Few things are as annoying or aggravating for the gigging player as a bad or noisy cable. Yet there are a couple of simple things you can do to prevent some of the more common causes of failure and noise.
The most basic advice for your cables is to keep the ends (connectors) clean. By keeping them clean, you're making sure that you're getting the maximum amount of contact between the cable and whatever it's connected to. The cheapest cleaner is 90% isopropyl alcohol, which is available at any drug store. For really tarnished and corroded connectors, you can go to an electronic supply store (like Radio Shack) and ask for a cleaner that is appropriate for electronic contacts.
The second thing you can do is pay attention to the way you grab the cable when plugging it in or out of your rig. Always grip the connector itself, and never yank out a cord by grabbing the cable (this causes unnecessary stress and may result in a compromised solder joint inside the connector). Weakened joints will crackle intermittently and may eventually stop working altogether.
