Wires - Gauges, Types, Best\worst?

[wickerwolf]

Hi all, i dont see any topics here covering this already so i thougth id ask what gauge and type of wires everyones using to wire there guitars with.

Whats the best ones?

Any body had sound quality issues based on the wire theve used?

I've used various wires, the 2 most common ones been 22awg hookup wire and 22awg cloth coverd/waxed hook up wire, with no noticable difference in sound between the 2. Ive just got a few sets of these http://www.ebay.co.u...0776435022& in so ill be trying them on my next build.

Edited March 25, 2013 by wickerwolf

[Ripthorn]

I mostly use 22 or 20 AWG stranded wire, but the best stuff I've ever used is some 7-strand, PTFE-coated, silver-tinned stuff. It bends and stays in place like solid core, but has the breakage resistance of stranded. Makes complicated setups something glorious.

[Tim37]

what he said

dont worry about all that cloth wax bs unless your trying to restore a vintage guitar.

[dpm99]

For what we do, as long as it will adequately conduct the electrical signal, it's fine. I've tried a lot of different things. If I'm working with complex wiring schemes or small terminals (like the ones on push-pull pots), I'll use a very small wire, like a 28 or 30 gauge. Otherwise, something like a 22 is fine. Solid core wire is a temptation, as it's easy to work with, but it's more likely to fail over time, so stranded is the way to go. The insulation material comes down to personal choice. Cloth push-back is fun, but bulky. So mostly I prefer simple plastic insulation. Multiple colors help you keep track of what goes where.

Then you get into insulated wire. I'm not a big fan of the braided wire, because it likes to poke me and make me bleed. I prefer the kind that's insulated in foil. I've even made my own from foil and heat shrink plastic before, in a pinch.

That silver tinned stuff sounds really good though. I want to try some of that stuff.