Odd rattle

[mr-mungo]

There's a slight rattle soming from the headstock of my P bass. It's on the A string and slightly on the E string. I'm not sure if the amp picks it up, as I have no opportunity to turn my amp up, due to neighbours [geriatrics and babies.]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

MB

[mgriffith]

Do you hear a rattle like something is loose and making noise when you move the bass or when you strike the stings when you play?

I get more of a buzzing sound from my A string at the nut, and am in the middle of finding a way to fi it since my repair man did not

A rattle, like something is loose is odd, though. Maybe the screw to the string retainer is loose?

[XylemBassGuitar]

mr-mungo,

It would be good to know if it is a string rattling on the frets (fret buzz) or if it's something else that is rattling.

Here are a few possible fixes if it's something other than fret buzz.

1) Tighten up all the screws/nuts on the tuners. A lot of the time the threaded bushing that screws onto the body of the tuner comes loose and rattles.

2) Check that your truss rod adjustment nut is tight. If it isn't, tighten it but just enough to keep the rod or the nut from moving, no further (unless of course you're experienced in adjusting truss rods).

3) Make sure the strings are seated properly in the nut slots. If they are seated too high or the slots are very wide, you may need some nut modifications.

If the problem is fret buzz, I'll need more info. Do the E and A strings only "rattle" when you play them open or when you fret them as well? If they buzz when you fret them, at which frets do they buzz?

[mr-mungo]

Thank you for looking

Its just an open string thing, and its predominantly on the open A

thank, MB

[XylemBassGuitar]

Okay,

So, if you've tightened up all the moving parts I suggested previously and only get buzz when playing the A-string open, here are some likely fixes:

1) You might want to crank up your amp to a volume at which you want to play; just long enough for you to determine if you can hear the buzz through the amp (lest you disturb the neighbors). Alternatively, buy a set of decent headphones and see if you can hear the rattle through them. If you can't hear the rattle through the amp/headphones, you might not want to even bother getting the bass adjusted, unless the rattle continues to bug you.

2) The nut slot that the A-string sits in is cut too low. You may be able to fix this problem by taking a small piece of paper (or a piece of matchbook cover), loosening the A-string and placing the paper under it in its nut slot like a shim. This is a "temporary" fix, but a lot of musicians just leave the paper in there indefinitely, as it usually fixes the problem if the slot is too low. If one piece doesn't do the trick, try folding it more so that it holds the string up even higher. You can get this permanently fixed by taking your bass to a luthier for either a new nut or to have the A-string's slot filled and re-cut; the choice would be yours.

3) The nut slot is too wide for the A-string. If this is the case, you'll definitely either need a new nut (you could even upgrade to bone/graphite/ebony), or the slot will need to be filled up and re-cut.

If the rattle really does originate from the headstock itself and you've tightened up the various parts, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. In that case, you might just want to take it to a luthier or repair tech.

Let me know how it turns out.

[mr-mungo]

Thanks mate
The buzz has gone, its as good as new.
Thanks for your help
Mungo

[XylemBassGuitar]

Good deal, I'm glad it went away!

Slap that bass!