Crackling Sound

[Tarl]

The past few weeks I have been getting a strange intermitent crackling / popping sound out of my amps that happens when I just move my guitar around when plugged in. It does not matter which amp or guitar I use, if I am at home or somewhere else or if i am plugged into my pedals or straight into one of the amps. It also happens when using an extension cord, power bar or plugged directly into the wall. Through experimentation I have found that my Planet Waves cables seem to amplify the sound more than my old Traynor cables. Also it is more noticable on my Gibson (burstbucker pros), then my Tokai (stock humbuckers) and finally my Fender (alinco III singles)........but it happens on all 3 guitars with all 3 of my amps. I was thinking static electricity and tried wiping down the instuments with dryer sheets to no avail. I took my Les Paul and my Crate V to 2 different techs and they could find nothing wrong with the guitar or amp. It is not noticable when actually playing but hearing it between songs is driving me crazy! Any ideas folks......

[Big White Tele]

If Im reading this right, its happening with any guitar, and any amp? Is it an electrial power supply issue? Does it happen at a different venue? Different power source?

[Lester B. Flat]

Do you mean you've tried different guitar cables or speaker cables?

[greco]

I'm wondering about your cables. A somewhat similar thing happened to me once and it ended up being the cables.

Unusual that both cables would have problems at the same time though.

Lester and I were typing at the same time...at least we are questioning the same thing (more or less).

Keep us posted

Dave

[Hamm Guitars]

I would say that you have a bad cable in your signal chain.

Try plugging your guitar straight into the amp to see test all of the cables. One or more of them is making the noise, or you have some other common unit that has a problem. Based on you telling us that you more around and you get the noise, I would bet it is a cable though.

[Tarl]

I would say that you have a bad cable in your signal chain.

Try plugging your guitar straight into the amp to see test all of the cables. One or more of them is making the noise, or you have some other common unit that has a problem. Based on you telling us that you more around and you get the noise, I would bet it is a cable though.

Thanks for the replies folks.....It happens when plugged straight into any of my 3 amps and at any venue I have tried so far. We played a dance last night and it happened there. I have also replaced all my pedal board cables and it happens when running through it also. I have used 3 different PW cables and 2 Traynor cables straight into the amps.....same result. It is not speaker cable as I have not used my cab when trying this stuff out. My jacks on all 3 guitars are tight. This stuff only started about 2 or 3 weeks ago....maybe static electricity? This ones a real mystery to me........

[Big White Tele]

Have you been hit by lightning lately? Do you have a cell phone in your pocket? Process of elimination would say that it must be you..

[greco]

Process of elimination would say that it must be you..

Only if it doesn't happen when your friends use your gear...does it? (long shot...but heck...worth a try)

What a mystery!!

Dave

[Tarl]

Have you been hit by lightning lately? Do you have a cell phone in your pocket? Process of elimination would say that it must be you..

LOL...no..... a couple of others have tried and it does it too. To them it is relatively insignificant and they say not to worry about it. My next step is to use contact cleaner on everything to see if it helps.

[Tarl]

I believe I have solved the problem, or at least made it less noticable. I discovered that the crackling is almost non existant if I take my car keys out of my right front pocket. I think that the back of the guitars is rubbing on the bulge created by the keys in my jeans pocket and making some sort of static electricity. Sounds crazy....but I'm not making this stuff up.

lofu

[Hamm Guitars]

Do you have a key FOB on your keychain?

[Tarl]

Do you have a key FOB on your keychain?

Yes I do....and it is metal....and alot of keys.

[Hamm Guitars]

Try holding the FOB against your cable and push one of the buttons. It could be what you are hearing.

[Tarl]

Try holding the FOB against your cable and push one of the buttons. It could be what you are hearing.

Sorry I misunderstood.....I do not have a plastic remote door opener or anything.......just a metal KINWU (the union I belong to) fob and lotsa keys.