Why so much rattle

[Annoying Twit]

Why is it that so often when I see professional and/or very skilled bass players on youtube, there is rattle and other fret sounds up the wazoo?

E.g. from 1:58 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaFy5kKTJak

[Immo]

Maybe it's because the strings are roundwound, neck is unadjustable and so is the bridge?

[Lozz196]

I think there seems to be much less concern amongst the pros re this - when I first heard some of those isolated bass tracks I was horrified re the amount of fret-buzz/string-rattling. I suppose knowing the tracks will be properly mixed and eq-d gave them the thought that get the feeling right for the song was more important. It certainly relaxes my opinions re this for recording - if John Taylor or John Deacon weren`t that fussed, who am I to be?

[enricogaletta]

Well this is a good question. Usually pro bass player use at least a medium low action that make the fret buzz sound come out easier, especially if the player is not get used to control the dynamics on the right hand.
Plus and, this is in my opinion the main answer to this question, at the begin bass player listeners are not get used to "know" the real bass sound alone. The first times we usually know the bass sound from what we can hear from the final music mix, where in the 90% of the times is the tone featured withe the low and middle frequencies and, all the high and high mids are hided from the other instruments. You will be so surprised how much it will be buzzy, the bass sound if you will hear the song and music you know just by the bass track isolated.
Cheers.
Ps even on the acoustic instruments the action can be lowered!

[Fionn]

Aye, a lot of the clanging and rattling is hidden by other instruments. It doesn't hurt to practice a clean playing technique though. It makes you articulate.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1390559013' post='2346731']
Why is it that so often when I see professional and/or very skilled bass players on youtube, there is rattle and other fret sounds up the wazoo?
[/quote]

With fret buzz most of the sound is comming from the fret rather than the string and hence isnt amplified by the pickup. If your playing unplugged or through an amp at low volume you make think its buzzy because you can still hear it directly from the bass. I imagine that a lot of youtube vids capture a lot of buzz and other fret noise because they are using a mic and the bass is physically close to the mic. If the sound was pure DI then you wouldn't hear it unless it was very pronounced.

If you set your action using only amplified sound (e.g. through headphones) youl find you can lower the action a lot more than you might otherwise think without hearing much fret buzz and rattle.

Edited January 26, 2014 by bassman7755

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1390651267' post='2347893']
Aye, a lot of the clanging and rattling is hidden by other instruments.
[/quote]

Listen to this at around 33 mins ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYTlN6wjcvQ

It demonstrates that the ear cant hear anything that is around 40db or more lower than the overall level of other things going on.

[Annoying Twit]

The bass that I own that has the lowest action is my Ibanez SR760. If I was prepared to accept as much buzz as in many of these professional player videos, I'd be able to get the strings pretty much right down on the frets. But, I find the buzz annoying and it would put me off practice.