Patch cables are vital to building a guitar pedalboard, which is why it's important to know how to select a reliable pack. Whether in the studio or on the stage, we’ve put together a simple guide to choosing patch cables online.
From flat angled to pancake jacks, we'll take the stress out of building a pedalboard. Read on as we share the 10 best in the UK, including soldered, solderless and low-profile cable kits from trusted brands like Boss, Fender and Ernie Ball!
Quick List - Top Patch Cables
Donner
Patch Cables With Noise Reducing Connectors for a Bargain Price
Planet Waves
Professional Right Angle Patch Cables Made in the USA
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Table of Contents
For a long time, guitar players have relied on flat angled jacks, as they work a treat and their reinforced design makes them more durable than the other options. This is especially useful if you think you'll be plugging and unplugging them often.
However, there is a downside – they're fairly bulky. If you’re trying to squeeze a new pedal on an already tight board, saving space on your jacks could help you, in which case, these might not be ideal.
To deal with the issue of space, a pancake version for tighter boards was invented. These have the same components and the same sound quality, just with a smaller footprint. The 'pancake' of their namesake refers to their flat, rounded heads that only protrude a few centimeters from each pedal.
The only potential downside is that, unless made very well, they aren't always as robust as flat angled cables, so you might need to be more careful with them or commit to updating them more regularly.
If you've got enough space to squeeze in one more, we recommend getting a volume pedal for your board
Your final option is a set of classic straight jack cables. As you can imagine, these are not much use when it comes to using live pedalboards, as you'll need to leave several inches between neighbouring pedals to fit them in.
However, these can be helpful if you have a lot of different equipment in a home studio and don’t necessarily always want to build a board to use it – your pedals might be positioned spaciously over the floor, for example, so you wouldn't mind the excess.
Did you know? We've also ranked the top 10 best monitors for home studios!
Next, you'll need to decide which length of cable to go for. The most common is 15 cm, which should provide enough duration to get from one pedal to the next.
If this doesn't seem suitable, worry not, because shorter and longer cables are available. Amongst our recommendations, we have cables that range from 7-60 cm, so there are always options depending on your needs.
Furthermore, there are also solderless kits that allow you to cut your own patch cables to any length you like. As you’d expect, even though they are solderless, there will still be a bit of work involved, and they are on the expensive side. But the payoff is that they’ll help you create the perfect personalised pedalboard.
The last thing to consider is how many cables you need for your setup. Most companies provide a minimum of three per pack, while some provide up to six and others sell just one solitary cable.
What's best for you will depend on both your budget and the number of pedals you have (or plan to have!). That said, buying a larger pack or several of the same pack in order to have a few spares to hand isn’t going to do any guitar player any harm.
Building a pedalboard? Check out this article to help get you started!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Donner Right Angle Guitar Patch Cables | ![]() | Patch Cables With Noise Reducing Connectors for a Bargain Price | |
2 | Planet Waves Classic Series Right Angle Patch Cable | ![]() | Professional Right Angle Patch Cables Made in the USA | |
3 | Boss BCK-24 Solderless Patch Cable Kit | ![]() | Customisable Solderless Patch Kit | |
4 | Hosa IRG-600.5 | ![]() | Ideal Pack for First-Timers and Casual Players | |
5 | Stagg Patch Cable|SPC015L E | ![]() | Multiple Length Cables From 15 to 60 cm | |
6 | Ernie Ball Flat Ribbon Patch Cable | ![]() | Space Saving 7 cm Cables With Pancake Jacks | |
7 | Fender Tweed Deluxe Patch Cable | ![]() | Robust Deluxe Patch Cables From Fender | |
8 | Boss Patch Cable With Pancake Plugs|BPC-4-3 | ![]() | Industry-Standard Cables With Superior Sound Quality | |
9 | Mogami Patch Cord With Neutrik Jacks | ![]() | A Cord With an Indestructible Reputation | |
10 | Mono Minijack Patch Cables | ![]() | 6 Colour Coded Cords to Help Organise Your Rig |
It was a tough call choosing between the top two products in our ranking. However, we've opted for these Donner cables. Firstly, you get a pack of six, not just three, something which will come in handy if you have plenty of pedals or would like to have a couple of spares. Secondly, they're the space-saving pancake style.
