Untunefull low b

[Greenhoebach50]

Hi there,
I've got a vm squier v bass and the low be
Cannot be tuned,
I've got rotosound round wounds on,
And the bass is well set up,
Is it a case of you get what you pay for
John.
A newby to the forum,
Help

[Happy Jack]

What exactly do you mean by "cannot be tuned"?

[MiltyG565]

cannot be tuned. do you mean, you tune it and it quickly goes out of tune, or you literally can't tune it to B? If it was going out of tune quickly... i'm not sure, i would look at the simplest thing first- the string. try putting a different B string onto it. make sure the nut isn't too tight that the string binds in the slot, and not so wide that the string can move about in there. If that fails, you have to look at the neck, truss rod, bridge. Do all the other strings stay perfectly tuned when you try to tune your B string?

[iiipopes]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1353281212' post='1873302']
cannot be tuned. do you mean, you tune it and it quickly goes out of tune, or you literally can't tune it to B? If it was going out of tune quickly... i'm not sure, i would look at the simplest thing first- the string. try putting a different B string onto it. make sure the nut isn't too tight that the string binds in the slot, and not so wide that the string can move about in there. If that fails, you have to look at the neck, truss rod, bridge. Do all the other strings stay perfectly tuned when you try to tune your B string?
[/quote]

Get a new B string. Before you install it, make sure there is no binding: burnish the bridge saddle slot and the nut slot (making sure you don't dull over the "witness point" on the front of the nut) then rub them both with pencil graphite. Cut the string to length so that two or three windings wrap neatly around the tuner post and install the string slowly and evenly. Give it a couple of good tugs once up to pitch, bring it back up to pitch, press carefully down on the string right in front of the bridge saddle and the fingerboard side of the nut to seat the string, tune again and play.

[JimBobTTD]

Are you using an electronic tuner? Not all of them accept B. Try fretting it at the 5th and tuning it to E.

If the above comments don't apply, that is.

[Greenhoebach50]

Untuned ill low b,
Hi there,
All other strings are good and in tune,
The b sounds like its sharp and flat at the same time,
All over the string,
J

[ikay]

Could be a twisted string. B strings are more prone to this than the other strings as they're usually a pretty tight fit at the bridge and can easily develop a slight twist when installing.

Try this - loosen the string until the ball end at the bridge is free to move (wiggle it a bit if necessary). If it's twisted then it should untwist itself. Then retune and see if any improvement.

When installing new strings try and make sure the ball end at the bridge isn't bnding and is free to move and find it's own natural (untwisted) position before tuning to pitch.

[Ghost_Bass]

Maybe you could need to adjust the sadle to get the intonation set.

[Greenhoebach50]

Untuned ill low b,
Hi there,
All other strings are good and in tune,
The b sounds like its sharp and flat at the same time,
All over the string,
J

[Hobbayne]

If you dont know what youre doing, then take it to a guitar tech and let them sort bit out. Or you run the risk of making things worse!

[BigRedX]

IME Rotosound have problems making consistently good strings that aren't standard gauge 34" scale 4-string sets. When I was using them at least 50% of the B-strings I was getting were unusable and had to be exchanged.

What make of tuner do you have? Many tuners can't cope with pitches below E on the bass.

Does the string sound out of tune to your ears?

Edited November 19, 2012 by BigRedX

[Beer of the Bass]

A couple of times with heavier gauge strings, I've found the B string sounds indefinitely pitched when first fitted, as the string is too stiff to conform to the break angle over the bridge. Pressing the string down just in front of the bridge a couple of times to put a bend in it at the sadde will help with this.
It'd also be worth looking at your pickup heights, as if they're too close, the magnets can affect the string vibration on the lower strings.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1353323686' post='1873537']
A couple of times with heavier gauge strings, I've found the B string sounds indefinitely pitched when first fitted, as the string is too stiff to conform to the break angle over the bridge. Pressing the string down just in front of the bridge a couple of times to put a bend in it at the sadde will help with this.
[/quote]

I have to do this with my .152 gauge string so this is worth checking!

[TRBboy]

+1 to checking the intonation. The description of sharp and flat at the same time suggests to me that the intonation could be a mile out.

[apa]

all the above plus make sure you have a good break angle at the nut. This means making sure the string is wound around the machine post at the lowest point so it is angled down between the nut and the machine head. Ive got roto flats on my 5er. Doing this made a big difference when i installed them.

A

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1353321522' post='1873506']
IME Rotosound have problems making consistently good strings that aren't standard gauge 34" scale 4-string sets. When I was using them at least 50% of the B-strings I was getting were unusable and had to be exchanged.

What make of tuner do you have? Many tuners can't cope with pitches below E on the bass.

Does the string sound out of tune to your ears?
[/quote]

In my opinion, rotosound make pretty average strings that don't hold their tone very long. well, i have only used the rotobass sets, and they seem to be the cheap ones, but i had to change them every 3 or 4 weeks. I've had a set of ernie balls for a couple of months now, and they just need some fast fret every now and them to clean the string, and it's fine. although i would rather have a set of D'Addario ProSteels.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1353328239' post='1873608']
I have to do this with my .152 gauge string so this is worth checking!
[/quote]

.152? f*** that is a heavy string. do you use the claw of a bear to play it?

[mcnach]

[quote name='Greenhoebach50' timestamp='1353311988' post='1873393']
The b sounds like its sharp and flat at the same time,
All over the string,
[/quote]



at this stage I'd love to hear what it sounds like, as clearly descriptions are not going to help

any chance to post a clip?

In any case, I'd try a new string. Sometimes strings do weird things... maybe all you need is a replacement.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1353361963' post='1874316']
.152? f*** that is a heavy string. do you use the claw of a bear to play it?
[/quote]



Actually, when tuned to low A it has the same tension/feel as a .130 in B

[iiipopes]

Some tuners just can't lock on to the low fundamental of a B string. Try tuning it with the octave harmonic and see what happens, after you've done everything to make sure a good quality string is installed properly and the bass is set up properly as I set forth above.

Edited November 21, 2012 by iiipopes

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1353374775' post='1874471']


Actually, when tuned to low A it has the same tension/feel as a .130 in B
[/quote]

What is the need for a low A though?

[EBS_freak]

The pickup may be actually too close to the B string and the magnetic field could be influencing the vibration of the string and causing all sorts of funky overtones?

Eitherway, we could do with some better descriptions...!

[Machines]

A bad string can also sound like it's phasing, swap it out.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1353499247' post='1875173'] What is the need for a low A though? [/quote]

Loosening stubborn bowel movements.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I've had experience of a pretty untunable B string before. In that case it was an old and utterly dead string which had zero overtones or harmonics left in it. Pretty tuneless thing with no music left in it.