What's that noise?!?!?!?

ZanaZulu807 · #1 03-02-2009, 09:28 PM

I've tried everything as far as I know. After I changed the strings on my bass, I've had this weird, LOUD, rattling going on at what I thought was the headstock around the tuning pegs.

I tried tightening/loosening the tuner's screws every which way I could, tightening the bolts surrounding the pegs, rewrapping the strings around the pegs for different results, nothing's changed.

So I then try playing around with the truss rod, I'm no tech when it comes to neck relief, especially on a neck thru, so I'm not messing with this too much, so that's out.

Then I try adjusting the bridge in every way, raising the string height then lowering for every string individually, loosening how tight the bridge is, etc., and the noise is still there.

I should also add that this is whenever I pluck an open E, even at the lightest pull, there is still noise. It rattles so much it sounds like it's about to break. Everything is tight and everything is as it should be, so, ANY HELP???

Mikio · #2 03-02-2009, 09:30 PM

oh, I got that on my first Squier... it was one of the tuners... but I've never been able to fix it Dx, I guess I have to change it

ZanaZulu807 · #3 03-02-2009, 09:37 PM

How did you come to find out that it was the tuners? I am thinking about taking these off to see if they work fine and to see how they all compare to each other. I still say that I'm not sure if that's it, maybe the nut? but the strings are lain down as well as they can be, there is a nice angle from the nut to the peg head. I just don't know.

Mikio · #4 03-02-2009, 09:46 PM

I just plucked the string and put my ear on every part of the bass, while doing that I thought it was one of the tuners, the sound stopped when I holded the tuner with my hand, it vibrates for some reason, even if I tight the screws up... everything seems in place, but it just can't be fixed.

about it being the nut, I doubt it, even if it was making some noise, I don't think it would be as loud as you describe

dmusic148 · #5 03-02-2009, 09:49 PM

Is it a Peavey Grind? My buddy has one, and his truss rod rattles. He has to run it a little tighter that he'd like to prevent it. But it's probably the nut. See if you can re-wrap the string so it pulls down harder against it.

ZanaZulu807 · #6 03-02-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Is it a Peavey Grind? My buddy has one, and his truss rod rattles. He has to run it a little tighter that he'd like to prevent it. But it's probably the nut. See if you can re-wrap the string so it pulls down harder against it.

No, it's one of those Guitar Center Laguna's, from how it sounds it's somewhere between the tuning peg and the nut, and it can't be the nut because like I said the string is slanted down as far down as it can go and wrapped around the peg about 3 times. I notice that when I pluck it and press down on the slant the sound sorta disappears but is very much still there.

Lizooki · #7 03-03-2009, 06:50 AM

Were the new strings the same size as the old ones?

Matt

ZanaZulu807 · #8 03-03-2009, 07:33 AM

Yeah, I always use .105, and I know that I would have to do a setup if I changed gauges.

JustDavid · #9 03-03-2009, 07:43 AM

Set the bass on it's stand & pluck 1/4 notes of that open E. While doing so, press a fingertip on everything between the nut & the end of the headstock, step by step. This should point out just where the vibration or vibrations are coming from.

hbarcat · #10 03-03-2009, 08:13 AM

I had a set of tuners that all vibrated where the "ears" were pressed into the shafts. I put a dab of superglue on each one and that took care of the problem.

ErebusBass · #11 03-03-2009, 08:29 PM

Can you hear it when you're playing through an amp?

ZanaZulu807 · #12 03-03-2009, 10:11 PM

No, it's primarily audible playing unplugged. I pinpointed that the noise does indeed come from the tuners so I took them off, took them apart and put them back together still getting the same noise.

So I then put on some unknown brand I had laying around and the noise was still there, just not as irritating as before. I'm thinking about buying some new ones since practicing with this noise has become a chore and I'm a skeptic about the Hipshot brand. I heard good things about the Schaller brand so I might check that out and see how that does.