In regards to the components used in the cables, they are brilliant considering the cost. The connectors are gold, they're copper-shielded to reduce noise and they use a polyurethane insulator which keeps the temperature down if you're playing for long periods. Essentially, these are cables that punch well above their price point.
USA-made is always a good sign with musical equipment – you can rely on the folks to produce quality goods, even if they are simple and to the point. This Planet Waves three-pack has a stealth-like plain aesthetic, flat angled connectors and a good 15 cm length.
They do have one feature that does set them apart ever so slightly, which is the use of a copper shield in the wiring. The company added this to help reduce noise in your signal chain, something that is always welcome by any level of player.
If you've been around the block and had various patch cables, then you're likely aware that finding the perfect fit is difficult. This is because our equipment is often fluid; selling, buying and trading is part of the game. This solderless kit from Boss is a truly creative solution to the patch cable problem.
Inside this kit, you receive 24 gold connectors (which are 24K-plated) and one long cable. With a simple operation, you can cut and put together cables to fit your spaces exactly. Whether you need one that is 1 cm or 1 m, you have the option of making it just the way you like.
If you're only just making your way into the guitar pedal game and you're not sure whether your equipment will end up in the attic along with that easel you bought a few years ago, then choosing affordable equipment is probably the right step to take. This is where the Hosa IRG-600.5 cables come in.
These patch cables are great value for money because you get double the quantity that you usually would and they're a decent length too. There might be a slight drop in audio quality, so they're maybe not best for professional musicians, but for casual players and first-timers, they offer excellent value.
The reason this pack from Stagg made it into our ranking is, unlike the other options, they allow you to pick your preferred length. The cables are available in either 15, 30 or 60 cm, though it's worth noting that the price will vary slightly due to the increase of materials.
Again, the company has opted for a colour-coded style which some will like and others not so much. Conversely to the other coloured patch cables in the ranking, these have a flat angle connector, making them suited to playing both live and in the studio.
Another big hitter in the guitar accessory world, Ernie Ball, has produced an excellent range of patch cables. This is the simple black and silver version, but if you're looking for something a little bit more snazzy, there are some brightly coloured designs available as well.
When it comes to the cables themselves, they not only have a pancake connection but they're about half the size of the average patch cable. This makes them ideal for those looking to save space on a crammed board. Plus, it ensures less signal is lost when sending juice from one pedal to another as it has a shorter distance to travel.
Fender is probably the most recognised name in the guitar world, and you don't get to that stage by producing dud goods. Their patch cables are beefy and robust, with thick gauge wiring and chunky angled connectors. They're also finished in the company's classic tweed, which gives them somewhat of a retro feel.
There are a few points to consider, though. Firstly, the size may be a little troublesome if you've got a pedalboard that is already at capacity. Secondly, they only come as a pair, meaning you'll be forced to buy more packs when you inevitably buy the next pedal you've been fawning over.
Boss, started by Roland, are undoubtedly the masters of all things pedal. It was these guys who created the compact pedal that many guitarists use today. So, it's only right that they have produced some fine accessories to accompany their flagship products. One of those accessories is these pancake-style patch cables.
The three-pack comes with 24K gold-plated connectors that ensure superb sound quality, which in part will have something to do with their shorter length too. They're on the pricier side compared to some, but you know you're always getting industry-standard gear from this company.
Many musicians indeed prefer to spend their money on equipment rather than accessories like patch cables. However, many players place a high value on these Mogami cables, most of all because they come with a reputation of being indestructible.
Therefore, you have some adding up to do. Would you prefer to spend big initially – and at this price, you'll have to – for a single cable, or would you rather buy cheaper cables that will likely need replacing much sooner? We guess the answer depends on your budget.
The first on our list are these lengthy cables from Mono. The company have named them Minijacks, which is an apt way to describe them at 60 cm. They're probably too long for a tidy pedalboard, but helpful if you're patching different pieces of equipment up in the studio, pedals included.
As you can see, they have a bit of character, all being different colours. This can be advantageous when identifying what is plugged into where. They're a reliable set of cables, so the only reason they're propping up the list is that we don't see many people requiring them as much as the other options we have.
No. 1: Donner|Right Angle Guitar Patch Cables
No. 2: Planet Waves|Classic Series Right Angle Patch Cable
No. 3: Boss|BCK-24 Solderless Patch Cable Kit
No. 4: Hosa|IRG-600.5
No. 5: Stagg|Patch Cable|SPC015L E
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