George L's

[Coque]

Any of you all use George L's cable and solder-less connectors. I have been using them for the last few years (just on the pedalboard) and I have a love-hare relationship with them. On the one hand, I can (and do) feed my ADD nature by changing up my pedalboard at whim. However, although their ease of use cannot be underscored enough, they are the most unreliable things I've had in a long time. I am rehearsing a new band and, right in the middle of a song, a patch cable took a dump on me. Now this may seem like a simple thing, but the cable went tits-up without provocation. I did not move my pedalboard at all and it has been on the floor in roughly the same spot for a couple of weeks, unmolested. This kind of stuff happens quite a bit with my George L cables and it is really frustrating. Although I want to go back to soldered cables for reliability, I love the flexibility the George L's offer.
So I guess what I am wondering is, how come this keeps occurring? Is it me? I am doing something wrong or is this product just not reliable? I want to keep them (I've invested some serious cash in them so far) but can't rely on them. Any suggestions?

[Don]

I love my George L's cables- as long as they're left alone.

Unplugging them often causes failures for me. When I first started using them I had lots of failures with the right angle connectors. That hasn't been a problem lately. The threaded cap seems to back off. Since adding a drop of Loctite that hasn't been an issue.

I have no problems with the straight connectors.

[curtisstetka]

Hmmm... I've never had a problem with them. I wouldn't say I've "heavily" gigged with them night after night, but my pedalboard does get moved around a lot. I've had some George L's for at least 4-5 years and they've been perfectly reliable.

[stratcat62]

I've used George L's for years and had the same experiences as Don. Currently I use them on my pedal board (great because you can have the exact length you want) and from the board to the amp. I don't use them from the guitar to the board primarily because they kink like crazy. I still have one George L I bought in the 70's when the connectors were brass with a set screw that has been used as a jumper up to this day.

[Coque]

First off, Loctite huh, Don? Do you add it to the threading before putting it back together? Does is make it impossible to remove? Is there a loctite formula that works better than others is is it all the same thing?

And StratCat, I agree. I even tried the George L thicker cable for my main leads until they failed too (that was about three years ago). Since then I've gone to Canare cable with Neutrik angled ends on both sides; I feel having two angled ends keeps it from coming unplugged on either side. That said, I would NEVER rely on the George L's for my main leads. However, I feel I have to give the George L's another shot.

[Bill Moore]

I have yet to use George L, but back in the 80's, his predecessor was Bill Lawrence. Our favorite guitar player had little regard for cables,(also, no pedal boards back then), and I was constantly repairing his patch cables. One of the music stores had a display, and I bought 50' of wire and 20 brass connectors. I also used them for my drum set electronics. They lasted better than Whirlwind cable, and Switchcraft jacks!
I think the trick is to get truely square ends, I use a razor blade. And don't over tighten the ground screw, it only has to pierce the outer jacket.

[Cogs]

I'm using GeorgeL's from guitar to amp & everything in-between. They haven't been problem free, but the few times there have been issues it only required me to tighten a right angle connector. Seeing that I'm using about eight pedals on my board that's a lot of connections w/only a rare failure. And still it is much easier than breaking out a soldering iron in the middle of a set.
I haven't ever had a problem w/the straight plugs.

[Don]

I use regular blue Loctite. It's removable.

Like stratcat62, I use them on the pedalboard and from the pedalboard to the amp, but not from the guitar to the pedalboard because of kinking.

[Franklin]

I've been using them for years and have not had an issue for at least two years now. They fit my needs very well!

[stratcat55]

Been using them for the past couple of years and never had a problem. The jacket is a little stiff, but that really doesn't bother be.

[Erock_Germany]

I use the Planet Waves version and even make my regular guitar to pedal cable with the things and I have never had an issue....

George L's were just harder to get here and WAAAAAY more expensive.

I am a happy camper.....and the Planet Waves ones look real cool too!

[NDRU]

I have not had an issue with them in several years...shit, where's some wood to knock on, I have a gig coming this friday!

[photoweborama]

I use them. I had an intermittent short in one of them that caused problems every few months. If I could afford it, I'd go back to soldered connections. still use the George L's, but soldered...

[Coque]

UPDATE:

After the last 6 months of gigging with George L's and having numerous failures, I decided to go back to soldered cables (Mogami from lava) and I am so happy I did. I did not realize how bad they sound compared to the soldered stuff. Really. We're talking a night-and-day difference. Not to mention, I have not had a single failure since. I'm done with my George L's and putting them up for sale on Ebay. I have 38 connectors (yes, 38!) and both black and blue cable in the .155 stuff and 20' of the red thicker stuff. It's all gonna go.

