Fret noise

[Telliot]

This isn't a setup issue, purely technique. I'm not really a bass player, but rather I play bass. Mostly just long enough to learn the song and record it before I move on to the next track. I usually go straight into the board and EQ the bass and it's fine, but I get a lot of fret noise when I play. The action is fine, it's just me playing poorly.

When I listen to the old Motown guys or Macca, they are constantly sliding up and down the neck with no hint of metallic buzz, almost like a fretless player. How are they doing it?

I'd love to become good enough to hold down a nice, slinky groove without the nasty distractions. Any advice?

[Chrisk-K]

What do you mean by fret noise? Fret buzz? Finger noise?

[Gawd]

What kind of strings are you using?

[Skitch it!]

Jamerson's (The Motown Guy) strings were around 7 years old, Macca's Hofner's strings had probably seen a fair amount of use. Well played strings lose the brightness/treble after a while and sustain a little less.

For that kind of tone get some flatwound strings, or play your fitted strings until they 'die off' in treble/brightness giving you that rounder sound?

Also try a lighter pressure on your left hand fingers to try and get rid of the 'train track' effect, my 2.

[Telliot]

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

Jamerson's (The Motown Guy) strings were around 7 years old, Macca's Hofner's strings had probably seen a fair amount of use. Well played strings lose the brightness/treble after a while and sustain a little less.

For that kind of tone get some flatwound strings, or play your fitted strings until they 'die off' in treble/brightness giving you that rounder sound?

Also try a lighter pressure on your left hand fingers to try and get rid of the 'train track' effect, my 2.

Good point. These are brand new strings (DR RW 46-105). I used to have flat wounds but was having trouble with intonation and was told it was from 'too much tension from the FWs'...huh?? What strings would you recommend?

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by Telliot

Good point. These are brand new strings (DR RW 46-105). I used to have flat wounds but was having trouble with intonation and was told it was from 'too much tension from the FWs'...huh?? What strings would you recommend?

I've only one Semi/Acoustic set up with flats for that tone, not much experience there, you'd need to ask the Strings chap's for advice on the tensions.

You could always just play your strings in, it would take a while. You can quicken that up though, every time you eat a burger, fried chicken/what-not with your fingers, don't wash your hands, play the bass instead

I'm only semi joking there, it would work to deaden them, but I think the flats are what your after in tone, they do have a slightly higher tension I find, some less than others I would suspect. But as I've said, I've not enough experience with flats to point you to a particular brand. See how the rounds on your bass sound after a month or two, the more you play them, the more 'round sound' they will get?

[dvh]

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

Jamerson's (The Motown Guy) strings were around 7 years old, Macca's Hofner's strings had probably seen a fair amount of use. Well played strings lose the brightness/treble after a while and sustain a little less.

For that kind of tone get some flatwound strings, or play your fitted strings until they 'die off' in treble/brightness giving you that rounder sound?

Also try a lighter pressure on your left hand fingers to try and get rid of the 'train track' effect, my 2.

Those two were playing flats. Rounds didn't come into common usage until the late 60's early 70's

[Skitch it!]

Elites strings are what I've used for the last 15 years, I've found them the best all-rounders, and the softest tension of the lot.

I'll replace my existing with these, 4 string flatwound set, 40 on the G.

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by dvh

Those two were playing flats. Rounds didn't come into common usage until the late 60's early 70's

That's true, though Macca used to cheat a little back in the day when he broke strings, they were expensive and difficult to find in certain places, so he resorted to cutting the string/s out of the clubs resident piano now and again