Fretless Buzzing... what to do?

Misanthropic · #1 03-27-2007, 10:54 AM

Hello TB,

I defretted this bass a while ago:

(obviously it has the frets left in the pic)

Problem is, no matter how high I set the strings, the strings still produce unpleasant noise when fretted, like this:

http://www.abo.fi/~anhenrik/unix/Asama/asamabuzz.avi
(3 MB file)

Current action:

I finished the fretboard with polyurethane laquer, so it's rather glossy. The strings are rotosound swing 66's 40-100 I think.

Anyone know what could be done about this?

PilbaraBass · #2 03-27-2007, 06:50 PM

that's not buzzing at all...that's what is referred to as the "mwah"...

the way you have it EQ'd at the moment it sounds a bit harsh...and the round wound strings definitely make it sound more like that...

if you're looking for a more mellow type of sound, you can try flats or nylon tapes...

I put LaBella nylon tape wound strings (available at carvin.com) on my fretless and never looked back.

Brass Nut · #3 03-28-2007, 08:01 AM

... and don't bend your strings. Rock or slide. Your fretboard will thank you with them rounds.
Nice job on the de-fretting there too.

Misanthropic · #4 03-28-2007, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

that's not buzzing at all...that's what is referred to as the "mwah"...

the way you have it EQ'd at the moment it sounds a bit harsh...and the round wound strings definitely make it sound more like that...

if you're looking for a more mellow type of sound, you can try flats or nylon tapes...

I put LaBella nylon tape wound strings (available at carvin.com) on my fretless and never looked back.

the bass is unplugged in the video... so no eq'ing there.

is it really supposed to sound like that?? the buzzing (or "mwah", then) decreased after i raised the strings quite a bit, it was MUCH louder (also unplugged) before...

hmm. guess i'll try flatwounds...

lonote · #5 03-28-2007, 09:44 AM

Yep, it's supposed to sound like that. The "mwah" is generally considered desirable, something people look for when they decide to get a fretless bass. Out of curiosity, why did you defret your bass if you don't like the "mwah" sound? By the way... using flats won't make it go away.

milhouse · #6 03-28-2007, 10:08 AM

I'm still fine-tuning my 'mwahh'. I love fretless for the slides and fine tuning of notes. Mwahh wasn't the reason I went fretless. My neck isn't that flat so I only get it higher up on the neck.

Misanthropic · #7 03-28-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonote

Yep, it's supposed to sound like that. The "mwah" is generally considered desirable, something people look for when they decide to get a fretless bass. Out of curiosity, why did you defret your bass if you don't like the "mwah" sound? By the way... using flats won't make it go away.

Because it's not a big deal, that's my first ever bass and I didn't play it anyway. I played a fretless at a store once and thought it was pretty fun, so i decided to try to defret my old one.

I think the one at the store had coated strings of some sort, they felt very plastic (way more than elixirs do). Anyway, that bass didn't produce such sound (mwah), and since it was the only fretless i'd played, i thought something was wrong with my own.

But I'm afraid i'm not really a fan of the mwah thing, i'd like something smoother... suggestions for strings to help this?

milhouse · #8 03-28-2007, 12:10 PM

Raising the action and/or neck adjustments should eliminate most of it. I don't think the strings are the cause.

edit-just re-read your post about action being high and that not fixing it. Maybe the neck needs more curve? Sorry, it's beyond my limited knowledge...

kipsus · #9 03-30-2007, 08:59 AM

Put flats on my fretless, no buzz, no nothing, just great bass sound

oh, and i love the low action/high tension setup

BillMason · #10 03-30-2007, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonote

Yep, it's supposed to sound like that. The "mwah" is generally considered desirable, something people look for when they decide to get a fretless bass. Out of curiosity, why did you defret your bass if you don't like the "mwah" sound? By the way... using flats won't make it go away.

I don't know... I think I do hear a buzzing aside from the mwah.

OP - do you get the buzzing everywhere on your neck, or just past the 12th?

Maybe it's a loose truss rod... maybe it's a problem with the seating of the strings on either the nut or the saddles... how does it sound plugged in, does your amp pick up the buzzing? If not, maybe the buzzing is somewhere between the nut and your finger (i.e. a bowed neck)?

Misanthropic · #11 03-31-2007, 08:44 AM

After I raised the strings (to an extent where it's not very enjoyable to play), the buzzing only appears higher on the neck (ie past the ~12th fret). The higher I raise them the higher on the neck goes the buzzing.

The truss rod isn't loose, but it's tightened as far as it goes (did not force it, though). When I perform the hold-the-1st-and-15th-fret test the neck bow seems to be OK (I suppose this applies to fretless basses as well..?). As for the seating of the strings etc - I don't think so, cause then it would have been there prior to defretting, right?

If I remember correctly, the buzzing went through to the amp, yes, but I don't remember to what extent (and I can't check it now, cause the bass is at my parents' house). I'll try recording with it sometime, to check if there's any noise on the tape..

moopants · #12 03-31-2007, 11:51 AM

That is a combination of mwah and buzz. I bought a fretless bass (not a de-fret), and mine did that to me, except it was worse. It got to the point that I hated the bass, so I brought it in the store. The board appeared to be "ebonized". It wasn't even. Though yours isn't ebonized, what you might've done was make the board uneven. This will cause the buzzing and the mwah at the same time. You can probably do it yourself, or bring it to the store, and see if it can be even. The guy that did mine buffered off the fake ebony, leveled it, and put a beautiful finish on it. So, now it shows its true rosewood board. That and Curt Mangan flats made my cheap $200 bass turn into a bass that I would jump off a bridge to save.