Beating/Warbling tone

[Aspen68]

Hi,

I bought a Yamaha TRBX604 and I think I have a small problem? If I play a note on the g-string 11th fret F Sharp and an open d-string at the same time, I get something that I have read is called beating/warble or that it sounds like one of the strings is not really tuned.

The bass was tuned with a strobe tuner and I have tuned the bass,
the saddle is not cut too high. I have very little space on the strings on the first fret when I fret the third fret. I have 2 mm action on the bass if I measure at the twelfth fret. I have no fret buzz on the open strings or when I play the bass, I can't see that anything is wrong anywhere. I have a relief on the neck of about 0.10”. And clearance to pickups Is about 3mm when strings fretted at last fret,(I tried 5mm clearance as well ) strings changed about 3 times. So I think everything is set up as it should but I can't get rid of this problem. I have intonate the bass over and over and tuned it.

I would be very grateful if someone could check out a tuned and intonated bass if that's the case!

 

[onda'bass]

pickup's to high and pulling the string can do this. btw .027 is a ton of relief.

 

[pingvuiini]

Perhaps check pickup height?

 

[96tbird]

Yep. Lower your pickup. If that doesn’t work, come back and report. A twisted string can also cause your problem.

 

[Aspen68]

pickup's to high and pulling the string can do this. btw .027 is a ton of relief.

Hello. The pickups is 3mm when string fretted at the last fret. Is 0,27mm a ton of release??

 

[Aspen68]

Hello. The pickups is 3mm when string fretted at the last fret. Is 0,27mm a ton of release??

Sorry. Neck is about .010”

 

[Aspen68]

Yep. Lower your pickup. If that doesn’t work, come back and report. A twisted string can also cause your problem.

I already tried that about 4-5mm clearance to the pickups no different . Changed strings about 3 times also

 

[Aspen68]

Perhaps check pickup height?

I done that.

 

[Turnaround]

There may be a sympathetic vibration going on. Play the F# on the G string with your ring or pinky finger and damp all the strings behind that with your other fingers. See if the problems persists.

 

[Aspen68]

There may be a sympathetic vibration going on. Play the F# on the G string with your ring or pinky finger and damp all the strings behind that with your other fingers. See if the problems persists.

Tried that as well but the beating is still there. For info if I put the open g string in G flat it goes away or tuning the D string a little sharp.

 

[Aspen68]

Tried that as well but the beating is still there. For info if I put the open g string in G flat it goes away or tuning the D string a little sharp

Tried that as well but the beating is still there. For info if I put the open g string in G flat it goes away or tuning the D string a little sharp.

Update. I lowered the pickup’s about as much as possible, string fretted at last fret about 5,5mm-6mm on both G and E side the pulsing still there! And if a play a note let’s say on fret 15 it wobble. To be honest I think it is magnetism that’s the problem. But I you lowers the pickups to about 5-6mm and it doesn’t solve the problem I don’t know what to do.

 

[onda'bass]

did you set witness points at nut & bridge?

 

[drumvsbass]

Could also be a bad string. When all else is essentially perfect. It's the first thing to go.

 

[Aspen68]

did you set witness points at nut & bridge?

Yes.

 

[Aspen68]

Could also be a bad string. When all else is essentially perfect. It's the first thing to go.

Tried new strings for the fourth time today.

 

[Mark Karwan]

If that high F# is "warbling" on its own, than yes, like others have said, the pickup may be "pulling" on the string and making it sound kind of chorus-y.
However, in your specific example (playing open D with that high F# to create a major tenth), that is just a natural side effect of equal temperament on a fretted instrument. Thirds (and tenths) are never "truly" in tune (totally beat-less) because equal temperament makes major thirds a little bit sharp, resulting in beating. It's a fact of non-pythagorean life. So yes, when you tune your D up a bit, you are making that tenth a bit smaller, which makes it a purer interval.

 

[Paul New]

I was just about to respond that you have a leak somewhere, then realized this is not the saxophone forum.

So the problem is unlikely to be a leak.

 

[Aspen68]

If that high F# is "warbling" on its own, than yes, like others have said, the pickup may be "pulling" on the string and making it sound kind of chorus-y.
However, in your specific example (playing open D with that high F# to create a major tenth), that is just a natural side effect of equal temperament on a fretted instrument. Thirds (and tenths) are never "truly" in tune (totally beat-less) because equal temperament makes major thirds a little bit sharp, resulting in beating. It's a fact of non-pythagorean life. So yes, when you tune your D up a bit, you are making that tenth a bit smaller, which makes it a purer interval.

The problem is that when I play any note past 15 fret there is a beating and yes I believe it’s string pulling from the pickups but I tried to lower the pickups as low as possible about 5-6mm clearance when fretting at the last fret.

And to be honest I wold not won’t to have the pickups past 4mm

 

[1String]

I assume your D string is in tune. Is your fretted F3# (11th fret G string) all by itself ACTUALLY sharp or flat (according to your tuner)? I'm guessing it's sharp ... It sounds like you've got an intonation problem arising from "high strings" or something weird with your fret.

 

[Gopherbassist]

The chances of two frets on an even tempered instrument being perfectly in tune are practically 0.