I just got a setup done on my bass, which has been a massive improvement, but I am hitting a problem with the E string. When I am playing some of the fretted notes I am getting a clicking noise as the string seems to be just hitting one of the fret wires. I am just wondering if this is me and that my plucking technique on this string is pulling it down as well as across, or if there is something wrong with the setup (and if its this, would I just raise this string a bit at the bridge?). I dont want to mess with the setup if its just my technique that needs more attention
Is the click at the fret you are playing? Can you make it go away by moving your finger closer to the fret wire?
Or is the click somewhere else on the fretboard? If that’s it, can you make it go away by pulling across as you pluck? Or change it by changing your pluck in some way?
You describe a “click” rather than a “buzz”. I had a click on my acoustic when I was pulling up rather than across. Might be worth a bit of experimenting with your plucking technique?
(Of course, I’m assuming the person who did the set up played it after and didn’t get a click.)
If I have the pickups too high and the string contacts them then I get a click but that comes through the amp. If it’s definitely coming from a fret then there are a couple of things you can check. Your action might be just a little too low for how you play or you might have one (or more) frets a touch high. However for both of them I’d be expecting a buzz rather than a click. To check the latter you just need a straight edge that is as long as three frets and see if it rocks anywhere along the fretboard.
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Check your neck relief. It happens. You just need to give it a quarter turn to relief it a bit.
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