I Will Never Buy Another Monster Cable
I don’t like mixing politics with audio engineering stuff. I get involved with both, but there isn’t a whole lot of room for my anti-socialist rants here at Recording Review. With that said, I have wasted most of my adult life making music in one capacity or another and I do feel like a big part of music is making a statement about our own beliefs (even if you are socialist, unfortunately) when we aren’t writing songs about snorting blow off the chests of exotic dancers.
Here is a situation where I feel inclined to open my big mouth. It appears that Monster Cable, the makes of the overpriced cables for guitar, mics, speakers, and the consumer garbage you find at Best Buy, have been going sue crazy. I personally find the legal system in America to be in total shambles in practically every way and I have no tolerance for this:
According to the article found here.
Monster fiercely protects its name
Cable products company sues those who use M-word
Monster Cable has sued the following companies:
- Discovery Channel for Monster Garage
- Disney for Monsters, Inc
- Bally Gaming International Inc. for its Monster Slots.
- Hansen Beverage Co. for a Monster Energy drink.
- The Chicago Bears, whose nickname is Monsters of the Midway.
- MonsterVintage.com
- Monster.com
Apparently, I’m not the only one who is boycotting Monster Cable. Support Tekzilla and Blue Jeans Cables - BOYCOTT Monster Cables
Conclusion
I don’t know the whole story, but I don’t like corporate bullying. I’m not a super strong anti-corporationey guy, but when a company steps out of line, they should pay the price. Monster Cable has the right to sue whoever the way. I’m sure they are getting some cash out of the deal or they wouldn’t continue to do it. However, the gains of their legal department have got to be a pain in the neck for their PR department.
PS
If you want high end guitar cables, go with George L. If you want high end anything else cables, quit wanting high end anything else cables and buy something that actually matters.
Tags: boycott, lawsuit, Monster Cable
April 19th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Let’s discuss this:
http://forum.recordingreview.com/f43/microphone-cable-shootout-7411/
April 21st, 2008 at 1:12 am
Hmm, now I’m not all that familiar with the US legal system, but I would have thought they’d have about the same chances with this as the proverbial snowflake?
I don’t think you CAN actually protect a name across all spectrums like that. It’s not like they own the word Monster after all (oops I’m probably also going to get sued now, I used the word Monster without the explicit permission! Drat! I did it again!! my oh my, better bring out the big checkbook…)
If another company started making cables using the Monster name they’d be in their rights, but suing Disney, the Discovery channel and a football team??? This could be fun (”…and they shoot them selves in the foot again! ooh, that must have hurt…”) …good thing I don’t own any M*%£^!r cables…
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:54 am
That’s Crazy! I don’t buy their expensive stuff. There are always alternatives that are better and much more cost efficient. How are you going to claim a word as an original idea anyway??? Maybe that is why their products costs so much…..because they waste so much money chasing their tails! I’m with you on this one.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Can you say Hosa? They have better stuff for cheap!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
That’s just silly. I have bought monster cable (ooh, didn’t use the capital letters! whatever, sue me..) and did a blind comparison with a Mesa Boogie dual rec, and an SM57. The monster adds a TOUCH (and by touch, i mean absolutely miniscule) amount of high-end to the overall sound. But not enough to pay 3 times more for. I eq’ed the guitar afterward, and guess what? it sounded EXACTLY like the monster cable. you could buy 4 xlr’s for the price of one 8ft monster cable. maybe if they lowered their prices, people would buy into all that crap about cables actually making your sound that much better, but i somehow don’t buy into the myth.
Sign that petition, and just buy other cables period.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Just a plug for Planet Waves cables. I’ve found them to be well worth the money. Never had one go bad, lifetime guarantee…
April 25th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
That is pretty absurd on Monsters part.. Monster cables are pretty pricey, but you don’t need a receipt to exchange a cable if it dies out on you, which means you’re pretty much buying that cable for life. Does George L cables offer anything similar to that by any chance?
April 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
this case is an example of a company victim of its own arrogance. i will not buy from them any more!
April 25th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
You can’t own a word you didn’t create. The word “monster” was around long before Monster Cable was. Further, the use of the word in movie titles or otherwise does not devalue their Monster Cable brand in any way.
I will boycott.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Do what I do, make them yourself! It’s cheaper and you have quality control. Good luck on their big PR stunt. Anything to make a buck since the company is going under.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
See, something that has been coming up is lifetime warranty. I simply don’t abuse my stuff enough to need something like that. I always coil them nicely, tell people to step over them, and treat them nicer than my second cousins.
May 25th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Monster cable is AUDIO MYTHOLOGY - no one should be buying it anyway! See also: “contact enhancers”, “digital ready” headphones, etc.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Monster Cable has the same sort of name recognition as Bose and Kleenex. We’ve all heard the questions from the uninformed who ask “Does it sound as good as the Bose?” when clearly it does or “Need a Kleenex?” while holding a box of Puffs. Those same sorts use Monster as the generic term for something perceived to cost more than the “gimme” cables that come with most electronic components. There are countless cables out there that cost less or are similar in price that sound better than Monster. Go to any higher end specialty hi-fi store than Best Buy and Circuit and you’ll find them. And you can become informed by sales staff that knows and cares something about music and how it’s supposed to sound as opposed to high school age kids that know all the ins and outs of the latest Grand Theft Auto game. They’ll say “Of course it sounds good; it’s Monster.” Give the independents a try; they’ll be a revelation.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:21 am
I think you hit it on the head with the Bose comment. Bose is considered the gods of fidelity to the masses. Their marketing approach is genius.
June 27th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
There’s a great post on consumerist.com about how Monster tried to sue a small independently owned cable company for infringing on some of their patents. As it turned out, the owner of the small cable company had retired as a lawyer specializing in patent law in order to start his cable company. Man, you should see the letter he wrote to Monster in response to their cease and desist letter. Here’s a link:
http://consumerist.com/tag/cease-and-desist/?i=380082&t=monster-cable-threatens-the-wrong-small-cable-manufacturer
There’s also tons of other Monster-bashing articles over at consumerist.com as well. My favorite: “Do Monster Cables Sound as Good as Coathangers?”