wire: stranded vs. solid core

[anson]

I was talking to a sparky (electrician) at a demolotion site a few yeas back as I was digging in a skip for some old solid core wire to put in my amp. He said something along the lines of: "solid core, I hate the stuff! It vibrates inside the walls and can weaken and break over time, all by itself, and cause fire. All we use is stranded core these days...". This was in Brisbane.
Don't know if that's too relevant to guitar amps though, except maby at the mains primary or something. I still have some of that salvaged solid core for my amp and like it because it stays put.


The sparky claimed that the "vibrations" were due to to 240V ac itself.

[daz]

I was talking to a sparky (electrician) at a demolotion site a few yeas back as I was digging in a skip for some old solid core wire to put in my amp. He said something along the lines of: "solid core, I hate the stuff! It vibrates inside the walls and can weaken and break over time, all by itself, and cause fire. All we use is stranded core these days...". This was in Brisbane.
Don't know if that's too relevant to guitar amps though, except maby at the mains primary or something. I still have some of that salvaged solid core for my amp and like it because it stays put.

I think it's MORE relevant in amps because amps will vibrate the wire a million times more than a building. I had 3 peavey classic 30's, and 3 of them over time had 3 solid core jumpers break just from the vibration i believe of transporting them and no doubt the music itself. I fear using solid core in an amp and use stranded even for heaters. I remember first noticing this issue many years ago when i used solid in a pedalboard i made and having it go down at gigs because the solid core broke. granted, it was small gauge, but in all my years i have yet to have stranded break like that.

[R.G.]

R.G., how did you get your thermal stripper for $35? That link shows a price of $69. Maybe you got yours years ago or on sale?

It looks like a pretty useful device. If I got one of those and a solder pot, I'd be in business.....

Ouch. I've had mine for a few years. It was less than list, but still.

Knowing what it does, even at $69, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

However, I have a pair of these Teledyne tweezers too. They're just slower and clumsier than a PTS-10.

[Gaz]

I think it's MORE relevant in amps because amps will vibrate the wire a million times more than a building. I had 3 peavey classic 30's, and 3 of them over time had 3 solid core jumpers break just from the vibration i believe of transporting them and no doubt the music itself. I fear using solid core in an amp and use stranded even for heaters. I remember first noticing this issue many years ago when i used solid in a pedalboard i made and having it go down at gigs because the solid core broke. granted, it was small gauge, but in all my years i have yet to have stranded break like that.

I never stress out about solid core breaking 'all on its own'. Why? - the same reason I don't worry about a resistor's lead breaking by it's own volition.

Take a piece of solid core wire and violently bend it back and forth in the same location, and see how bored you get before it actually breaks. Then think about the same pristine wire (assuming you didn't nick it while stripping) sitting there inside that dark chassis... I really don't think wires just break in guitar amps because of vibrations - maybe abrasions. Perhaps you should stop send such bad *vibes* to your solid core.