Solving weird noises and other bass setup tips

Hi Pam, @PamPurrs ,
When i listened to both recording’s that is the sound i am hearing, its like the string on the esp
is vibrating on the frets :thinking: as you slide from B down to F
Maybe thats why i dont touch any of my basses, leads to more problems.
I reckon they all sound pretty good, never touched any, just changed strings, the differences between them are what makes them unique in their own way i suppose, if it aint broke dont touch it, :rofl: :joy: :rofl:

Cheers Brian

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Did you fiddle with saddle height at all? Maybe your action is just too low. I am guessing you would have to raise the action for BEAD.

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Also…seems like you are in panic mode now …give it a break and come back and assess the situation tomorrow. [I have plenty of horror stories of NOT doing that when fiddling with things]

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Yeah, I’ve played around with that also trying to find the right tone. I’ve done everything I’m capable of at this point. From here the bass either goes in the rubbish or to my favorite music store to be handed over to the techs. I will probably choose the latter after I’ve simmered down a bit.

Well, then if it worked ok before, and doesn’t work now, and nothing “broke” on it, and the only thing “different” is that you made a bunch of changes, then logic would dictate that something was changed in the "fiddling’ process that was not changed back. I vote guitar tech… My 2 cents,

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here you go @PamPurrs

I honestly can’t think of what the issue is.
What strings are you using again?

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LaBella flats. But I changed back to the original round wounds and it sounds the same. I also tried tape wounds, and same result. The problem is NOT with the strings, it’s somewhere in the setup.

@John_E yours sounds like mine used to sound, and I’m trying to get that back.

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I honestly am stumped on this one.

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So am I. I’ve got it in the case ready to tote to the shop tomorrow. Hopefully they can locate and correct the issue.

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recheck the entire setup from a to z ?

Does it do it on every string?

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Yep

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Is the neck too flat? Try releasing some truss rod pressure?

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Problem solved:

I took the ESP to Milano’s Music today (my favorite local music store) with the thought that I’d drop it off with the shop for a setup. They normally charge $75 for a setup, and I was prepared to pay it.

I first stopped to see Fred, my bass guy. Fred has been gigging for 20 plus years and owns a couple dozen basses. He is truly the most knowledgeable bass guy I know (no offense to anyone here). Despite the fact that I bought this bass on Reverb and not from him, he spent over 30 minutes adjusting things (pickups, action, intonation), constantly stopping to plug it into an amp and test it. He finally got it to where it sounds as lovely as it did when I first got it.
Fred is a great man, and great bassist. And Milano’s Music is a wonderful place to shop for gear.
Thanks for all the tips and advice everyone.

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I mean… I have a wonderful rubbish bin here at my house. Perfect bass size. Send it on over, I’ll dispose of it for you. :slight_smile:

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Sure, just provide your address and $700 for shipping cost and I’ll send it right on over :smiley_cat:

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Hah. Well played. :smiley:

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So did he just unfiddle everything in the end, or did you find out what exactly was causing the issue?

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The main thing he pointed out was that the pickups were too low and they were uneven. He raised them up a bit and evened them out. I never realized the pickup height or unevenness could have such an impact. He also showed me something interesting. He said when adjusting the string height, they should conform to the curvature of the frets and the neck. Small things that I never considered before.

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awesome it worked out @PamPurrs

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I have heard this but don’t see people doing it in practice. I see a x at E string, y at G string, progress from one to the other in the middle strings. (x being higher than y).
Since the lower stings are larger, they would vibrate more and need more clearance, I would think this wins out over curvature (which can vary significantly from 7.25 to 12 or 16” radii

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