Bass making a rattling sound

[Nicko]

My Squier P bass has developed a rattling sound when I play certain notes - most notable when I play unplugged.  I've had the scratchplate off and checked inside, checked the bridge springs, tightened everything up that I can and its made no difference.  The noise is hard to locate but seems to me to be coming from around the neck/body joint, although that might just be the body amplifying the rattle that is actually elsewhere.  Any ideas?

[BigRedX]

Truss rod?

[Woodinblack]

Hit the neck to see if it is that. I had an Ibanez with a rattle in the neck. I was told that it was the truss rod, turned out it was a tuner had a rattle in it.

[Lozz196]

Yep, slightly loose tuner, or a string (usually the A on Fender type basses) not all the way down on the tuning peg, both can cause a really irritating rattle.

[hooky_lowdown]

8 times out of 10 a rattle is a loose tuner ear. Else it's a string loose in the nut slot, or very rarely a loose truss rod nut.

But you already knew this as it's mentioned above. 😉

[pineweasel]

I had a recent rattle that was cured by reseating the ball end of the E string, which was a new one on me.

[Nicko]

I wondered if it might be the truss rod or a tuning head.  I've wrapped the tuning pegs in a cloth and the buzz seems to be reduced.  I'm not sure there is any adjustment on the peg though.  Is replacement the only solution?

[fretmeister]

Are you Fieldy?

 

[Nicko]

6 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Are you Fieldy?

 

Que?

[Roger2611]

2 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

Yep, slightly loose tuner, or a string (usually the A on Fender type basses) not all the way down on the tuning peg, both can cause a really irritating rattle.

Totally with Lozz on this one, loosen the strings slightly and just push them down on the tuning peg whilst you tighten the string back up, hopefully that will cure it.

I have a 1981 Precision which rattles like a rattly thing on the A string if the string is not pushed all the way down on the peg...Lozz do I own your old bass 

[Zummerbass]

+1 for machinehead. I’ve just cured my CV Squier rattle with a replacement tuning peg. Have you tried playing open strings while holding on to each tuning peg in turn? Mine were looser than Trumps tongue.

[Nicko]

1 hour ago, Zummerbass said:

+1 for machinehead. I’ve just cured my CV Squier rattle with a replacement tuning peg. Have you tried playing open strings while holding on to each tuning peg in turn? Mine were looser than Trumps tongue.

Interesting - is that a 70s CV. P  If so what replacement did you use, and did these require any extra drilling or were they a direct replacement?

[thebigyin]

It's not my Bass....it's me that rattles lol, sorry I couldn't resist.

[Dr.Dave]

Possibly because when I started out - just after the battle of Trafalgar - I was a bit clueless about stringing and always had rattles esp from the a string as others have mentioned. I solved them by adding a second string guide to hold the a string down - a practise I've followed on all fender style basses ever since , though probably not required anymore now I know how to string up properly. 

[itu]

Two things that have not been mentioned here are the strap and the string between the finger and the saddle (yes, that end of it). Take the strap away, is the rattle still there?

Put a rubber band over the strings and play those rattling notes. When the string wears, it may start to hit the frets on the wrong side of the fretting finger.

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, Dr.Dave said:

Possibly because when I started out - just after the battle of Trafalgar - I was a bit clueless about stringing and always had rattles esp from the a string as others have mentioned. I solved them by adding a second string guide to hold the a string down - a practise I've followed on all fender style basses ever since , though probably not required anymore now I know how to string up properly. 

I put those on all my Fender basses too, you can get specific retainers for the US models, for the Mex/Squiers I get Hipshot ones, saves a lot of hassle for less than £20.

[dave_bass5]

3 hours ago, Zummerbass said:

+1 for machinehead. I’ve just cured my CV Squier rattle with a replacement tuning peg. Have you tried playing open strings while holding on to each tuning peg in turn? Mine were looser than Trumps tongue.

My CV Jazz (first run) had a buzz. It was a machine head that wasnt fixed to the tuner shaft properly. I put a tiny bit of super glue on it and its been fine ever since (about 13 years i believe)

[Beedster]

17 posts about a rattling bass and not one mention of the word Rickenbacker. Is everyone OK? 

[casapete]

3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

My CV Jazz (first run) had a buzz. It was a machine head that wasnt fixed to the tuner shaft properly. I put a tiny bit of super glue on it and its been fine ever since (about 13 years i believe)

Beat me to it Dave. I have a no name P-bass I keep as a spare that had exactly the same problem , and remedy! Still okay after a few years.

[fretmeister]

23 hours ago, Nicko said:

Que?

Bassist in Korn.

 

Famous for having a rattly not very bass like tone. Bit like a sack of marbles in a metal bin.