format including many new original reverbs. CabSpace Over 400 Guitar Isolation Booth Reverbs Download over 400 Free Zystrix Original Reverb Impulse Responses, and over 200 Free Zystrix Original BONUS Reverb Impulse Responses. Download all the Alesis MIDIVerb 4 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Lexicon MPX-1 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Alesis Wedge reverb impulse responses. Download over 50 Reverb Relics from the past including oil cans. Click here to download free reverb impulse responses. Free Drum Samples Only Available from Zystrix Free Gong Samples and Sounds Free Snare Drum Samples and Sounds Free Bass Drum Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Cymbal Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Bells Samples and Sounds The Ultimate Original Drum Sounds List Download over 2000 original slammin’ rock bass drums. Download original Gongs, Cymbals, Broken Cymbals, and Bells. Download Over 200 Free Original Bass Drum Sounds and Samples. Download over 200 Original Free snare drum sounds. Click here to download Drum Kit Sounds. Dangerous Neighbors The SW Michigan Rock Band Power Trio. Free Rockin’ Music Downloads Download tunes from the 80s to today. Use the special codes on the Embalmed for Life page (see the DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS link below) and get free downloads for the complete album and the free horror audio book The Fluid - Embalmed for Life. Click here to download various music from the rock band Dangerous Neighbors. Download Free Synth Samples for Intros, Interludes, and Endings Listen to example #01 by clicking here (MP3 Sample) Download FREE professional quality stereo sample packs that slowly evolve over time. All samples are in 48K 24 bit WAV format and are about 20 seconds long or more. If you like suspense, psycho, outer space, or terror then this collection is for you. These range from paranoia to sci-fi, cinematic gore to strange industrial horror, and creepy creatures to insane laboratories. Click here to download all the synth Intros, Interludes, and Endings. DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS The Fluid, Embalmed for Life There are Free Audio Book codes for Audible downloads (must sign up). There are also free sample downloads of the book reading. There are free downloads of music samples. There is a free “Look Inside” download of the paperback. There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. And for some reason most book sales go to Japan. Who would have thunk it? Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. 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Unlike so many other websites similar to this one, this Zystrix privacy policy keeps our reviews dead honest, cuts out any unnecessary middle man, and keeps this website free from cookies and the influences of Google and the many other unethical purveyors of your digital exhaust and personal information. Open source, private, and honest. It’s our mantra.