Stingray 5 weird overtones D string

[bchamorro]

My stingray 5 is making weird overtones on the D string 10th fret. What could be causing this? Sounds like a tremolo or chorus effect.

Strings are new, setup seems fine. Any way to fix this?

here is an example

http://soundcloud.com/barneychamorro/output-1-2

[Turnaround]

This sounds like the typical problem caused by the pickups being set too close to the strings. First thing I would do is to lower the pickups.

[ChrisHooker]

Are you tuned with a high C? If so, it sounds like you're not muting the other strings to me. When you hit the 9th fret (C), the high C string resonates sympathetically, and then you hit the 10th fret (C#), which causes dissonance between the two.

The fix? Mute the strings you're not playing.

[bchamorro]

I'm tuned BEADG

[ChrisHooker]

Hmm, my apologies, then. You can try Turnaround's suggestion. It just seems weird to me that the C is the only one that rings out THAT much. (The others do to some extent, but not as crazy as the C.)

[bchamorro]

You're right about something!

I muted the E string and I don't hear the ugly trem/chorus thing anymore.


Sucks that I have to mute the E every time I want to play that note! Is this normal?

(I'm actually a guitarist, not a bass player so I don't have a lot of experience with bass guitars)

[ChrisHooker]

Perhaps the E string is getting a lot of pull from the pickups, and just happens to resonate at C the most? What's the distance from bottom of string to the pickup when fretting your highest note you'll ever fret?

Oh, and it's normal to have to mute the strings you're not playing, but not normal for them to ring loudly at notes other than what they're tuned to (open).

[bchamorro]

another thing is that it only happens when I slide from the 9th fret to 10th fret on the D string, and pluck the D string. If I just pluck the D on the 10th without sliding it sounds fine.

it's 7/32 from top of pickup to bottom of E string

I all ready tried lowering the pickup a lot!

[ChrisHooker]

7/32" when fretting a high note on that string?

[bchamorro]

yes! 11th fret E string

[ChrisHooker]

Well, I usually measure up a little higher (fretwise), but I do play those frets, too. If you don't, no need to measure from there.

That's actually about twice the distance I usually put my pickups, so unless you've got some crazy strong magnets in there, I don't think that's the cause.

Just curious, what happens when you go from D string 9th fret down to 8th fret?

[bchamorro]

I get the same trem effect like sound

[bchamorro]

but if i mute the E string I don't get anything

[ChrisHooker]

The only other thing I can think of off-hand (which is probably pretty doubtful), is that maybe the E string bottoms out at the 7th fret (normally get buzz there?), and that is "pinching" the string, causing it to resonate. I don't even want to believe that's the case myself, though, it doesn't sound buzzy and bright.

Or.. You're not accidentally pressing on the E at 7th fret with your thumb, are you?

And are you sure you don't have a gremlin with an ebow messin' with ya?

[niki z]

Rest your thumb on the E while you play the D. (automatic mute) If your using a pick you will half to learn to mute with your palm or left hand, which is hard for me because I don't play with a pick allot.

[bchamorro]

I think I am going to have to exchange the bass... I can't live with this....

[ricknote]

Check the springs on the bridge.

Sometimes certain notes can get em rattling.

Push em back and forth.

[Marley's Ghost]

How are you stringing the tuning pegs? Are the strings coming off the top or bottom of the wind? I have a similar problem when I wind bottom - top. I get harmonics between the fingers and the nut, which go away if I mute behind the fingering.

edit..this occurs on the A, E, and B on the 5-9 fret intermittently.