So my bass is making this terrible noise...

[SolarGranola]

So in August I purchased this awesome Schecter P-Bass 5 string and soon after I had to take a plane back to DC for college. I didn't have the money for a hard case so I just got a soft case but the airline offered this special handling thing for delicate items too big to fit on board over checking it in, so I figured that the soft case would be just fine.

However, after getting off the plane and getting back to my dorm, my bass was making this awful dissonant sound when I did hammer-ons, from the 7th fret up, on all of the strings. It appears as though the string is vibrating below the fret that is pressed down and above the pressed fret and creating a very dissonant combination of notes.

I've tried tightening the truss rod, loosening it, raising and lowering the bridge saddles and increasing and decreasing the length of the strings but nothing has seemed to change this in the slightest.

I know that this sort of thing may be normal but I've never heard it ring this loud on other basses.

What could it be?

[Smokin' Toaster]

Options for flying with your bass, if you want it to work after the trip:

1) Buy a ticket for the seat next to you and keep it there.
2) if it's going to be checked, get an approved ATA flight case. NOTHING ELSE WILL DO!!!!

There are no other options. If it's not in a flight case and it gets out of your sight, chances are it's going to be screwed when it gets back to you, as you have recently proven. Never, NEVER underestimate how badly baggage handlers can screw up stuff. You could put them in a rubber room with a steel ball and they'd break both of them.

[tstone]

No point blaming anything on the airline or the flight before you determine what's causing the problem. If you're not able to diagnose it yourself, take it to someone who is.

[Emm9T]

Originally Posted by Smokin' Toaster

Buy a ticket for the seat next to you and keep it there.

I saw an interview with Camel's Andrew Latimer, he tried to buy a plane ticket for his guitar, but they wouldn't let it fly because it didn't have a passport.

Sorry, OP. They seem to have messed up your neck

Oh, good point tstone, would be good to narrow down the problem first.

[elgecko]

It could be a setup issue caused by a change in temp/humidity. Take it to a COMPETENT tech.

[Jay2U]

I certainly would check the hight of the elements. If this is not causing the problem, you may have to check whether the elements are secured correctly. Most elements have some spring-loaded construction. It looks like it has to do with strings being closer to the elements (from the seventh fret up). Is the neck tightened firmly to the body? Are they in line?