Evidence Audio Lyric Cable

The Lyric HG cables are directional, and a bit stiff. Takes a few more seconds to wrap up, but not a big deal.

I play a lot of clean lead Strat in bands, as well as lead acoustic plugged in, and had been using the ProCo cables at the local music stores. After taking a chance on the Lyric HG, I carefully compared back and forth with my old cables, and there was a noticeable difference. Much smoother, less "ice-pick" highs, clearer, fuller, richer, more musical sounding. I never bought into the cable hype, but there is a noticeable difference, not only in the sound but the feel of the rig.

The biggest difference was between the guitar and the pedal board, followed by the pedal board to the amp. I've heard quite an improvement going to an all-tube Fender ProSonic amp, but it seemed even more noticeable when going to my all solid-state Fender Ultralight Jazzmaster amp.

I also got a Melody cable, and while there was also a noticeable improvement over my old cables, the Lyric HG was definitely the better cable. I did get Lava Cable to make small patch cables for my pedal board using the Melody, as they were much cheaper and easier to use in the tight areas in the pedal board. Some basic tests didn't show quite the improvement in the pedal board as I heard between the guitar/amp & pedal board/amp.

I've used the Lyric HG cables for many months, lots of shows & practices, with no problems. However, I did have one cable fail while doing a burn-in test overnight. Mark at Lava Cable had me send it back, and he repaired it and returned it. It's been working great since then! I've heard of it happening, but it seems rare from what Tony at Evidence as told me as well as Mark at Lava Cable.

Certainly more reliable than other cables I've had over the years.

Seems very well made. The connectors on both the stock and custom cables are high quality. I especially like the cable covering not being rubber, as they get dirtier (and sticky) over time.

I've talked to both Tony at Evidence and Mark at Lava Cable, and both are really passionate about their products and the science behind it. I had one cable fail right away (out of a dozen), and Mark was very good at taking care of it.

Lava Cable has a great web site that makes it easy to specify custom cables of all kinds. Quick service & shipping, too.

If you've been playing for a long time, you'll appreciate the improvement. Not cheap, but good equipment rarely is. It's easy to see why David Gilmour has switched to these -- a noticeable improvement in both sound and feel. I've completely rewired my rig to Evidence Audio cables, and folks have noticed it (although they don't know it's the cables). I've been playing out for many years, and I'm in more than one band, as well as having solo CD's out. Both electic & acoustic have benefited. Highly recommended.

Extremely stiff, which make them hard to wrap-up quickly after a gig.

I'm a audiophile with extremely pricey home two-channel equipment, including Nordost Valhalla cables, so I have a good ear for sound. Mark Chalecki, from Capitol Records Mastering department, said, I have "golden ears". This is the best sounding guitar cable I've heard. Your rig is only as good as it's weakest-link and this may have you second-guessing other pieces of gear.

I only gigged with it a few times and it seems like it'd be easy to accidentally, kink, and perhaps break.

Beyond helpful.

I hate to say that as good as this cable sounds, it does not work in a gigging musician situation. The cable is pretty unwieldy on stage and does not like to lay flat and play nice. It does however like to: knock over beer bottles, catch onto effects pedal knobs and change their settings, trip fellow bandmates. The best alternative I found was the Mogami Platinum, which I liked better than the Evidence Melody. I still love Evidence's products and recently upgraded my pedalboard, from George L, to their Monorail cable.

Simple: plug in and play

Amazing. This is, in my opinion, the clearest, most transparent sounding cable out there. If you are playing through 25 crappy pedals and love Nickelback, this is probably not the cable to spend your money on. But if your setup is simple and you want to really hear the sound of your guitar, amp, pickups and fingers, Evidence Audio is the only way to go.

I ordered 2 Lyrics and one of them failed shortly after I got it. I spoke with Tony, who is the head tech at Evidence, and he informed me that cable failure is a very rare but unavoidable, predicament. He made and sent me a new cable before even receiving the defective one back and I've had no problems since.

The customer support is as good as the cable quality. Tony will speak with you directly, he'll answer your questions and he'll prove with his actions that he cares about making the best product available and keeping you as a customer. This guy makes boutique products that are unbeatable in price or quality and he is still humble, considerate and focused on customer satisfaction. (Why can't Fulltone operate with similar decency???)

Pricey but worth every cent and then some. These are cables that you will keep and enjoy for as long as you play. In the rare event that you do have a problem with one of them, you'll be able to call the guy who made the cable and he'll help you in any way he can. Try getting that to happen at Whirlwind!

Its a cable, but it is directional.

My set up is Stratocaster > Lyric HG > RMC6 >Sunface> high gain Sunface> Beano boost> OCD v.4> Mojo Vibe > TC nova delay > Lyric HG > Victoria 20112 w/celestion blue (and soon a DR Z Carmen Ghia)

This is the finest sounding cable I have used in 28 years! Absolutely quiet which really helps with a vintage style strat as it is noisy enough. You do have to break in the cable by playing it for about 40 hours to get the best sound quality.

