Odd overtones/off-sounding notes

[Kebabkid]

Good folks, I think this is an odd one, but here goes - when I play certain notes on my bass across the register, they sound odd, almost sounding like they're a

semi-tone or even a tone out and the note warbles and oscillates causing the bass to vibrate and if it were a guitar, it's as if it would be getting ready to feedback. This has happened on several occasions over the years but at a recent rehearsal, the whole band heard it and so it's not my hearing and anyway, that has been checked to see if anything dodgy is going on.

 

My rig = a Sire V3 & V7, both in tune and their intonation is fine, and the pickup heights are good and not high. This can happen, be they in active or passive mode, and this also happened with my V7 when I played it through a different amp (Markbass) - my own amp is a Roland Bass Cube 160XL  and that's in good working order and it's not the speaker. I don't play loudly nor am I pushing the amp, but I'm aware that the Roland may not be the best of amps, or even be the loudest in terms of having that headroom that can assist with sound, but as I said, it has happened with a different amp. I've tried eliminating things but the only thing I haven't tried is a completely different bass through the amp to my 2 Sires.

 

Is it the basses, or the amp, or the dodgy bass player?? Are these wolftones? Is it a frequency thing in the room and it doesn't happen all the time?

 

Any thoughts as to what the issue might be or suggestions to try will be greatly received and has this happened to anyone else or am I (and my band) losing plot? I'll take it to my tech, too, with my amp but trying to replicate it has been hard.

 

Cheers

[Doctor J]

How old are the strings?

[simonlittle]

Might be a silly question but are you always in the same room when this is happening? ie: a particular rehearsal space? You could be hitting a resonant frequency in the space you’re in. It can happen anywhere and it wouldn’t matter what bass, amp or even instrument you’re playing; if something plays a note at the resonant frequency of the space it’ll jump right out and feel like the edge of feedback.

If you’re in a rehearsal room with mics etc those notes could be setting off feedback somewhere else; bass drum/piano/vocal mics are often the culprit. 
Best plan/test is to find the exact notes that are causing problems and EQ them out; either on the channels that are feeding back or on your amp if you have a parametric EQ. 
I doubt there’s anything wrong with your gear; more with how it’s interacting with the room and the PA

[Beedster]

12 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

How old are the strings?

That was my first thought also

[fretmeister]

Old strings or sometimes new ones that are twisted.

 

I know you’ve said the pickups are ok but lower them further anyway just to see if it goes away to properly rule that out.

[Kebabkid]

The strings are only a couple of months old and have only been used at home and 3 rehearsals and haven't been sweated on but I'll change them and see if that makes a difference.

 

I also hear you on the frequencies in a room and it's the same space we rehearse in and I had moved and was playing in a different place and was closer to a drum mike than before.

 

Cheers chaps and I'll give all this a try..much appreciated

 

Now, when's the next Southern/Surrey Bass Fest as I need my fix of bass goodness?

Edited February 3 by Kebabkid

[Mokl]

Playing the same passage, can you hear it without the amp? 

[Kebabkid]

1 hour ago, Mokl said:

Playing the same passage, can you hear it without the amp? 

Hard to tell, but I don't think so

[zapp]

Did the bass produce these tones with the old strings?

[Kebabkid]

I've just spoken to my tech and he's had it where the octave was at the 13th fret and he described it just as I have and...............................................

strings! He said the core could be damaged or stretched but you wouldn't know that from the outward appearance and that changes the physics of the string. I'll change them and let's see if you lot are the clever sods I believe you are

Many thanks for chipping in and I've just found this:-

The common term for this is metal fatigue. As string cores age and experience the wear and tear of regular play, they lose their elasticity, and can begin to sound “off.” Harmonics and upper register notes will be out of tune, and overall tuning stability may begin to suffer.

Edited February 4 by Kebabkid

[fretmeister]

Round core strings are particularly vulnerable to unseen annoyances.

 

I do like them though.

[Chienmortbb]

On 04/02/2025 at 10:53, fretmeister said:

Round core strings are particularly vulnerable to unseen annoyances.

 

I do like them though.

Newtone Platinum are lush.