Any noise problems?

[Capn_Gaz]

Single coils will almost always make some noise when in the 1,3 or 5 position. 2 and 4 are hum canceling like Humbuckers(by combining 2 single coils that are reverse wound and reverse polarity).

Not all are, my Fender Strat doesn't have a reverse wound middle pickup (all wiring, pickups etc.. as from the factory) and doesn't cancel hum - not through fault or bad workmanship, it happens to be designed that way.
So maybe make sure if you expect position 2 and 4 to cancel hum that the strat you buy does it.

[Capn_Gaz]

once the music starts no one hears the hum anyway

Guitarron has a very good point as well.

[AndyR]

Yeah, don't worry about the noise - it's only usually a livingroom/bedroom playing problem. When you start playing your part, and especially when the other parts kick in, you won't notice...

On the list of "appliances" that interfere/hum - I'm afraid you have to add the MBR!! At present, that's the biggest culprit when I'm recording

On the strat being noise-cancelling on positions 2 and 4, that's only if the middle pickup is reverse-wound and reverse-polarity in relation to the other two pickups. So you have to watch out when mixing and matching different pickup manufacturers... Also, my current strat has a rw/rp middle, I ordered them specifically that way - and it turns out I don't really like it. I understand it affects the tone in general for the guitar, this is no big deal for me, but it definitely affects the 2 and 4 tones, they're less "open" sounding and there's a bigger volume drop than I'm used to... and considering I don't value the hum-cancelling properties at all, it's a bit of a downer ...however, and this is the reason I ordered rw/rp, 2 and 4 are slightly more "quacky" than the traditional arrangement. I wouldn't go for rw/rp middle again though.

Noise gates... I have to use one on my vocals (or anything else mic'd up) where I live at the moment, I use it to cut out background noise from neighbours, the street, wife calling me for dinner, etc...

The problem with them is that they cause strange artifacts on the track - it's basically the noise made when a sound is loud enough to "open the gate". So if you were able hear my vocal takes without the band, you'd hear quiet pulsing and gurgling noises (this is better and a lot quieter than the noises I'm trying to get rid of). I set my gate so that it cuts the extra shouting, car doors etc, but lets through my breathing. If you take it much further, it starts to affect the actual performance itself. It does mean that I have to do most vocal takes without a shirt (or a well chosen one ), because fabric rustle on the singer is particularly annoying on the gate opening artifacts and I found that these can be audible in a mix, whereas most others I experience aren't.

I never use a gate for anything else (except maybe gated reverb on a snare drum - but that's not possible on the MBR ).

[Greeny]

Shirtless singing?! I've seen orh doing much the same thing!

[The Reverend 48]

Shirtless singing?! I've seen orh doing much the same thing!

don't you mean shitfaced singing
OHR I'm only joking I love you really!

[Greeny]

Shirtless singing?! I've seen orh doing much the same thing!

don't you mean shitfaced singing
OHR I'm only joking I love you really!

Bit of both probably... drawn-on six pack plus a real six-pack of Stella, lol

[The Reverend 48]

Seriously back to the plot...IMO you loose the character of Single coils when you go noiseless they sound very clear and quite but somehow loose the Strat character!.....
BTW does anybody know if my new baby "Classic 60's Player" has reverse wound pick ups?

[AndyR]

Yep I've seen that video

[Capn_Gaz]

BTW does anybody know if my new baby "Classic 60's Player" has reverse wound pick ups?

No the middle isn't reverse wound on 'em (same model as my Strat)

[Bro]

Wow thanks guys, turns out that the noise problem isn't that huge anyway huh? Really thanks, for the advice on the noiseless pickups too 48, i've been thinking of buying them, now i might not..