Help...

[i hate username]

Hi right hoping someone here can help me

I have an old Rockbass Fortress that i recently got back from a friend.

Now when i plug it in and play on the e string it seems to be giving me a sound similar to a lightly overdriven amp(its not the amp) I can only assume its the pre-amp. Does anyone have any idea what definitly is causing it and what i can do to fix it?
Oh and ive already tried replacing the battery and the wiring seems good( this was one of the basses that came with the factory fault that ment it always thought it was pluged in so it drained the battery. But i got that fixed) Then again im no expert when it comes to electronics.

Their is also a rattle coming off the neck that has nothing to do with fretbuzz or loose pickups etc. Could this be caused by the truss being loose? The neck is still dead straight even if the truss is messed.

Unfortunatly dont have any way of recording the distorted e for you all to hear it.

Oh and before you metion it i doubt its my friends fault,hes not careless with basses, especially not other peoples.

[axaneel]

The guys at electronics probably have your answer.
LC is more into wood and funky stuff of the like.