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Posted (edited)

I hate it, but if I'm doing really quick position shifts or any kind of slurs/slides, I get that heinous EEEEK and it makes me sad/angry.

What should I do with my fingers to avoid this? It seems impossible to take them completely off the strings then shift them to the next fret in the sequence and put them down quickly enough to play smoothly and flawlessly.

I watch videos of good bassists playing unaccompanied and I don't hear a single EEEEEK. How in the name of all that is good and pure is this possible? I get EEEEEEK constantly!

Edited by Funky Dunky
Posted

I would just embrace it, it's part of the sound and probably isn't as loud through the amp as it seems to you at the neck .

Posted

I used to have this problem a lot , when I first got my Washburn status. Bright sound anyway , due to active pickups and graphite neck.
Oh, and having all knobs on the bass set to maximum position did not help matters.

Now the active circuitry. Has been taken out, most people prefer it .
Obviously, new strings take a while to break in anyway .

Posted

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1423459517' post='2684950']
I hate it, but if I'm doing really quick position shifts or any kind of slurs/slides, I get that heinous EEEEK and it makes me sad/angry.

What should I do with my fingers to avoid this? It seems impossible to take them completely off the strings then shift them to the next fret in the sequence and put them down quickly enough to play smoothly and flawlessly.

I watch videos of good bassists playing unaccompanied and I don't hear a single EEEEEK. How in the name of all that is good and pure is this possible? I get EEEEEEK constantly!
[/quote]

A tweak of EQ to eliminate the high frequencies that are causing the EEEEEEEEK should do the trick.

Posted

Never happens to me, am I doing something wrong?

'Sixteen' by No Doubt shows that it is to be embraced. Enhanced by overdrive, but still. Fit.

Love Tony Kanal

http://youtu.be/NGwx3I70YbY

Posted

The brand of strings you're using might well be adding to the string noise problem (the clue is in the name?). You might try some other brand, certainly see if you get along with some nickel rounds because these, for me at least, are less abrasive than pure steel and feel good for fingerstyle and I suspect will have less squeak for your fretting hand.

Posted (edited)

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1423526700' post='2686072']
Never happens to me, am I doing something wrong?

'Sixteen' by No Doubt shows that it is to be embraced. Enhanced by overdrive, but still. Fit.

Love Tony Kanal

http://youtu.be/NGwx3I70YbY
[/quote]


Whilst I agree with you, I can't hear any string squeak in that track. Maybe it's just me :)


Bloody good song right enough !

Edited by ubit
Posted

I used half wounds for a while which sounded nearly as bright as round wounds but with hardly any noise. Lately though I've been using rounds and have been investigating techniques that reduce the squeak. There are a few acoustic and classical guitar lessons if you rummage round YouTube that offer solutions, some more practical than others. The best thing I've found so far is to angle the finger slightly as you slide so your sliding on softer skin rather than the callus.

Posted

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1423511451' post='2685791']
Coated strings eliminate it a little bit too ;)
[/quote]

String squeak was driving me (and the engineer) nuts on a session, to the point I had to do the track one chord at a time. A guitar tech friend of mine recommended coated strings and a thinner gauge to boot, as the wrap is more abrasive on heavy strings and the cause of the problem. It really helps, as does fast fret.

Posted

It's a matter of releasing the pressure of the finger but still maintaining contact with the string. So you only apply pressure when you want a note. If it's a slide you're after, don't apply full pressure 'til you hit the note you want. I'm not sure about this talk of different strings -it's down to technique.

  • 2 weeks later...

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