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Bass too bright, loud 'clacking' when strings hit frets


1976fenderhead

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[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1475254440' post='3144510']
I would also make sure your pickups are the same distance from strings as on your fender.
[/quote]

I was going to say the same thing. When I started out tweaking I raised the pups to try to get rid of a weak G string problem (amuse yourselves here). Anyway I got a loud clack and louder through the amp. The magnet in the pup was pulling the string down and it was contacting the pole pieces. If you can push the strings down so they contact the pole pieces then they are too close. Maybe they were too high when you bought the bass and then when you lowered the action....

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The strings are not touching the pickups and their height seems well set up by the Gallery (even distance to strings when I press on the last fret), but they may be evenly too high. I have to try lowering them when I have time, really busy with work + band work now. I'll report if it made a difference.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1475749593' post='3148392']
I noticed that on the SE Bass Bash videos, John Bentley's bass is "clacking" away on almost every note.

I would expect extraneous noises to disappear in the mix on a gig.
[/quote]

Thanks my thoughts as well.

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[quote name='1976fenderhead' timestamp='1475747904' post='3148366']
The strings are not touching the pickups and their height seems well set up by the Gallery (even distance to strings when I press on the last fret), but they may be evenly too high. I have to try lowering them when I have time, really busy with work + band work now. I'll report if it made a difference.
[/quote]
If they won't touch the pole pieces wen you push the strings down then they won't contact them under any normal playing so it isn't that and you don't need to do anything.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1475749593' post='3148392']
I noticed that on the SE Bass Bash videos, John Bentley's bass is "clacking" away on almost every note.

I would expect extraneous noises to disappear in the mix on a gig.
[/quote]

Possibly, but I'm OCD and since the other bass is fine even at home, it annoys me and I'd like to fix it :)

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[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1475863539' post='3149392']
I changed my brand of strings, worked hard on my technique and then was actually able to LOWER my action!
[/quote]

I think technique would fix fret buzz and extraneous noises related to the right hand such as when you pluck on a too vertical angle and they hit the fretboard, but I don't think it would fix this problem since what's causing it is simply the left-hand fingers pressing down on the strings against the frets. Not much I can change about that, unless if I press them feather-like and slowly.

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  • 4 years later...
On 08/10/2016 at 13:02, 1976fenderhead said:

"It's been set up by the bass Gallery" "I think technique would fix fret buzz"

The problem is the people who setup your bass did not do it properly, just like everybody else who sets up basses and guitars.

I can't give too many details about it, I PAID for them to level my frets and to do a few other things to my bass, was very surprised to get an email a few days later to say that all the work has been done which I thought was odd if they are so busy how can it all be ready to go in a matter of days?

They sent the bass back to me with frets not levelled properly and didn't even crown them along steel wool sticking to the pickups, all the positive reviews about that place are all fake and it seems that people seem to have a heard mentality about the place being "great" and never question the fact that they do not NOT do things properly. 

Best advice I can give is to never buy a bass online unless they have a return policy so you can send it straight back to them if they send you a bass with un-level frets, which is exactly what I'm going to do when I buy a Ibanez EHB1505 from gear4music.

They have a free returns policy, so if I order a bass that has un-level frets after paying £1349? I'll send it STRAIGHT back because charging that amount of money for a bass with un-level frets is utterly unjustifiable, since it has stainless steel frets they would need to be making sure that they are level before leaving the factory.

"Luthiers" are the cowboys of the instrument world.

 

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10 hours ago, FreeThinker said:

"????"

Something wrong?

You just typed in question marks without saying what you wanted to say.

Just shorthand (not real shorthand obvs) to say I don't see the sense of the statement. Particularly why the frets being of stainless steel is relevant.

Edited by rmorris
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2 hours ago, rmorris said:

Just shorthand (not real shorthand obvs) to say I don't see the sense of the statement. Particularly why the frets being of stainless steel is relevant.

Well, with frets being made of stainless steel they should be spending more time on them to make sure that they are level because they are harder than standard frets, that's why it's relevant.

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On 04/07/2021 at 15:13, FreeThinker said:

just like everybody else who sets up basses and guitars.

"Luthiers" are the cowboys of the instrument world.

 

Oh I do love a sweeping generalisation.

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On 04/07/2021 at 15:13, FreeThinker said:

since it has stainless steel frets they would need to be making sure that they are level before leaving the factory.

Add this to don't oil your fretboard for the most ridiculous thing I have read on here. 

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15 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Add this to don't oil your fretboard for the most ridiculous thing I have read on here. 

Oh - let's not kick off the fretboard oil issue again 🙃

Meanwhile I'll have my frets level please regardless of the fret material !

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Quite interesting to see how you people like to put people down when you come across someone's view that doesn't fit your own viewpoint, I think this is a sign of psychopathy because instead of having a conversation about it you resorted to patronising  by saying "most ridiculous thing I have read on here." It's clear as day that you have set out to put someone down just by someone pointing out their experience by "luthiers" and then giving other people some advice as how to save their time and their money to avoid going to those kinds of people, so this must of struck a nerve with you guys who must be "luthiers".

I have selected that Ibanez bass bass because I have heard it, looked at how much it weighs and noticed that it has stainless steel frets. I just thought maybe they would spend more time on the frets because they are harder than standard material frets, I THINK.
This of course is just a thought and I can not say with 100% certainty that this will be the case, but you people have commented about how "ridiculous" this idea was instead of pointing out what was wrong with what I said.

When someone is paying £1349 for a bass, it is ridiculous to think that someone should have to pay for a "luthier" to level the frets no matter what material they are made out of, but if you want to do that then you are more than welcome to do that you can go to your favourite "luthier" and have them do that for you, maybe he is as psychotic as you are.

 

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54 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

Quite interesting to see how you people like to put people down when you come across someone's view that doesn't fit your own viewpoint, I think this is a sign of psychopathy because instead of having a conversation about it you resorted to patronising  by saying "most ridiculous thing I have read on here." It's clear as day that you have set out to put someone down just by someone pointing out their experience by "luthiers" and then giving other people some advice as how to save their time and their money to avoid going to those kinds of people, so this must of struck a nerve with you guys who must be "luthiers".

I have selected that Ibanez bass bass because I have heard it, looked at how much it weighs and noticed that it has stainless steel frets. I just thought maybe they would spend more time on the frets because they are harder than standard material frets, I THINK.
This of course is just a thought and I can not say with 100% certainty that this will be the case, but you people have commented about how "ridiculous" this idea was instead of pointing out what was wrong with what I said.

When someone is paying £1349 for a bass, it is ridiculous to think that someone should have to pay for a "luthier" to level the frets no matter what material they are made out of, but if you want to do that then you are more than welcome to do that you can go to your favourite "luthier" and have them do that for you, maybe he is as psychotic as you are.

 

It’s ok to put down every luthier in the world though eh

So what will you do with the Ibanez? Send it back? Or find a ‘luthier’? Because any mass produced bass is likely to need fettling and adjusting after it leaves the factory. That’s why handmade normally costs more. 
 

Some ‘luthiers’ know what they’re doing. Some are useless. It’s the same in any industry. 

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On 04/07/2021 at 15:13, FreeThinker said:

The problem is the people who setup your bass did not do it properly, just like everybody else who sets up basses and guitars.

I'm genuinely curious - was this your first and only interaction with a luthier (at the Bass Gallery?), or is this just another in a long sequence of less-than-satisfactory experiences? I'm not trying to be provocative, I'm just interested to know what could cause you to feel so negative towards the profession.

Edited by rushbo
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