Bass too bright, loud 'clacking' when strings hit frets

[Kiwi]

On 28/09/2016 at 19:07, 1976fenderhead said:

I have a Squier Vintage Modified V which I bought here long ago and is my spare bass. I love it, beautifully made. It's been set up by the bass Gallery and it feels well set tup to me. My main issue with it is that it's a very bright bass (maple body probably the cause) and the sound of strings hitting the frets when I press them is too loud! I don't mean fret buzz, I mean the 'clack' when I press a string and it hits the fret above and below. My main bass, a MIA Fender Jazz Deluxe is nearly completely silent in that regard by comparison. It's quite distracting. The strings are Fender nickel, not exactly known for being bright and which I've used many times on my main bass with no problems.

So what could I change in the bass to stop this noise being so loud? Pickups? Pickup height? Anything else?

It's a direct consequence of two things: 
1) The neck is made from very stiff maple...possibly too stiff (it happens).
2) The neck pocket may also be well designed, making for an overall rigid and vibrant structure
3) The maple body may be too dense

I'd put money on it probably being number three given the other aspects can be applied to other Fender Jazz basses which don't have the issues you describe.  Using maple isn't always bad but it's very variable and for the cheaper models manufacturers will be less discerning in the wood they use.  I have an all maple Spector and a strat with a maple body and both are fine instruments.  But they use soft maple, not rock maple.  Here are some suggestions: 

1) If you don't need to slap, try half wound strings. 
2) You could try putting a veneer of softer wood like mahogany under the bridge.  This will loosen the acoustic coupling between the strings and instrument, making it less efficient at transferring (dampening) higher and lower frequencies.  You'll  need to adjust the string height to compensate for the raised bridge so if you like super low action it might not be feasible.
3) You could replace the bridge with something more vintage in design, for example bent steel rather than cast for example.  The lower mass will transmit string energy less efficiently.
4) You could also install Bartolini 'darker' flavoured pickups and use a SWR SM400 amp to sweeten things up a bit (this combo is great with bright graphite necks in my experience).

[rmorris]

8 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Im puzzled why you thought it should take more than a few days to level the frets. If you are constantly doing it you can get it done quite quickly (not me, takes me hours). Even stainless ones. 

I think it was referring to the lead time before they'd be able to do it due to other work lined up.

As it happens I was emailing with the Bass Gallery a couple of months ago and the turnaround time was advised as around two weeks.

[FreeThinker]

The only person on here who is trying to understand the situation has been rushbo whereas everybody else: Woodinblack, rmorris, Rich,  Ped, Supernaut have did nothing nothing but jab at the situation because they are hoping that it make me angry at what they are doing, which makes them all psychopaths.
Psychopaths go around looking to annoy others because they get joy from seeing others suffer in whatever way they can, it is more satisfying when they are causing it but also enjoy to see people suffer to any degree when they are not the cause of it, they will band together supporting each other to help hurt the person and then claim innocence when pulled up on it.

13 hours ago, rushbo said:

I'm genuinely curious - was this your first and only interaction with a luthier (at the Bass Gallery?), or is this just another in a long sequence of less-than-satisfactory experiences? I'm not trying to be provocative, I'm just interested to know what could cause you to feel so negative towards the profession.

Just once from the gallery but that's all it's going to take, my other experiences have been from different "luthiers" from different countries including where I live so I have went to more than one "luthier" and have now come to the conclusion that they are all con men.
If this was any other situation like car mechanic/builder/plumber/electrician I would be told "Why would yo go back to the same guy if he conned you the first time?" why would I change what way I would think about "repair" people just because they "repair" basses/guitars unless there are "luthiers" on here who are annoyed that I'm highlighting what they are like?

I have went to multiple people and it is based on actual experience because I am not going to want to go around hating something without a reason, it just wouldn't be a good idea.

[Supernaut]

Please go back to Talkbass, thanks. 

[FreeThinker]

3 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Please go back to Talkbass, thanks. 

Psycho.

[ped]

So just don't buy any instruments then if you don't trust people who make them. Take up the keyboard.

[FreeThinker]

1 minute ago, ped said:

So just don't buy any instruments then if you don't trust people who make them. Take up the keyboard.

Psycho.

[ped]

1 minute ago, FreeThinker said:

Psycho.

