Newbie Tweeking Bass

[funky_numba]

Hi all

I'm a newbie to bass.. a few weeks so far. I recently bought a second hand 4-string bass (Wesley), put on new strings (Rotosound Swing 40-100).

I'm having a problem with fret buzz... mainly with the E-string. When I slap the E-string it hits on most of the frets. Out of curiousity, I raised / lowered the saddles (yes, all of them.. oops), adjusted them back and forth, but this made no difference. I think that there is now too much action on the E-string and it's still buzzing. I had another thought.... the only way to solve this is to tighten the E-string, however that would make the string out of tune with the other strings.

Can you guys please offer any help. I'm just guessing things at the moments.

Many thanks!!!

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1025352' date='Nov 15 2010, 11:41 PM']Hi all

I'm a newbie to bass.. a few weeks so far. I recently bought a second hand 4-string bass (Wesley), put on new strings (Rotosound Swing 40-100).

I'm having a problem with fret buzz... mainly with the E-string. When I slap the E-string it hits on most of the frets. Out of curiousity, I raised / lowered the saddles (yes, all of them.. oops), adjusted them back and forth, but this made no difference. I think that there is now too much action on the E-string and it's still buzzing. I had another thought.... the only way to solve this is to tighten the E-string, however that would make the string out of tune with the other strings.

Can you guys please offer any help. I'm just guessing things at the moments.

Many thanks!!![/quote]

You may need to adjust the truss rod (but do this CAREFULLY following instructions from a decent online source, sure there's some around here) or it might be as much to do with your playing technique! I think when you slap, the E string's meant to hit the frets! Getting a clean slap sound requires a fair bit of practice. Honestly the best thing you could do would be to take it to a guitar shop and ask. There's gotta be somewhere in Glasgow that'll do a decent job cheap, and maybe even talk you through it as well.
Factors that affect fret buzz:
Low action height at bridge, or sometimes at the nut (rare that this will be too low).
String type - some are lower or higher tension for a given pitch. Rotosound Swing are stiff enough that you shouldn't worry about changing string type because of that.
Neck relief (truss rod should be adjusted to make neck straight under tension of strings, or with a bit of forward relief - no back-bow)
Fret profile - sometimes you get basses where fret height is a bit uneven and this causes problems in particular positions along the neck.
Technique - how hard you attack the string, the angle, and the position on the string will make a big difference. My bass is set up so that when I play gently it gives a reasonably clean sound but when I dig in I get buzz to give it more character, but in a controlled way.

Edited November 16, 2010 by LawrenceH

[icastle]

Don't be tempted to tighten the E string and bring everything else up to match it - quite aside from the fact that nobody will ever want to play with you as a bass player (you'll be out of tune with everyone else), the chances are you'll break at least the G string and probably bend the neck of your bass.

Adjusting the saddles back and forth won't help you - all you will do is screw up the intonation of the bass so that it will go out of tune as you play up the neck - that's easily fixable with a guitar tuner, so no permanant damage done there.

Adjusting the saddles up and down is OK as far as intonation is concerned but if you have the strings too high the instrument becomes difficult to play (you have to push the strings down harder and further to fret the note you are after).

Absolutely no disrespect, but I personally think you might be trying to run before you can walk.
Slapping bass opens up a whole pile of percussive and damping techniques that are probably counterintuitive to anyone who's played bass for only a few weeks.

My advice would be to buy a guitar tuner if you don't already have one, sort out the intonation (I'm sure we can help you do that) and get the bass back to it's original factory state at worst.
Practice basic techniques like playing scales, little bass riffs, some common scales, play along with some of your favourite CDs etc.
Once you can do those easily then you'll be in a far better position to play slap bass.

HTH

Edited November 16, 2010 by icastle

[funky_numba]

[quote name='icastle' post='1025410' date='Nov 16 2010, 01:38 AM']Don't be tempted to tighten the E string and bring everything else up to match it - quite aside from the fact that nobody will ever want to play with you as a bass player (you'll be out of tune with everyone else), the chances are you'll break at least the G string and probably bend the neck of your bass.

Adjusting the saddles back and forth won't help you - all you will do is screw up the intonation of the bass so that it will go out of tune as you play up the neck - that's easily fixable with a guitar tuner, so no permanant damage done there.

Adjusting the saddles up and down is OK as far as intonation is concerned but if you have the strings too high the instrument becomes difficult to play (you have to push the strings down harder and further to fret the note you are after).

Absolutely no disrespect, but I personally think you might be trying to run before you can walk.
Slapping bass opens up a whole pile of percussive and damping techniques that are probably counterintuitive to anyone who's played bass for only a few weeks.

My advice would be to buy a guitar tuner if you don't already have one, sort out the intonation (I'm sure we can help you do that) and get the bass back to it's original factory state at worst.
Practice basic techniques like playing scales, little bass riffs, some common scales, play along with some of your favourite CDs etc.
Once you can do those easily then you'll be in a far better position to play slap bass.

HTH[/quote]

I agree. I think I may have been a bit too hasty with the bass tuning. I do have an electronic guitar tuner so I can easily get my bass back in tune however, it still does not resolve the problem with the buzzing of the E-string against the frets.

Thanks.

[icastle]

[quote name='funky_numba' post='1025415' date='Nov 16 2010, 01:55 AM']I agree. I think I may have been a bit too hasty with the bass tuning. I do have an electronic guitar tuner so I can easily get my bass back in tune however, it still does not resolve the problem with the buzzing of the E-string against the frets.

Thanks.[/quote]

Ok.
Put your bass back in tune.
Do you get fret buzz when you play it normally with your fingers?

[Ou7shined]

If you'd followed the advice given in your previous thread on this very same subject you'd have this sorted by now.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=109217&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=109217&hl=[/url]

[kingofthestuntmen]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1025461' date='Nov 16 2010, 04:57 AM']If you'd followed the advice given in your previous thread on this very same subject you'd have this sorted by now.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=109217&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=109217&hl=[/url][/quote]

What he said..! Get in touch with 7string and get it done right. His setups are the best I have ever encountered in 20 years of playing, and cost a fraction of what any shop will charge.

Edited November 16, 2010 by kingofthestuntmen