Recently Silktone reached out to us to ask if we were interested in giving one of their cables a try. We happily obliged, and boy are we glad we did! While details about Silktone company history are sparse as they are still a relatively new cable manufacturer, they hail from the SF bay area in California where they hand build their cables. They pride themselves on producing high quality instrument cables and are soon to make a foray into amplifiers.
Sound
If we were to choose one word to summarize our impression of the sound: superb. Playing on an old Gibson Nighthawk through a Fender Blues Jr., the highs were articulate, crystalline, and concise. The mids were fat and punchy. The lows were powerful and crisp. Any sound coloration was non-discernible to the extent that this cable could be used as a control for comparing against other cables. It would be very at home in a studio setting next to other upper echelon cables such as Mogami for this reason. Overall, we were very pleased with the sound.
Features
When it comes to features, Silktone cables have some solid specs. G&H Bigfoot connectors with a solid copper core can be had in both straight and right angle and are strain relieved for durability with adhesive lined heat shrink. Dual isolated conductors isolate the signal from noise to maintain clarity. 38pF/ft capacitance means the cable attenuates very little signal. It should be noted that this cable is unidirectional in design in that the shielding is only terminated at one end. As such, you should plug the side that displays the Silktone logo into your amp and the other side into your instrument for best tone.
The cord can be had in lengths ranging from 6″ to be used as a patch cable all the way up to 30 feet (we tried out the 10 foot). As for style, the cable comes wrapped in black woven nylon as the only option, which comes as no surprise as it’s clear that the focus of this cable is tone.
As far as flexibility goes, this cable is middle of the road. It’s not as compliant as something like the Spectraflex X-flex, but it’s not so stiff that it can’t be packed and carried to a gig. Perhaps the only thing we’d actively seek to improve on the cable are the cable ties. Each cable comes with two hook and loop (Velcro) ties, and they are very nice quality. However, to release them they must be completely removed from the cable which means that after playing on the cable five or six times you will have probably lost one or both (at least if your jam sessions are anything like ours).
Quality
Overall build quality is fantastic. Silktone knows this too as they confidently offer a 14 day trial period for each cable during which you can return the cable if you aren’t satisfied for a full refund with no questions asked. Furthermore, each cable is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Value
When it comes to value, Silktone cables are solid. Their cables are by no means cheap, but considering that they are tonally superior they are worth the price. The cables have a pretty steep sliding price scale the longer you go, so the best value for a good versatile cable length can be found in the 10-15 foot range.
Overall, we are overjoyed that we got the opportunity to review a Silktone cable and are looking forward to what future offerings Silktone may bring to the market!
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