At first I was afraid it wouldnt sound good with vintage gear, or it would be too bright with a Strat. WRONG! Super sweet sound through the spectrum, and if you go back to other cables you will be irritated by many things including a nasty high end. (hello Planet waves)

The only people I know playing these cables is David Gilmour and John Mayer.

It appears to be VERY well built, and Tony seems rather umm obsessive about such things, so I dont worry about them.

Tony often gets back in an hour!

Yes, they are expensive, but spend some time with a broken in Lyric HG, and you will not go back. They are also a bit still, but still arnt anymore a pain in the butt than a generic rubber cord. I used SpectraFlex before this and a rubber Planet Waves and I cant even use them anymore they sound so bad.

I am thinking of getting a Harmony for Blues Jams so I dont have to feel bad if someone spills beer on it.

This is one amazing cable. I had gone through a batch of testing years ago, and after reading about George L cables - a guitar player editors pick on their issue that compared about 25 different cables, I thought I better buy some of those. Up to now that was the standard of excellence, until I read about and then bought this most unusual incredible sounding Evidence Audio Lyric HG cable. This cable is directional, the red end is meant to plug into your amplifer, and the other end into your guitar. Of course there is no learning curve for this "effect", other than remembering to insert the red end into the amplifier. Tony Fanella, the owner and creator of this cable sends along some info with your purchase, stating that it takes 10 hours of use before 80% of the sound "comes out" or alive. I was skeptical at first upon reading this, but I have first hand experience that indeed the sound does bloom after 10 hours of usage. The remaining 20% of blooming occurs between 10 and 40 hours of use, but this improvement in quality is not so noticeable as change after 10 hours of use. I compared this wonderful cable to my other cables (see below for blow by blow comparisons), and sure enough the sound coming out of my guitars does improve after usage. Simply amazing!

ok kiddies, here is the scoop. Testing took place over 2 months of usage, comparing my George L, Spectraflex, Canare, Rodam Pro series, some generic cables, against the Lyric HG. Ladies and gentleman, THERE IS NO CONTEST. In all categories I could think of the Lyric HG just smoked the competition. Testing was done with my two guitars, Schecter P/T custom - a very sweet sounding guitar, and my 1993 Gibson Nighthawk, pickup switch in middle position. Amp used: a 10 years plus older and smooth sounding Roland jazz chorus 120. I also tested in a store a Monster cable, and the Planet Waves cable which my guitarist friend owns. These are well marketed cables, but in terms of quality it is like comparing a Porsche or Mercedes Benz to a 20 year old jalopy. If you are satisfied with Monster or Planet Waves, then you are either 1) tone deaf 2) don't care about your tone 3) have not experienced the Evidence Audio Lyric HG. SHAME ON YOU!
Assuming you have spent between $1000-$2000 on your guitar, ditto for your amp, and who knows how many buckeroos spent on effects, then you owe it to yourself to get yourself a high end quality cable. In the words of the immortal Lenny Bruce: "DUMMY UP!"

The Tests: I am not gonna mention the Monster or Planet Waves - they don't deserve the ink.

High end:
Lyric HG: sweet sweet
George L: somewhat shrill
Spectraflex: ok but no cigar,
Canare/Rodam Pro: not so sweet

Midrange:
Lyric HG: sweet sweet
Spectraflex: ok, no cigar
George L: thin sounding
Canare/Rodam Pro: kinda muddy

Low end:
Lyric HG: sweet sweet
George L: tiny tot sound
Canare/Rodam Pro: muddy
Spectraflex: meaty sounding bass, but not natural, artifacts added (noise)

Definition and clarity:
Lyric HG: excellent definition and clarity
George L: good definition, good clarity, a pure sound though thin sounding
Spectraflex: average definition, average clarity
Canare/Rodam Pro/ poor definition, poor clarity

3D dimensional sound:

Lyric HG: This is the only cable that has this characteristic, it is one of the reasons that makes the Lyric HG stand head and shoulders above the competition. I dunno if it is because the overtones are so righteous that causes this 3D effect, but hearing is believing.

None of the other cables have 3D sound, the airiness that the Lyric HG has

Artifacts added:
Lyric HG: none
George L: adds no artifacts, but has no "airy" component
Rodnam Pro/Canare/Spectraflex: introduces false tones (ie artifacts) trying to compensate for the lack of true signal delivery. The Spectraflex adds it mostly in the low (bass) tones, the other cables add it everywhere.