You're trying to convince a. community of bass players that all luthiers are crooks. I know for sure some of us have had bad experiences here and there, but if they were all crooks then none of us would play bass. The function of this forum is to share delight in our craft, and you'll see some 'luthiers' get a deservedly good reputation because they're actually rather good. You've just been unlucky, and now we're all psychopaths.

[Woodinblack]

4 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

The only person on here who is trying to understand the situation has been rushbo whereas everybody else: Woodinblack, rmorris, Rich,  Ped, Supernaut have did nothing nothing but jab at the situation because they are hoping that it make me angry at what they are doing, which makes them all psychopaths.

And that makes you a troll - you come in here, saying all luthiers are conmen and that your experience trumps everyone elses experience. You alone know how people operate.

You of course are wrong there. Clearly we know you are angry, you have come in here digging up a long dead thread so you can have a rant about a company you feel wronged you, a company many use and are happy with. I doubt many in here care if the response made you angrier or not.

4 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

Psychopaths go around looking to annoy others because they get joy from seeing others suffer in whatever way they can, it is more satisfying when they are causing it but also enjoy to see people suffer to any degree when they are not the cause of it, they will band together supporting each other to help hurt the person and then claim innocence when pulled up on it.

Ooh, a band of psycopaths, even better, well mansplained. Wrong, but still appreciate the effort.

4 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

I have went to multiple people and it is based on actual experience because I am not going to want to go around hating something without a reason, it just wouldn't be a good idea.

But hating everyone because you went to couple of people is a good idea?

I would say with your attitude I can see why people aren't bending over backwards to help you.

[FreeThinker]

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

And that makes you a troll - you come in here, saying all luthiers are conmen and that your experience trumps everyone elses experience. You alone know how people operate.

You of course are wrong there. Clearly we know you are angry, you have come in here digging up a long dead thread so you can have a rant about a company you feel wronged you, a company many use and are happy with. I doubt many in here care if the response made you angrier or not.

So I've just happen to be unlucky with ALL my experiences then? You must be one of these guys who calls himself a "luthier" then since it seems to bother you so much.
The thing that annoys me are what "luthiers" are doing to people and came to advise people not to use not only the gallery but other "luthiers" if they do not want to get ripped off, if you enjoy being ripped off then you can do that since you enjoy it so much.
You also seem determined to make me angry because you insist that I am angry and then spin the "bringing up old thread" routine to try and make me feel like I've did something wrong because there is nothing else you can cling onto.

11 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Ooh, a band of psycopaths, even better, well mansplained. Wrong, but still appreciate the effort.

This didn't work either so I can return the favour with "maybe you should try harder"

13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

But hating everyone because you went to couple of people is a good idea?

I would say with your attitude I can see why people aren't bending over backwards to help you.

Show me where I said that I hated everybody then.
Then your insinuation at the very end does not help your case at all and it clearly shows that you are manipulative as it's on record by everything that you have typed out.

[ped]

Psychopathchat 

[ped]

11 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

So I've just happen to be unlucky with ALL my experiences then?

Yes - looks like it. 

[FreeThinker]

Just now, ped said:

Yes - looks like it. 

Okay psycho.

[ped]

🤣

[tegs07]

Is there something in the water at the moment? Lot of anger around. I can’t comment on your experience of having frets levelled but as for set up this is a fairly personal thing. I have bought two basses in the past from semi-pro guys that had their tech set the bass up to their exact requirements.

I had to set both up to my own liking.
 

I can’t see every luthier being dodgy anymore than every mechanic. If the jobs not done to your satisfaction there are plenty of consumer rights acts and bodies to work on your behalf but a polite phone call is normally all that is required.

Edited July 7, 2021 by tegs07

[Reggaebass]

Psycho 😂

[Dan Dare]

Don't feed the troll, boys and girls.

Btw, in answer to the original question, I had a similar problem some years back. It turned out that I was damping a little too aggressively with the right hand and causing the strings to tap on the pickup magnets. A few weeks of working on being  a little less heavy handed cured the problem.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Dan Dare

[Woodinblack]

59 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

So I've just happen to be unlucky with ALL my experiences then?

Yes, clearly. Or maybe you are expecting something different. I have been lucky with all my experiences, but TBH, I haven't been to many and I learned how to do the fret dressing myself.

