Ampturco Cable Review

Guitar cables are an important part of any guitar setup, but most of us don’t give them much thought as long as they aren’t giving us a problem. However, when it’s time to purchase a new one, you’re likely to find dozens of different brands, all with different price points, which might make you wonder what the difference is between them. We recently did some tests on a few cables and found that there can actually be quite a difference from one cable to the next. Hopefully our experience with the different cables in this article will help you make an informed purchase.

Here at Humbucker Soup, we do a lot of work with pickups and even speak with a lot of different manufacturers to learn about their processes. Recently, we had the good fortune of talking with Anthony Turco, who makes handmade guitar cables, wiring harnesses, and more, and since we were on the subject, we thought it would be a good idea to test these cables with other brands to compare and contrast their differences. .

Guitar Cords We Reviewed

AmpTurco Riff Whips
https://www.ampturco.com/product/ampturco-20-straight-instrument-cable

Fat Toad
https://www.amazon.com/Straight-End-Instrument-Electric-Keyboards-Shielded/dp/B08JNR4SH1/

Whirlwind Leader Cord
https://www.amazon.com/Whirlwind-Leader-Instrument-Cable-Straight/dp/B0002I9QI2/

Free Cord
A free guitar cable I found that came with a recent amp purchase.

Cable Appearance

Winner: AmpTurco
AmpTurco Riff Whip guitar cables are the clear winners regarding appearance. They have extra wide ends that look expensive and high-quality. I have only seen a few other cables with ends this wide, and they are always extremely expensive. AmpTurco cables are also customizable to your needs. Get these cables with a 10, 15, or 20-foot length as a regular straight cable or twisted like an old phone cord. You can choose between a lot of different colors: red, black, white, orange, gray, sea foam and more, and you can even choose the color of protective shrink wrap. Both straight and angled plugs are available.

The Fat Toad has a fantastic cloth covering that I think looks nice and keeps my cat from chewing on it, but it isn’t nearly as customizable as the AmpTurco. The Whirlwind and free cable only appear in black at a few different lengths, though I believe the Whirlwind offers gold tips as well.

Cable Quality

Winner: AmpTurco
The AmpTurco cables win for quality. As we mentioned, they feature fat Rean Neutrik plugs at each end that are well-constructed and can take years of abuse. The ends are hand-soldered and tested by Anthony Turco himself, so you know it will work when you plug it in. They make the wire between the plugs right here in the USA, and it features a low capacitance of only 20 Picofarads per foot, so it won’t muddy up your tone when using a longer cord, and the ends have shrink-wrap, so it doesn’t allow moisture in or untwist as you use it. You can also contact AmpTurco and talk directly with Anthony if you have any troubles.
The Fat Toad is also an excellent-quality cable with its cloth coating, and I’ve used them for many years without issue. Whirlwind is also a popular cable in my area and has shrink-wrap ends along with a lifetime warranty. The free cord has no cloth, no shrink-wrapping, and no warranty.

User Serviceable

Winner: Fat Toad
If you need to resolder the end of the guitar cable, which is quite common due to normal wear and tear, the Fat Toad makes it easy because the plugs unscrew, giving you access to the joints. The free cable also gives you access to these joints, while the AmpTurco and Whirlwind cables have a shrink-wrap that prevents access, at least without damaging it. However, AmpTurco and Whirlwind will repair or replace the cables for you.

Cable Cost

Winner: AmpTurco
As you might have expected, the high-quality parts and personal touch causes the AmpTurco cables to be a little more expensive than the other options. At the time of this writing, a 20-foot AmpTurco cable costs $48, while a 20-foot Fat Toad costs $15.95. The 15-foot AmpTurco cable costs $40, while the same-size Whirlwind is $29.95.

Cable Sound

Winner: AmpTurco
Plugging in the different cables and listening to the difference was rather surprising, and though the evaluation of sound is subjective, we feel AmpTurco was the clear winner. Here’s why:

Hiss

When I compared the AmpTurco cable to the Fat Toad, I was surprised to learn that the Fat Toad was slightly but noticeably noisier. The Whirlwind was also slightly noisy, but the noise had a slightly brighter sound. The free cable had so much noise that I was shocked and unscrewed the ends to see if the solder was holding. Though this cable has shielding, it doesn’t seem to work too well.

Low End

The next thing that surprised me when trying the free cord was that the low end didn’t seem to come through, and it sounded much thinner than the other cables. The fat Toad also seemed to lose a little of the low end, but I might not have noticed it if I wasn’t running a test. The Whirlwind and the Ampturco were a little more subjective, but after several minutes of listening, I feel I can say confidently that the AmpTurco provides the guitar player with a deeper, tighter bass than any of the other cables.

High End

The low capacitance of the AmpTurco cable really shines on the high end. The notes are crisp and clear, which helps with note separation, especially when using distortion, and it helps to bring out the sound of the pickups. The notes seem to ring out longer, and effects, like reverb, seem to sound better. The next brightest cable was the Whirlwind, followed by the Fat Toad and free cable that sounded about the same in this area.

Conclusion

The AmpTurco Riff Whips are a little pricier than the others, but the benefits far outweigh the cost. Choose your colors, ends, and length, then give Anthony a few days to build it. It arrives in shrink-wrapped packaging that protects from moisture and corrosion, and when you plug it in, you will be amazed at the sound. Thanks to the low capacitance wire, high-quality ends, and expert workmanship, you will hear brighter highs that provide more note separation, deeper lows, and less static. The Whirlwind cable is almost as expensive and comes in a distant second.
We hope you enjoyed this cable shootout. Thanks for reading Humbucker Soup!