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Open G string buzz


steviedee
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Just changed my strings and have a terrible open G string buzz. Seems to be coming from the body, soundpost looks in place. The strings are lighter than the previous set and when I lay it on it’s back no buzz. Any ideas!

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Annoying... I had a similar issue with my old bass on one string on one or two notes up the neck - after trying to damp various bits of the tailpiece, felt at the ball ends of the strings etc, I found that the tailpiece itself had a hollow cavity, so I stuffed a piece of black cloth up there and it stopped the buzz on mine.

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16 minutes ago, petebassist said:

Annoying... I had a similar issue with my old bass on one string on one or two notes up the neck - after trying to damp various bits of the tailpiece, felt at the ball ends of the strings etc, I found that the tailpiece itself had a hollow cavity, so I stuffed a piece of black cloth up there and it stopped the buzz on mine.

Thanks for the info I’m going to take some time and investigate. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

mine did it on the open E (I think).  Then it fell over, the finger board fell off, the bass bar cracked and lots of bits fell off inside. A mender man took it to bits and glued it all back together again - no more buzz.  But the mender said the buzz was actually fixed by removing my old shadow pickup from the bridge.

The buzz came back recently; turned out to be the outer drum of the pick-up to amp lead was coming un-screwed and its rattling was being picked up by the pickup.

Another time I was making a drummer's snare rattle

more causes of double bass buzzes than you can shake a stick at.  many of them not connected to the bass itself.  If anything will make things buzz, it's a double bass.

sorry, that wasn't very helpful .... just wanted you to know that many of us have been there!

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It’s a minefield potentially. I would start from the peg-end and check all potentially rattling places: strings afterlenght, loose tuning machines, nut, fingerboard, neck joint, tailpiece, endpin. Is the action too low for your playing style/strings? If you don’t find anything simple like this, it may be a case to take it for a quick trip to the luthier (unless you really know what you are doing self repairs are not advisable in my opinion). Good luck and please keep us informed, always good for learning new tricks.

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Mine started buzzing in response to a high D last night; by the time rehearsal break came around and we had a chance to investigate - it had gone.  Possibly one of the tuners rattling or maybe because I was out of tune and re-tuned so that the resonace lay between actual notes.  I may never know.

Beware of "luthiers" they'll probably have it in pieces all over the workshop and a £1000 bill for reassembly before you can say "err, gig on Friday?"

Try getting someone else to (preferably bow) the note that makes the buzz, then listen all over the bass to see if you can locate the source.  All Rabbie's suggestions are good, I'd add pickups & bridge adjusters if you have them.  Also anywhere there are any cracks (eg mine has several mends around the f-holes).  

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/10/2018 at 20:59, Psymoon said:

I know it’s been a while and I hope you’ve fixed it but mine does this occasionally too. It’s the machine head not being quite, er...tensioned up right if that makes sense? In between cog teeth?

 

 

I know it been late replying, after a couple of months and all seems fine. In fact the vast sounds great. It might have been my completely stinky poo restringing!

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