A string woe!

[Maark]

So... I go to tune my big pile of bass tonight. And as I tune the A string, anytime I move the machine head there's like a little mechanical squeaking sound, like nng-nng-nng as if it's protesting. What can I do? I've only owned this bass 3 weeks now.

[ZPQ]

Hard to say with out seeing it.

but

I've had similar noises and so long as the machinehead is actually turning I have'nt worried about it - just the mechanical parts under strain.

If you don't know someone with more playing time under their belt to get a 2nd opinion you could take it into a local shop and ask what they think?

Did you buy it local - ask the seller about it.

Sorry to be vague but perhaps we have a contributor from Weymouth who could have a look at it for you?

Good luck - hope it turns out ok

John

[Maark]

I bought it in Dorchester. I'll ask Ben in my WoW guild, he's a five minute drive away, he'll probably know. But the head turns ok, it just sounds a bit hacked off. Maybe it needs some lube?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Difficult to diagnose sight unseen, but a few things to check off the top of my head:

is it catching in the nut? - if so run a soft pencil in the nut slots to lubricate.

Check the screws in the machinehead are tight - the one holding the main gear for fender-type open tuners or the one at the top of the button for Gotoh-type enclosed ones. These can possibly loosen with time, although this is rare in my experience.

The A string wouldn't be going under a string tree, so it won't be that, but if it was a D or G string it could be.

I'd also take the strings off and put them back on winding tidily onto the machinehead capstans, in case they was originally wound on haphazardly.

[Maark]

Sorry to sound like a plonk, but how would one go about changing strings? I have to admit, I failed to ask that when I bought it. *feels silly*

[BOD2]

[quote name='Maark' post='64650' date='Sep 24 2007, 10:40 AM']Sorry to sound like a plonk, but how would one go about changing strings? I have to admit, I failed to ask that when I bought it. *feels silly*[/quote]

Everybody has to start sometime. Try these links for info

[url="http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_string_change/"]tunemybass.com[/url]

[url="http://www.learnlicks.com/watchVideo.cfm?lickID=301"]learnlicks.com (video !)[/url]

[url="http://www.warwickbass.com/basssurvival101/lesson_2string.htm"]Warwickbass.com[/url]

[mybass]

You sure it is the actual mechanics of the machine head? Also, if the nut is a bit tight on the string it may force the string to resist pulling through the nut slot, so putting a little more tension on the machine head. Sometimes a bit of pencil led which is graphite, "pencilled" into the nut slot by sharpening to a point an ordinary pencil, will help to provide a smoother passage for the string over/through the nut slot.


[quote name='Maark' post='64559' date='Sep 23 2007, 11:38 PM']So... I go to tune my big pile of bass tonight. And as I tune the A string, anytime I move the machine head there's like a little mechanical squeaking sound, like nng-nng-nng as if it's protesting. What can I do? I've only owned this bass 3 weeks now.[/quote]

[paul, the]

If you got the bass in Harmony, I'd give them a ring tomorrow. If they want repeat business ([i]they want repeat business[/i]), they'll sort it out.

Taking the string off and putting it back on wouldn't be a bad idea, checking for anything funny along the way. If you want any help with that, just let me know.

paul.


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full moon's out -- shpooky