[Digital Black]

This is intended for the amature guitar players. Old hats and roadwarriors won't find much they don't already know..People with rack systems ( me ) and tons of money ( not me) won't either..

Noise and your amp:
Not the feedback kind, but that which enters from the power mains. There are many ways this can happen. Crakels, pops, hums, and sometimes random volume drops are some of the symptoms of this problem. For the bedroom woodshedder, this can be an annoyance, espcially when trying to record on a small portable recorder or modest home computer.
The first thing to do is to make sure non of your equipment is faulty itself. Sometimes this diagnosis is hard to do alone. If in doubt, take it to a specialist.

Location: noise can be introduced by mearly having it in the wrong spot. Fluorecent lights and computers, cell phones, and light dimmers or touch sensitive lamps are notorious offenders. Turn these off ( when recording on a computer obviously that will have to stay on) or move your rig to a "quieter" spot. By this I mean a place with less electronics around. Don't ware your cell phone when playing, that subtile chirping noise your hear isn't birds!

Checking the plug. The 120AC wall plug is the first step. Make sure this is wired up properly and don't use a two prong adapter for three prong outlets. Get it replaced. This helps you not to get zapped if something should short in your equipment. Use a power surge protecter. Don't spend more than 45$ or less than $15 for this. The expensive one's aren't really that much better. Stay away from surge protector that claim to filter noise. I haven't found a cheap one that does this well yet ( Rack power conditioners are a whole different topic). You can buy a small plug with three lights ( RS # 22-141 { http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct%5Fid=22-141}) that will tell you the state of your wall plug wiring. This is useful in finding out if everythings okey before you plug in. Take this with you if you go to a friends house or gig out. Every guitarist that values their equpiment should own one of these! It's saved me from a bad wiring situation twice.

[Digital Black]

Fighting:
Now if the tricks above fail ..Here is a simple explanation. Noise in the power lines is small variences in voltage amount and ocellation. It can be found in Ac AND DC even though Dc current is one directional. This causes the most apparent eletrical noise. Since All solid state equipment must change Ac to Dc in order to flow on the circut boards, we can see why this is important. Not all AC to Dc converters in a device properly filter this out or are too meager to handel large fluctuations.
Coils: Coils are the bane of noise(an Ac entity). Simplely making a small loop or coil on the mains cable from the back of your amp to the wall plug can have a noticable effect. It won't impead the working 120Ac voltage but help "clean" it up some.
OR
Take an old AM radio. Open it up (this radio won't be able to be used again!). Locate a small rod, black with wire wrapped around the middle of it, sometimes sealed in wax. Pull this out. Strip the wax and wire. Now this rod is made of ferrite. It has magnetic field properties; yet is not a magnet. It's commonly used as your am antenna (don't be fooled into thinking your steel rod on the top is the antenna for AM, it's for FM ONLY, and this goes for all radios except thoses requireing an external antenna inorder to pick up stations). Use this rod by looping the cord fom your amp around it. A few turns will sufffice. On thicker wires this can be hard to do . Just try your best and use a ziptie or electrical tape. You can do this on the AC line that powers the amp or it's connection to the speakers!
This really knocks out any unwanted noise. Now if your gain is super high your gonna hear it-but that's the preamp. Try this if your getting radio stations or other noise in your amp.

[Digital Black]

You can also use this on the adapter wire for your effects boxes/ pedals, whatever they may be. Both on the wall plug cord to the adapter or adapter to the effects (better here). This is a passive way of fighting noise, it will not affect you sound nor change your components. Ham radio stores sell these known as "chokes". They are formed to fit the power cords, get these if there is no AM radio you can tear apart; or want everything to look nice.

Some noise problems are not so easily fixed. Older houses or older Tv's ect. in the home add into this equation. Sometimes an electrician sould be consulted.
The myth about crossing wires at right angles is just that- a myth. Electrical feilds don't care much about how the wire lies.

Pedal myths.
Most anal guitar store employee's will insist upon purchasing a Boss ( or insert favorite brand) adapter because " nothing else will power it properly". Also the manual supplied, states the same thing. 80% of the time this is FALSE! As long as your adapter meets these conditions , things will function properly.
It must be 9volt
The tip size must be the same
The tip must be positive on the barrel and negative in the tip(most pedals are the same and just about all have a small sticker indicating what it should be-so check it first).
Your adapter should NOT be something; you found on the street, got for free, or less than 5 bucks(quality).
In other words, you can use a Radio shack Wall wart , running 9 volts with 500Ma to power , Boss, DoD, Danelectro, ect; as long as the plug is the right size and polarity. ( again-polarity can be found on a sticker on the unit or in it's instriction sheet)
Some of the bigger Pedals ( line 6 ) or rack type stuff- this does not apply.

Meet these conditions and it will work like any other expensive pedal setup.

Also, you can run up to five Boss pedals with one offcial Boss adapeter, using a "dasiy chain" (link of wire with many barrel plugs on it). There is enough ampage to run four at one time with the adapter not overheating. I used to do this regulary. If you do screw up your pedal because you are incompetent, or used grandma's old sewing machine adapter. I'm not responsible.
I never belived in the Expensive " power bricks " unless your into the "voltage sag" gimmick. I personally recommned the One Spot adapter if you must get aftermarket. It's cheap, small, powerful, and noiseless..
Don't spend money when you don't need too!
Have fun and leave some comments in this thread!

[Beelzebloke]

That trick with the ferrite rod is cool...

Will that stop the "dickedy-dick" interferance sound you get from mobile phones???
Also what about taxi radio interferance???

[Digital Black]

Just turn off your moble- that's a pretty hot signal up close so..it may or may not.
Should knock out reciprical frequency mixing ( Radio bands in you amp)..

[Drew]

"a simple loop or coil..."

You mean, just coil the cord around itself? Like, a roller-coaster style loop?

[Digital Black]

Originally Posted by Drew

"a simple loop or coil..."

You mean, just coil the cord around itself? Like, a roller-coaster style loop?

Yup, just coil up the cord. Sometimes it's enough. Weak AC current ( I.E.AC noise- what you don't want) has a hard time with it.
Stronger noise calls for the other methods I describe.

[Chris]

Good stuff, but that font is obnoxious!

[Digital Black]

Sorry man, but It would be the thrid time I'd have typed it all out. So I just cut and paste and made approprate changes..