What is this noise?

[Scatamonky]

Hi Gang - I need help identifying a noise from my bass - I suspect it's fret buzz but my action is already fairly high. Have a listen to the attached audio. This is my band playing Long Way to Go by the Dead Daisies on Saturday night. The noise is only really prominent on the E string. We heard this on the previous gig too. We're multi track recording the whole gigs now using a Soundcraft UI24R. My bass is being plugged straight into an Ashdown Studio 15 and I'm using the DI straight into the desk.

 

I'm playing a Westfield bass (it's about 27 years old and has been solid as a rock for the whole time I've had it.) 

 

I don't hear this noise at all playing live, but then, it would likely be lost in the mix. As mentioned above, I did hear this on the previous gig, so I changed my strings back to Ernie Ball 45 roundwounds (I did have Rotosounds on there as the local guitar shop was out of Ernie's one day), checked the relief, action and intonation and started rolling off the tone a bit more and really consciously tried not to dig in as much, I know I do tend to play quite hard.

 

I've also attached the isolated Bass track. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

05 BASS_1.aif

[Crusoe]

I don't hear anything that sounds like fret buzz. I can hear a "click", but I think that's just the strings hitting the frets as you pluck them, a bit like Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) sounds.

[Scatamonky]

22 minutes ago, Crusoe said:

I don't hear anything that sounds like fret buzz. I can hear a "click", but I think that's just the strings hitting the frets as you pluck them, a bit like Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) sounds.

I've played and recorded for years and not heard anything like this - is the cure simply to play lighter? I feel like I'm playing much lighter on this track than I normally do? I would rather not be constricted to have to play softer - I may also record the next gig using a mic on front of the cab too to see if the DI is being overly sensitive!

[Dan Dare]

A click is what I heard, too. Happens on the attack of the note. One would tend to assume something mechanical - strings hitting frets, etc, but it may not be. Was the bass heavily compressed on the recording? I've heard similar noises when recording from badly set attack and release on a compressor.

 

Are you able to check by listening to the bass part in isolation with no fx? 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Dan Dare

[Dood]

The strings are hitting the top of the pickups because you are plucking the strings towards the body rather than picking up and down - I can tell this is playing finger style. 

[Crusoe]

Just now, Dood said:

The strings are hitting the top of the pickups because you are plucking the strings towards the body rather than picking up and down - I can tell this is playing finger style. 

I wasn't sure it it was the frets or pickups. 👍

[Dood]

Just now, Crusoe said:

I wasn't sure it it was the frets or pickups. 👍

Frets is a different sound but can sometimes happen as well / blended in. 

[Dood]

2 minutes ago, Dood said:

Frets is a different sound but can sometimes happen as well / blended in. 

 

Actually later on there's some fret clack too and fret buzz on an E2 which is quite prominent - 7th fret of the A string.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Dood

[miles'tone]

8 minutes ago, Dood said:

The strings are hitting the top of the pickups because you are plucking the strings towards the body rather than picking up and down - I can tell this is playing finger style. 

Solid covers though so no pole pieces exposed to clack against?

[Dood]

1 minute ago, miles'tone said:

Solid covers though so no pole pieces exposed to clack against?

 

It will still make a sound, especially if the pickups are a bit microphonic too. 

[Scatamonky]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

A click is what I heard, too. Happens on the attack of the note. One would tend to assume something mechanical - strings hitting frets, etc, but it may not be. Was the bass heavily compressed on the recording? I've heard similar noises when recording from badly set attack and release on a compressor.

 

Are you able to check by listening to the bass part in isolation with no fx? 

There is a compressor on the desk for the live sound - but this recording is pre fx - our guitarist took the recordings home and put them through Pro Tools, he may have added some compression while eqing and mixing all the tracks together

[Scatamonky]

1 hour ago, Dood said:

The strings are hitting the top of the pickups because you are plucking the strings towards the body rather than picking up and down - I can tell this is playing finger style. 

This could be it - I did just put new pickups in this bass - a set of Geezer Butler signature EMGs and I remember trying to set the quite high - so rather than trying to lower the string action - (which I really don't want to do) - I could lower the pickups a bit - and yes I do play finger style - and yes this makes total sense cause I've been using this bass for over 20 years and never had this issue before - I put the new Geezers in only a few moths ago!

[Scatamonky]

58 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

Solid covers though so no pole pieces exposed to clack against?

You guys are like a couple of dectectives - the pic I put up was of the bass before I changed the pickups - this is what it looks like now!

[miles'tone]

Dood was right. Try lowering the P pickup a bit until the noise stops 👍

[Grahambythesea]

I know your not playing a Fender but this from their website about setting up pickups.

Bass SideTreble Side

Vintage style8/64" (3.2 mm)6/64" (2.4 mm)

Noiseless™ Series8/64" (3.2 mm)6/64" (2.4 mm)

Standard "J" or "P"7/64" (2.8 mm)5/64" (2 mm)

Special Design Humbuckers7/64" (2.8 mm)5/64" (2 mm)

 

Might help.

[Dood]

It’s my job  #BassNerd

 

Scatamonky, I’ve the GZR’s in a P bass too. They are superb! 
 

Usually EMGs like to be as high as possible (the actives) but lowering these will be fine as they are designed to be like 70’s pups.

 

Of course, it’s worth checking your finger style technique as well if you’re still getting the ole clack after pulling the pups down. (Don’t wind them down too far as you’ll lose some of the midrange punch we crave. 

[Scatamonky]

19 hours ago, Dood said:

It’s my job  #BassNerd

 

Scatamonky, I’ve the GZR’s in a P bass too. They are superb! 
 

Usually EMGs like to be as high as possible (the actives) but lowering these will be fine as they are designed to be like 70’s pups.

 

Of course, it’s worth checking your finger style technique as well if you’re still getting the ole clack after pulling the pups down. (Don’t wind them down too far as you’ll lose some of the midrange punch we crave. 

I've taken them down quite a bit - and to be honest - no real noticeable difference in tone or volume - and hopefully no more hitting them when I'm playing! 

[Dood]

7 minutes ago, Scatamonky said:

I've taken them down quite a bit - and to be honest - no real noticeable difference in tone or volume - and hopefully no more hitting them when I'm playing! 

 

Thats great news!! Treat the lil beaut to a service and set up too as you may be able to tidy up those odd fret buzzes with a tweak or two or at worst a fret dress  I liked the bass tone by the way!