Airiness:
Lyric HG: excellent
George L: none
Spectraflex: some but clouded by false tones/artifacts
Canare/Rodnam Pro: none

Yes I depend on it, it is my trusty "effect"

Excellent. I emailed (bugged) Tony at Evidence Audio many times. Replies always come within 24 hours. He is a person who CARES about tone, has built a life around that concept. Quality in and quality out.

Simply the best cable ever, in a league of its own. The only cable I have ever heard that could be called an "effect". The 3D sound, the airiness, the clarity and defintion are outstanding. You will hear your guitar as it really sounds, as good as it can be.

Note: Here are the physical characteristics, this info from www.evidenceaudio.com website:
Lyric HG uses High-grade IGL Copper conductors, Solid Core Conductors, symmetrical Design. The Lyric uses a foamed polyethylene insulating material maximizing the amount of air around the conductors
The Lyric is engineered to have very low capacitance, and can be used in long lengths without any high frequency roll-off. The Lyric uses an extremely high-density pure copper braid to keep out interference -- in addition, the conductors are wrapped with graphite tape to reduce triboelectric noise. Evidence Audio uses Wonder Solder??? from TRT???, which uses a proprietary blend of materials resulting in a benign sonic signature. Neutrik??? manufactures the plugs used on the Lyric

It is a cable!!!! Just have to pay attention to the direction of signal (which is indicated by the bright red on the amp end of the cord). The cord is a little stiff, but the sound more than makes up for that!!!!!!!

Currently i am using a SWR bass350 and a EDEN 410XLT w/ a BBE sonic maximizer. I first took this cable home on a test run, I fisrt used it on my rig w/ my Warwick Thumb5. WOW!!! The warwick, I thought, was already cleaner with the Sonic Max. The Evidence cable took my Thumb to another of clarity and this was first without the BBE. When adding the BBE in, I could not believe my sound could be so clear and defined form a cable!!!! Harmonics are rich, lows are smooth and punchy, and the highs are silky!!!! By the way, I previously used Monster Bass Cables and Evidence sounds better hands down.

I have been using it since July 05, so we will see!!!!

I emailed the owner (Tony) to see what there warranty was. First of all, for him to have his email available on the website instead of a tech, and for him to answer back personally. He informed me that if anything would happen to the cable within reason, he would replace it for lifetime!!! There was a guy at our local music store who brought one and it was defective. They call the company and Tony overnighted a new on to him!!!!

My style of music is gospel and jazz. I have been playing for 10yrs. I this cable was ever stolen, i would buy another. (My monster cable was stolen at a gig and I did not buy another one of them).I love the durability and sound of the cable. I don't like the stiffness. This cable will make you want to play more. You will love the way you instrument sounds.

The Lyric HG cable is marked by a red band and an arrow which indicateds the direction of output. Easy to read. Just plug it in.

I tried the best cables, Monster, Worldwind, and George L. The Lyric HG had a clarity the others didnt. I've been using it for 3 months now and plan to get a spare and try their other products also.
I've been doing demos for a majot guitar company and most of the guitare is plugged straight in, and you can tell the difference and quality of this cable the best this way.

Very durable construction.

Havent had a problem

I play a wide variety of music.- work with high gain, to just a clear guitar clean guitar sound. I've been playing and working for 32 years. I mainly play PRS guitars, but have a few Fenders, Gibson, along with a few acoustics, Amps- Two rock, Bruno, Marshall, Fender and some small tweed champ style amps.
I like anything that helps the clarity of the sound of the instrument come through. and it works great.

Lyric HG cable.
I got it from Steve's Music Center, Rock Hill N.Y.
It's a cable. The direction of signal is marked by an arrow and a red plug on the far end away from the instrument or source.

I tried this cable with a bass and acoustic guitar, which are my main instruments. It clarified the sound with both. I have been working with music and sound for forty years and have finally found what has been bugging me. Whenever I adjust E.Q. settings I really am trying to adjust bothering sounds OUT. I find myself trying to reduce trouble spots. I have always attributed this to having an instrument that was of some questionable quality. Sure, All guitars and basses have something that sticks out or seems to be missing. Until now I had no idea how much the signal is affected by cable. O.K. How about this: I had a cable which I recently got from a music store. That's what started this whole thing. When playing that cable I switched to an older, but more substantial cable and got a better sound. Better frequency response across the sound band. Deciding that cables could be significant, I bought a Mogami cable on the internet and AGAIN! got a much better signal across the band. At that point I started to think if things could possibly be any better! I was totally happy with the sound. Couldn't believe it had wasted so much time over the years trying to remove sounds which were being generated by cable. I then started research into high end cable. I ended up at Evidence cable. I drove a hundred miles in one direction to test my setup against Evidence cable. If Evidence cable didn't win I would have still wrote this review for enticing me to waste my time and gas for nothing. The Evidence cable took away a low end anomoly and added high end making it possible to TURN UP my gear because it was unobtrusive. That's why Euphonic bass cabs can be turned up so loud, they don't intrude at certain freqs. Not having the usual things happening might take some time to adjust to the clarity. My musical grail has been found. I will no longer be wasting my time playing the E.Q. intead of the bass. The same for acoustic guitar. If I could I would give this a 15 for letting me get to this understanding.

