by gonzo-x » Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:23 pm
my DDSS is dead quiet..
problem is, since your adding so much more gain in front of the amp, the pedal is going to amplify any NOISE that your pickups are recieving.
this is common to any gain pedal.
i've experimented with this a lot lately..
i have a vintage mesa boogie amp, 60 watts.
if i run the clean channel, and boost the DD Wide open into the clean channel, i get very little background noise, using noiseless Bill Lawrence pickups in a strat-style guitar.
if i switch the mesa to the lead channel, which triples the gain, then all kinds of noise happens with the DD engaged, and i have to back off the VOL, and the GAIN, to marry a suitable boost from the pedal with the natural gain from the amp.
there is always a SWEET spot, and it's different for every rig.
point is, if you have noisy pickups, or pickups that are not shielded well, or are not humbucking, you'll get noise in the line from almost any pedal.
every thing in your chain can contribute to noise, from the pickups to the shielding, to your cabling, to your power in your house/studio/live setup.
have you a/b'd the pedal using other guitars?
other cables?
too many variables, but i can say, they all have a play in the final equation.
Barber Katrina Relief DDSS, Barber Tone press, Carvin DC200K, Williams Special, USACG strat, '81 Mesa Boogie Mark IIb head, Avatar vintage cab w/Heritage g12h, Yamaha DG Stomp, asstd. other pedals