unDeRstanD How cables Influence tone

The most noticeable difference in cables comes via capacitance when using ‘normal’ passive pickups. It’s a physical phenomenon that has the effect of reducing (most obviously) high-end and treble (although it has an effect right across the frequency spectrum). So the longer your cable runs, or the more capacitance the cable itself has for a given length, the more high-end loss you’ll experience. This can be a good thing if you’re looking to lose some edgy high-end, or a bad thing if your sound is dull and lifeless. A buffer deals with high-end loss from long cables.