59 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

You must be one of these guys who calls himself a "luthier" then since it seems to bother you so much.

No, I am a guy who calls himself a 'software engineer' and it doesn't bother me anywhere near as much as it ssems to bother you.

 

59 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

The thing that annoys me are what "luthiers" are doing to people and came to advise people not to use not only the gallery but other "luthiers" if they do not want to get ripped off, if you enjoy being ripped off then you can do that since you enjoy it so much.

I have never been ripped off by the gallery, I have only been there once, they seemed friendly enough. However, if I did have a bad experience I would start a thread 'Bass Gallery setup poor, anyone else', rather than jumping in on an old thread to tell everyone that every luthier in the world was bad.

And frankly, what is an opinion worth if you think everything is bad? Other people have good experiences which you are telling them can't happen.

59 minutes ago, FreeThinker said:

You also seem determined to make me angry because you insist that I am angry and then spin the "bringing up old thread" routine to try and make me feel like I've did something wrong because there is nothing else you can cling onto.

I am not responsible for your moods or feelings, that is entirely down to you, as I said I don't 'want to make you angry' or 'make you feel' as such an expert as you on human psycolgy I am sure understands. I litterally don't care if you are angry or not, you are just some bloke on the internet.

 

[rushbo]

2 hours ago, FreeThinker said:

I have went to multiple people and it is based on actual experience because I am not going to want to go around hating something without a reason, it just wouldn't be a good idea.

I'm sorry you've had a catalogue of bad experiences at the hands of people who repair/maintain guitars and basses. Although I've had no experience of the Bass Gallery, I've used 4-5 luthiers across the Midlands and only once had less than great service. The only time I could find a fault with any work I had done, it was rectified quickly and well, following a good natured and polite phone call. Did you send the instrument back to the Bass Gallery?  Were your issues eventually addressed? 

I think what has prompted the tone of some of the replies to your initial post was that it seemed to be very combative - especially as it wasn't immediately clear that you've had consistently unsatisfactory service from many luthiers. It's hard to feel sympathy or empathy for someone, when they're being called "psychopaths". 

Not every person who tweaks a truss rod for money is a charlatan or a cowboy. Many do great work. Some, however, probably don't. Who would have thought the topic would become so emotive!? 

Can we all play nicely please? All this shouting will give everyone a headache. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by rushbo

[GreeneKing]

On 04/07/2021 at 15:13, FreeThinker said:

The problem is the people who setup your bass did not do it properly, just like everybody else who sets up basses and guitars.

I can't give too many details about it, I PAID for them to level my frets and to do a few other things to my bass, was very surprised to get an email a few days later to say that all the work has been done which I thought was odd if they are so busy how can it all be ready to go in a matter of days?

They sent the bass back to me with frets not levelled properly and didn't even crown them along steel wool sticking to the pickups, all the positive reviews about that place are all fake and it seems that people seem to have a heard mentality about the place being "great" and never question the fact that they do not NOT do things properly. 

Best advice I can give is to never buy a bass online unless they have a return policy so you can send it straight back to them if they send you a bass with un-level frets, which is exactly what I'm going to do when I buy a Ibanez EHB1505 from gear4music.

They have a free returns policy, so if I order a bass that has un-level frets after paying £1349? I'll send it STRAIGHT back because charging that amount of money for a bass with un-level frets is utterly unjustifiable, since it has stainless steel frets they would need to be making sure that they are level before leaving the factory.

"Luthiers" are the cowboys of the instrument world.

 

Resist... Don't be labelled a psycho....

[rmorris]

Well it seems the OP has had enough ?

But in any case getting back to the issue I think the issue with the 'clack' likely comes down to:

"I mean the 'clack' when I press a string and it hits the fret above and below."

Taking that to mean that the OP tends to 'fret' somewhere behind the target fret rather than more 'on' it.

Some setups won't have the same result and some basses won't make it as audible. And some players don't mind it.

Raising the height at the nut might give some benefit depending on the fretting technique.

 

[Cat Burrito]

The contentious post has been dealt with. I appreciate everyone is enjoys the banter but I think we've had enough life from this old thread!

[Rich]

18 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

The contentious post has been dealt with. I appreciate everyone is enjoys the banter but I think we've had enough life from this old thread!

pSyChO.