Let's face it, ugly troublemakers, nothing to brag about, not sexy, meh.
If you can live with that, more power to you !
If not, here is the solution, Neutrik plugs.
The best I've seen anywhere, been using them since the 80s, pure quality, and relatively affordable too.
With the acquisition of ReAn they now also cover the mid-range market, at low-range prices.
Here's a short rundown of the most common variety, 1/4".
NP-2X : the classic, replacing the equally fine NP2C
Indestructible, will survive extreme heat abuse while soldering, can be reused as often as you want, even my oldest '80s NP2Cs are still going strong on their x-teenth cable
The main difference to lesser plugs is the cable clamp (they call it "chuck") - reusable, no tiny screws to lose, adapt perfectly to any cable diameter (within reason)
Check out this graphic, it applies to all Neutrik 1/4" and XLR connectors.
Do not break off that small piece of plastic with thinner cables !
NP-3X : the stereo version
NP-2RX / NP-3RX : right-angle versions of the above
And now the only plugs to use on the guitar side of your guitar cable :
NP2X-AU-SILENT
NP2RX-AU-SILENT
These babies feature a hi-tech switch based on a reed relay that shortens the plug - voila, no noise anymore when unplugging.
There are others, again, the Neutriks work best imho and are virtually indestructible.
I'll spare you the details on the female versions, big plus :Hermetically sealed and magnetically operated switch
No wear, constant contact resistance
No corrosion or pollution of switch, durable and long-lasting
Lifetime beyond 10'000 mating cycles
They offer a lock similar to XLRs, completely secure even on stage
Neutrik do all the other common audio connectors too, not only the famous XLRs, even down to RCA, 3.5 mm headphone plugs, TT and so on, equally impressive quality.
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For less critical, permanently connected cables (e.g. rack- or studio cabling, pedalboards) the cheap'n'basic ReAn plugs are ideal, same build quality as the real Neutriks but with a conventional cable clamp.
NYS 207 (79 ct here in Europe )
NYS 208 stereo
Straight versions :
NYS 201, NYS 202
All these plugs, as well as their many internal / circuit board connectors feature exact contact dimensions according to the norm, you'd be surprised how many of the competitors don't.
Please don't file this under spam, I'm not affiliated with Neutrik in any way, it's just that I haven't seen many comparable products in over 25 years ...
Do yourself a favour and check these out, chances are you will be convinced.
Ymmv,
susiwong