Effects pedal + amp = wierd noise.

Switch

I have a Zoom G2 Effects pedal (I was going to get a set of decent distortion/overdrive pedals and things, but realised i hadn't got a clue what to look for, and at the moment i just want different sounds to experiment with + it can be used in the future) and a crappy 10w Crafter Cruiser.

When i play muted strings, particularly low down (1st-5th Frets) on the lowest 3 strings and midway (7-9) on the higher three strings, i get a REALLY nasty, high pitch shriek, rather than a nice crunchy sound (Think the verse to Million Miles Away - The Offspring, and the reason i realised this). Is this possibly because my amp is, basically, a pile of crap? Or could there be another reason?

Novawind

There's a variety of things that could be causing that. Bad amp, bad pedal, bad/unshielded cables, etc. Only way to really tell is to take one piece out of your puzzle at a time and see what it takes to make the shrieking go away. First, if you have access to a different amp, hook everything up normally except put in the different amp. If you still get the shrieking, then something else is probably the issue. Put your original amp back in and take out the pedal, check again. Try different cables after that.

Mike_Muse_Rage

Sounds like you're either standing too close to your amp, your pickups are too close to the higher strings or your cables are crap. Try all of those out.

Switch

Cables are high quality and pickups are fine. I can't really get far enough away from my amp to test that though. I got a feeling it might be the fact that my amp sucks.

ianvomsaal

What pedals are you using???
If you're using a compressor, that can be the cause of a high pitched squeal.
If you're using a compressor, turn it down (they're notorious for squeals when turned up too high).
Also, if you're using a distortion/overdrive pedal, try turning it down and see if that helps.