N/A Time will tell.

Heard they're the greatest.

If you don't upgrade to Evidence, then for the sake of your sound at least seriously look into better cable. You will pay a small price for a lifetime of music.

Cables being what they are, it's pretty much plug 'n play; this one is directional, with a nice red plastic tip to make easier to remember which end goes where, so there you go. The one slight drawback (and this will be my only minus) is the relative lack of flexibility of the cord, which is a bit rigid. But if you read the (very well documented) web site explanations detailing every aspect of the chosen materials, you don't mind so much once you know a bit more about it. In this case, the core wires are solid for sonic considerations, as opposed to braided, with a very purified copper and special insulation, making the overall flexibility a bit different than the wires I'm used to.

What a great cable! I bought two of them (Lyrics HG), going from guitar to pedalboard, and pedalboard to amp. Not cheap, but certainly an excellent value for the money. It's the kind of purchase you do, quickly incorporate in your setup, notice the improvement right away, forget about it for a while, then one day you change wires for some reason and when your tone suddenly misses something you go "Whoa, I totally forgot I had that cable in there for a good reason!".
I've been on an analog tonal quest lately, and my gear is like this:
Heavily modified Strat Plus (Kinman pickups, titanium bridge, earvana compensated nut, sustainiac, gearless tuners, soon to have a graphite reinforced neck; maybe I should have built it from scratch...), a few good analog pedals (valvulator-1 preamp, mold spore wah/rindmod, fulldrive2, dejavibe, robotalk, ad-900 delay), modified Traynor 50amps tube amp.

I do rock, but I also have a noise band (feedback cowboys), and this is where I see the most improvements, as I match the miked amp to a direct line on the board. The direct line really reveals how much of the bass, warmth, dynamics and overall balance you retain with these cables.

I'm still using George L's for my pedalboard patch cords because it's rather cramped and they are really compact and good enough, but if Evidence Audio starts manufacturing them in a similar way I'll certainly order a few more.

Very solidly built (Neutrik plugs, better quality solder, etc). Easy to modify as well, in case you want to shorten them. You just cut them, get Neutrik plugs and solder yourself (preferably with the suggested solder). It's the wire constuction/material that's the real differentiating factor, as opposed to just getting good parts and making one yourself. I'd recommend buyers to go check the information on the web site; it has taught me a lot about cable chemistry. They sell other useful cables there as well (speakers, mikes, even power cords).

At any rate, I covered my pedalboard-to-amp Evidence cable with black protective flexible plastic; you always get people walking all over cables on stage, and I'd like to preserve the lifespan of this one as much as I can.

Again, this company shines here as well.
I reached Tony on my first phone call (on a Saturday), to get infos about switching plugs, and got everything I needed in the most courteous manner. I emailed him much later for soldering tips; he replied almost instantly, and offered to send me a bit of better solder and hard to find red plastic tips at no charge. This guy not only supports his product adequatly, he also cares about players really sounding the best they can with his cable.
I wish he made computers... maybe mine would work better...
;)

-Amongst the best sounding transparent cables
-Very good bang for the buck in this high end category
-Nice detailed web infos
-Professionnal and courteous service

Wishlist: make them available in different colors.

It's a cable, what can I say. However, it is directional, so you have to plug it in the proper direction

OK, This category is the reason I'm even bothering to submit a review. Why on earth would someone bother to write about a freakin' cable? You plug it in and it works Right? Well, let me tell you a litle story. I had a bunch of High end cables hanging around my studio, when one of my favorite guitarists showed up one day with Evidence cables and was telling me how great they were. I pretty much ignored him thinking that all good cables pretty much sound alike, but during the session cables were being swapped left and right at random, and by accident a drummer (naturally) plugged in the LYRIC cable on his electronic drum kit on one channel and a top of the line MONSTER on the other channel. At first we all thought the balance was messed up, but when we switched the cables, low and behold, the Lyric was significantly louder than the Monster. A fluke? maybe a bad cable from monster? Not on your life. We tried all the different monster cables, and the Lyric sounded so much better. Not just for electronic drums, but Bass and Keyboard! Holy cow what a revelation! I then tried some Planet Waves, Whirlwind, Pro co, and others. All were about the same result as the Monster. THIS CABLE SOUNDS BETTER ON EVERYTHING.

I really can't comment, but so far no problems. It's a solid core wire, which would seem like it might be more likely to break, but That is a totally ignorant guess.

I can't comment here either, but when I purchased my cables, the company wanted to hear from me and told me how to keep in touch. My guess is that it would be great

I said it all in the sound section