As much as I love Eric Johnson, I feel his love of George L really swayed my judgement and my ears from making a reasonable assessment. Now I know.
If you are lucky enough to make these work for you, God love you. I just can't.

[Bassbob]

Patch cables for 8 Pedals on my board, 3 patch cables in my rack and 2 25'ers between bass, board and cab. All Mogami Gold. Never had an issue.

[Offshore Angler]

Over 5 years, lot's of setups and teardowns and never had an issue. I had more porblems back when I used conventional soldered cords.

[Don]

I had issues when I first started using George L's. I haven't had an issue in years now!

[Speedsense]

I've used George L's for 6 years on my pedal board. I never had any problems until my pedals loosed up their mountings and moved when transporting.
I redid the G L's connections (they are the 90 degree ones) and encountered all kinds of connection problems after the redo. I almost threw them out and went to something else, UNTIL I visited the George L's site and re-read the assembly instructions. Realizing I have put them together incorrectly (forcing the bend Before installing the screw) and after following the instructions to the letter for installation have not had a single problem since.
With clean cuts and installed correctly, George L's work perfectly.
IMHO

[Coque]

I never could make them work for me; despite the website tutorial and a host of others. I figure I solder pretty well so after 4 years or so, I just gave up.

I sold mine. All 38 of them.
I'm using Mogami for my board and Canare for my main leads
Oh well, I guess it just wasn't for me.

[Offshore Angler]

I never could make them work for me; despite the website tutorial and a host of others. I figure I solder pretty well so after 4 years or so, I just gave up.

I sold mine. All 38 of them.
I'm using Mogami for my board and Canare for my main leads
Oh well, I guess it just wasn't for me.

38!?????

Hmm, I think I see the problem.

[Don]

That is a lot of connections!

[ampdan]

I have used them for over 35 years. They used to be grey Bill Lawrence cable before they became George L. Never an issue. Never saw a need to solder them.

[Kap'n]

I always found them more of a PITA than any perceived benefit. I dinked with them for a month, then gave them away to somebody who wanted them.

They threw them away.

[Rickenjangle]

38!?????

Hmm, I think I see the problem.

perhaps he ought to be in the "Big Pedalboard" band!

[Rickenjangle]

I still have my bigger pedalboard but lately I've just got 2 of those little Hosa 1/4" to 1/4" male offset couplers connecting my TS9, Angry Fuzz, and LPB-1 in front of me, with no power adapters to remember...into a Cathedral Reverb back at the amp, splitting signal.

It doesn't do EVERYthing but it does just what I need - give me some different levels of gain/fuzz/volume without taking my mind off fronting the band...

[Coque]

I had 38 (a total of 19 cables) for my board and my bass players board (he's kinda cash strapped so a lot of his gear is really my gear) and then multiple backups. I had no clue I had that many until I went to sell them off. I bought them whenever I could find a good deal on them so I acquired them little by little. In the end, I had way too many of something that never worked for me.
We now have fewer cables and fewer headaches and failures. A good trade IMHO.

[Banjowarrior]

I had them on the now sadly sold off pedalboard of doom, somewhere around the 46 mark. The only time I ever had trouble was if they didn't work immediately after I had made them, once they were made and working I don't recall ever having one fail. Opposite to the fella who said not to overtighten the screw end I always used a cloth for extra grip and really tightened it. Used a pair of scissors to cut the ends, but taking care to get a straight perpendicular cut.

[Coque]

I'm back to soldered cables (mogami by Lava) and they rock. Really dependable, with a crisp, clear sound; and I've played over 90 gigs with them and they always work. I sold all my George L's for almost what I paid for them. So I can forgive them now. They just never were dependable enough for me.

[stratcat55]

perhaps he ought to be in the "Big Pedalboard" band!

Maybe he's "The Edge"

[Offshore Angler]

Maybe he's "The Edge"

Or the Keith Emerson of guitar.

[Kap'n]

I've got five true bypass pedals on my board. It dulls the sound. Not horribly. But enough to piss me off.

Maybe I should just chuck the pedals. I've been having enough fun with just a Tim.

[photoweborama]

I still use the George L's, but I have all new soldered on connectors.
I like the thin cable, makes for easier routing on the board.

I still use the solderless ends on my mini board I use in my bedroom, but only has four pedals on it...

[Offshore Angler]

I've got five true bypass pedals on my board. It dulls the sound. Not horribly. But enough to piss me off.

Maybe I should just chuck the pedals. I've been having enough fun with just a Tim.

Yet another bonus of of a loop controller - the master bypass.