Neck "rattle" - bit weird

[thisnameistaken]

I've had this before, and now it's come back: I had to make a truss rod adjustment today to put a bit of relief back in the neck after changing strings (I was getting some buzzing on the lighter strings from frets 5-9-ish). Only made about a 1/4 turn adjustment. Now when I play the open E (especially) or A (less of an issue) I can hear a rattling sound in sympathy with the string.

If I fret a note it goes away, if I press the string tight to the nut, or apply pressure to the string behind the nut, it goes away. So it's strictly an open-string thing.

It isn't getting heard by the pickups so it's not a huge deal, but it's a bit disconcerting. Is this literally my truss rod rattling around inside the neck? If so, will it go away as the neck settles into its new tension? Or is the truss rod itself knackered? It seems to still work OK.

Cheers.

Edited June 4, 2009 by thisnameistaken

[thisnameistaken]

Well my bass wasn't doing it before the truss rod adjustment, I think it's probably the truss rod itself vibrating because it's loose, I'm just a bit concerned about whether that's an especially bad thing, and whether it will go away or I need to make another change.

It's one of the older one-way truss rods.

[Bassassin]

Just read your post properly & it isn't the same thing at all! that'll teach me to jump to conclusions! It might be a nut-height issue, or maybe the break-angle over the nut. Are your strings wound top-to-bottom around the posts?

Jon.

[Higgie]

I had this on my Lakland DJ4. I changed strings and the problem went away I thought it was something to do with the string being loose in the nut, but I changed down to a thinner guage and didn't have any more problems so it can't have been that. Not sure what the problem was in the end, but all I know is changing strings got rid of it for me

Edited June 4, 2009 by Higgie

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='505518' date='Jun 4 2009, 03:05 PM']Just read your post properly & it isn't the same thing at all! that'll teach me to jump to conclusions! It might be a nut-height issue, or maybe the break-angle over the nut. Are your strings wound top-to-bottom around the posts?[/quote]

I wondered if it was that, but the break angle is pretty good - each post has four winds around it and the Warwick headstock is tilted back anyway. I did wonder if I'd accidentally lowered the Just-A-Nut but then I tried to turn the screw for the E string and found it's stuck.

[quote name='Higgie' post='505520' date='Jun 4 2009, 03:06 PM']I had this on my Lakland DJ4. I changed strings and the problem went away I thought it was something to do with the string being loose in the nut, but I changed down to a thinner guage and didn't have any more problems so it can't have been that. Not sure what the problem was in the end, but all I know is changing strings got rid of it for me [/quote]

Well I suppose if I put on strings with a bit less tension I could re-tighten the truss rod and it probably would go away, but I don't really want to end up in a situation where I'm throwing away new sets of strings every so often...

[noelk27]

I had an Aria Pro II SB1000 that developed an issue a little like this, so like your Warwick had an angled headstock - turned out one of the nuts at the base of one of the tuning pegs had loosened and when an open string was played the metal washer under the nut would vibrate, causing a metallic rattle. Might be worth checking that all the nuts and bolts are properly tightened.

[thisnameistaken]

Good call, hadn't thought of that, but I just checked and everything's nice and tight.

Still think it's the truss rod.

[Geejay]

I had a very similar problem a few years back. It was on my A string. I adjusted what I could but it still kept coming back from time to time, really annoying. I bought new strings and fitted them and still the problem remained. In the end I checked everything I could think of and it still kept buzzing so I swapped the D and A strings to eliminate it being a string problem. The buzz now had moved with the string. Anyone want two sets of Rotosound strings with a buzzing A? I've been told that it was quite common with Rotosounds for the core to separate from the winding! Strange that it was the A string both times. I don't use Rotosound anymore and have never had the problem again!

Graham

[Guest]

I had a similar problem with my Warwick dolphin, some older warwicks have very stiff necks, when I used lighter gauge strings there was no tension on the rod at all as none was needed. Try tapping the neck and see if it rattles the rod may be loose due to lack of tension.

