Eliminating "The Clank"

[wafu_vasco]

Hi All,
This is a set up question - I've been trying t oget rid of that annoying clanky clacky sound that I get when playing a little harder or more aggressively than normal. I've tried raising the action and setting the neck relief slightly differently, but the only way to almost ensure I get rid of the clack is by plucking right near the bridge, which really slows down my playing. Has anybody got any advice on how I should set up? In an ideal world, I'd like as low an action as possible and to play in a fairly central position.
Many thanks!

[mongo2]

Try adjusting your right hand technique to pluck more parallel to the body instead of driving the string into the neck.

An adjustment in string height and/or relief may still be necessary.

[wafu_vasco]

I'll give that a go and report back. Many thanks!

[derelicte]

it's in your fingers

[PilbaraBass]

yes, this is more a technique issue than a setup...

EQ can help a little...

but learn to develop a lighter touch...don't attack the top of the string (that pushes it up and down)...come ACROSS the top of the string...

practice up near the neck where it's most sensitive to develop the feel.

[Jimbob Jones]

Flatwounds and roll your tone off.

You're never going to completely eliminate clank while playing hard, so the best thing to do is just remove the 'clanky' frequencies from your tone.

[TheSuzie]

Are you clanking against the upper frets or the pickup(s)? I found that on one bass I was hitting the pickup cover and lowering both my pickups helped.

[wafu_vasco]

It's definately the fretboard. I play with a lot of treble which makes it particularly obvious, but it will all make me work harder for a better technique. Thanks for the advice, things are looking a bit better already

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by wafu_vasco

It's definately the fretboard.

How was that determined? If it is an issue it may be able to be fixed and maybe with something as simple as a trussrod adjustment.

[wafu_vasco]

If I play high up on the fret board I can hammer hell out of the strings and there is no clank whatsoever. The lower I go and the more string is left to vibrate, the worse it is. Certainly the tips on changing technique have helped, curling my hand further around and plucking the strings parallel to the body rather than allowing them to vibrate into the guitar has made a real difference. As for the pick ups, I've got the same problem to greater of lesser extents on all seven of my basses and some of them have the pick ups almost flush with the scratch plate.

[somegeezer]

Take down your Treble in the EQ.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by wafu_vasco

If I play high up on the fret board I can hammer hell out of the strings and there is no clank whatsoever. The lower I go and the more string is left to vibrate, the worse it is.

That's true, aside from technique, which you seem to be getting a handle on, that particular situation is also due to a combination of increased string travel for the longer speaking length of the string and the distance from the strings to the frets.

A lighter touch and/or a slightly higher action and/or slightly increased relief may help.

I have mine set up so I can clank when I want just by changing how I attack the strings with my right hand in order to imitate some rockability/roots styles I play.

[maturanesa]

Clank is because your strings are moving/vibrating a lot when you attack them. I wouldnt change the EQ, because it will affect the tone and not remove the clank, just hide a little. Try to string your bass with a more heavy gauge strings. It will eliminate the clank because the strings dont move too much.

[wafu_vasco]

Yep, EQ'ing it out helps, but I really like the trebly sound so don't want to lose that. I use ultra light gauge elixirs on my main bass, a Fender Jazz, but use heavier gauges on the others and it seems the worst on the Fender Precision out of all of them. Certainly a lighter touch helps a great deal, but some songs call for a bit of heavy pounding. I know I'm asking for the moon on a stick! I want light strings, a low action, loads of treble, heavy playing style and still no clank! Wishful thinking...

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by wafu_vasco

Yep, EQ'ing it out helps, but I really like the trebly sound so don't want to lose that. I use ultra light gauge elixirs on my main bass, a Fender Jazz, but use heavier gauges on the others and it seems the worst on the Fender Precision out of all of them. Certainly a lighter touch helps a great deal, but some songs call for a bit of heavy pounding. I know I'm asking for the moon on a stick! I want light strings, a low action, loads of treble, heavy playing style and still no clank! Wishful thinking...

exactly. there are no free lunches.

but since you like the treble, the only option you have is to work on your technique.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by wafu_vasco

I want light strings, a low action, loads of treble, heavy playing style and still no clank!

Pick 2 and adjust the rest to work to suit those two.

[tZer]

Originally Posted by Jimbob Jones

Flatwounds and roll your tone off.

You're never going to completely eliminate clank while playing hard, so the best thing to do is just remove the 'clanky' frequencies from your tone.

Not true. Adjusting your right hand and left hand technique, volume and practice will eliminate the clank while allowing you to play 'aggressively'. You may have to re-adjust your concept on how you achieve 'aggressive' - but you can still get a very aggressive attack without having to flail at the strings.

Originally Posted by maturanesa

Clank is because your strings are moving/vibrating a lot when you attack them. I wouldnt change the EQ, because it will affect the tone and not remove the clank, just hide a little. Try to string your bass with a more heavy gauge strings. It will eliminate the clank because the strings dont move too much.

In my experience, 'clank' is the result of the strings being plowed into the frets due to a plucking hand technique that nurtures such results. By aggressively slamming your fingers in a more 'into the body' stroke the strings are striking the frets and 'clanking'. By adjusting your plucking technique to go more parallel to the body, increasing your volume a bit and lightening your touch, you can gain a LOT of control over your sound and not only eliminate 'clank', but gain access to a wider variety of attacks. You can still achieve an aggressive sound - but your attack or the way you think about getting it will change. But when you listen to the playback and hear that you are still just as gritty and aggressive sounding - only you're not working as hard OR generating 'clank' in the process, you'll really dig it.

[miguel2u]

Go fretless