bass clicking

thedevilisbad · #1 04-03-2011, 04:39 PM

Hey guys.

I was at church this morning, and although I wasn't running sound this week, I heard some clicking coming from our bassist. This guy is a very good bassist and his custom Fender bass sounds sick. Unfortunately, our tech 21 bass DI Sansamp died on us. Because of this, some clicking of the string hitting the pickups was happening while he was playing. At first I thought it was a bad cable. It was very distracting.

Any thoughts on a temporary solution until we get the Tech 21 box back?

Thanks!

-Aaron Wilson

pstyle · #2 04-03-2011, 04:41 PM

He needs to adjust his technique or his bass set-up.

thedevilisbad · #3 04-03-2011, 04:48 PM

Then why wasn't it noticeable through the Sansamp?

Soreinsun · #4 04-03-2011, 04:55 PM

This is very common. Depending on how an amp is built and predispositions of speakers, etc, some of the clicking/popping can be hidden. I suggest lowering the pickups so that the string doesn't have enough "play" to touch the magnet. This might just mean moving the neck pickup only where the string travels a greater distance.

There are other things that create clicking sounds, like during intense fretting, missed fretting, low action (so that the string can hit the higher frets as the finger passes past the string), etc.

In my mind the perfect bass set-up will eliminate all of that noise, but the sad truth is that bass guitars just have a lot of transient sounds. That said proper set up will eliminate anything too distracting.

Best of luck!
-Dan

thedevilisbad · #5 04-03-2011, 05:17 PM

Well, I'll politely talk to him about it. I think when a player is getting into it, and when they're on stage without an amp, it's hard for them to think about things like clicking.

It's probably more his playing style when he gets excited rather than his bass needing set up.

A man who builds basses like this probably has it set up right:

Tracebassplayer · #6 04-03-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedevilisbad

Well, I'll politely talk to him about it. I think when a player is getting into it, and when they're on stage without an amp, it's hard for them to think about things like clicking.

It's probably more his playing style when he gets excited rather than his bass needing set up.

A man who builds basses like this probably has it set up right:

Instead of coming at him in a critical way - no matter how "polite" you try to be, he might take it wrong......
Ask him what his technique is for getting that clicking sound when he plays.
He may cop a better 'tude that way, if he is unaware it will enable him to save face instead of being embarrassed that someone noticed it.

testing1two · #7 04-03-2011, 06:55 PM

This is one of many reasons to record the music portion of the service every week. It's hard to argue with audible proof.

Plays_For_Dog · #8 04-03-2011, 07:08 PM

Dig that bass. It's sweeeeeeet.

thedevilisbad · #9 04-03-2011, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plays_For_Dog

Dig that bass. It's sweeeeeeet.

Check out his site: Ziegenfuss Guitars

CRW_1391.jpg (image)

As for audible proof,

, that we have.

Caca de Kick · #10 04-03-2011, 07:58 PM

Highly doubt it's the strings hitting the pickup poles. Betting it's the strings slapping up against the frets as he's probably playing a little too hard.

I always see people preferring low action, but when I see people play you hear the constant clacking/clicking (yes, I've been guilty of it too, even though I use higher action).

Some gear is more sensitive and just picks up those noises.

Phantasm · #11 04-03-2011, 08:05 PM

Tech 21 Sansamps have a notch in the EQ around 725hz if I recall correctly. Perhaps this is the area of his "clickyness."

It's also possible he has the "Presence" turned down on his Sansamp... this is 3.5k and could also be the clicky sound.

1.5k is another "clicky" frequency.

For all of you that have commented on his technique: Boost 1.5k or 3.5k by 15db and let's see how your technique sounds...

Tracebassplayer · #12 04-03-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Tech 21 Sansamps have a notch in the EQ around 725hz if I recall correctly. Perhaps this is the area of his "clickyness."

It's also possible he has the "Presence" turned down on his Sansamp... this is 3.5k and could also be the clicky sound.

1.5k is another "clicky" frequency.

For all of you that have commented on his technique: Boost 1.5k or 3.5k by 15db and let's see how your technique sounds...

I believe he said the Sansamp died, so that's a non-issue.

Tracebassplayer · #13 04-03-2011, 10:25 PM

Does he sound like the bassist for DIO on Holy Diver? That kind of clicky bass sound?

Downunderwonder · #14 04-03-2011, 11:08 PM

Maybe he was laying into it to make up for the lack of DI into PA.

Was the sansamp was hiding clicky stuff previously? Hard to believe it could be so specific that it cut enough to remove clickity clank and not mess up the tone.

Tracebassplayer · #15 04-03-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

Maybe he was laying into it to make up for the lack of DI into PA.

Was the sansamp was hiding clicky stuff previously? Hard to believe it could be so specific that it cut enough to remove clickity clank and not mess up the tone.

R U watching that sweet Trace rig on the block down there?

Tracebassplayer · #16 04-03-2011, 11:11 PM

OP, could you tell us what the bassist is playing thru at the moment?
What do you observe when he plays? are his fingers hyper or mellow ?

thedevilisbad · #17 04-04-2011, 10:01 AM

The Sans amp really did help hide it and the tone sounded good. Now he's just running through a normal DI into the PA. We're able to shape the tone a bit back at the board (Allen and Heath). His bass is a custom Fender, with P bass pickups at the neck, and stacked (one right next to each other) Jazz pickups at the bridge. He's able to blend and EQ some of his tone on the bass. His tone sounds great... just not when the clicking happens.

He's mostly a mellow player, but he gets excited every now and then.

Tracebassplayer · #18 04-04-2011, 01:01 PM

Running straight to the board and using both instruments to shape the tone should get most of it out.
Except in that trying to hide the clicking it will sound a bit more (I don't wanna say muddy) bassey, ya know?

So on the other hand...
I'd strike up a conversation with him and work the question, as I posed it, in.
Either he will cop to it and say he didn't know he was doing that or say something like "Yeah, I like the sound and this is how I do it..." either way, he will realize he's doing something he didn't notice and save face about it at the same time.

I'm pretty blunt about a lot of things but, I have learned that when it comes to people, I get a much better response if I put it in an ego boosting kinda way.

Russell L · #19 04-04-2011, 01:12 PM

I have had the problem myself. The solution for me was to either turn the highs down, play further back toward the bridge, or lighten up my stroke. For me it was my picking hand flopping back down on the strings, making them snap against the frets.

Blass702 · #20 04-04-2011, 02:04 PM

I had the same problem at my church in Vegas. We are called Central Christian church . We have amazing sound gear, but the clicking was endless. Try having him turn the treble down either through the amp or on his bass. That should do the trick. Or he may have been playing to hard and that isn't your fault as the sound guy. Good question!