[rslaing]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='505490' date='Jun 4 2009, 02:33 PM']I've had this before, and now it's come back: I had to make a truss rod adjustment today to put a bit of relief back in the neck after changing strings (I was getting some buzzing on the lighter strings from frets 5-9-ish). Only made about a 1/4 turn adjustment. Now when I play the open E (especially) or A (less of an issue) I can hear a rattling sound in sympathy with the string.

If I fret a note it goes away, if I press the string tight to the nut, or apply pressure to the string behind the nut, it goes away. So it's strictly an open-string thing.

It isn't getting heard by the pickups so it's not a huge deal, but it's a bit disconcerting. Is this literally my truss rod rattling around inside the neck? If so, will it go away as the neck settles into its new tension? Or is the truss rod itself knackered? It seems to still work OK.

Cheers.[/quote]

Someone else had this problem earlier this week and the Bassdoc sorted it.

Have a look at this and see if it resolves the prob - it sounds similar? All the posts are on there, so just follow the Bassdocs.........it might be the same problem and solution

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50713&st=0&p=503723&#entry503723"]open string buzz[/url]

Edited June 5, 2009 by rslaing

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='steve-norris' post='506520' date='Jun 5 2009, 06:00 PM']I had a similar problem with my Warwick dolphin, some older warwicks have very stiff necks, when I used lighter gauge strings there was no tension on the rod at all as none was needed. Try tapping the neck and see if it rattles the rod may be loose due to lack of tension.[/quote]

I think this is it. I'll turn some rod back on, then, enough to make it go away without altering the neck. The rod feels quite tight though, maybe it's getting old.

Edited June 10, 2009 by thisnameistaken

[clauster]

[quote]I tried to turn the screw for the E string and found it's stuck[/quote]

Have you got a JAN I?

If so, I have heard over on the Warwick forum that the screws can loosen in the nut and rattle.

A long shot if the E string screw is stuck, but might be worth checking?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='clauster' post='510186' date='Jun 10 2009, 02:16 PM']Have you got a JAN I?

If so, I have heard over on the Warwick forum that the screws can loosen in the nut and rattle.

A long shot if the E string screw is stuck, but might be worth checking?[/quote]

Yes it is a JAN 1. I'm surprised they would rattle when strung up to pitch though. The sound is definitely coming from that area but I assumed that's because I've got the truss rod cover off... It also "feels" like there's a slight vibration from the neck, which also made me think truss rod.

I'll see if I can figure it out tonight...

[BassBod]

Just a thought, but the truss rod on some older thumbs works backwards - its a two way design, push or pull, but works in reverse (ie not clockwise to tighten). If its feeling hard to move its worth checking by a slight turn the other way to see what it does? I don't know when they changed it but my '98 works in reverse. I think the volute carved behind the headstock is a probable sign its got a newer style truss rod..but not 100%?

[thisnameistaken]

Yeah mine does work the wrong way round, I've had the bass a few years though I'm used to it.

Well I left it alone for a few days and what do you know, the rattling sound has disappeared. Maybe it just took a while for the neck to settle, given how stiff it is.

Must remind myself not to panic the next time it happens!

[babaseen]

[quote name='Geejay' post='505769' date='Jun 4 2009, 02:51 PM']I had a very similar problem a few years back. It was on my A string. I adjusted what I could but it still kept coming back from time to time, really annoying. I bought new strings and fitted them and still the problem remained. In the end I checked everything I could think of and it still kept buzzing so I swapped the D and A strings to eliminate it being a string problem. The buzz now had moved with the string. Anyone want two sets of Rotosound strings with a buzzing A? I've been told that it was quite common with Rotosounds for the core to separate from the winding! Strange that it was the A string both times. I don't use Rotosound anymore and have never had the problem again!

Graham[/quote]

I've also noticed this with the Rotosound Swing Bass set on fretless. Thought it was a buzzing on the fingerboard or truss rod but finally realized it had to be the core of the string buzzing on the windings or vice versa. It is only obvious when played unplugged so I hesitate to call the strings defective and not obvious when an open string is played. However when amplified the strings sound fine (not all the strings exhibit this and I've had other sets of Roto's do this on occasion) this buzz is not part of the amplified sound, which is why it is a strange phenomena. Funny to hear someone say it is quite common with Rotosounds as I really don't wish to change.