Capacitance is one of the two main factors defining how a cable interacts with the electronic components of an instrument and thus influences the sound.

A cable acts as a condenser – the higher the value (measured in farads), the higher the attenuation of the signal – and the duller and more muffled the sound. Relevant parameters here are the cable length and the type of conductor.

Common specs for instrument cables range from 115 pF per metre of cable for entry-level cables to 65 pf/m for high-end pro cables.