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Beating/Warbling tone
- Thread starter Aspen68
- Start date
Ok I understand. The problem is that if I play any note past the 15 fret I can hear the beating and that’s most likely string pulling from the pickups but what I don’t understand is even if I adjust the pickups as low they can go so the clearance is 5-6mm it don’t help!
That is odd. Is it a result of inharmonicity? Overtones get weird on thick strings the higher up you play them. Do you get any chorusing effect as you go higher?
When I play by the head stock every thing sounds ok. The warbling starts by 14-15 fret
Turnaround
Commercial User
This may not be the problem, but I'll put it out there...
A client of mine had a similar problem with his acoustic guitar -- a kind of warbling on some notes particularly higher up the fretboard.. I couldn't hear what he was describing, but I do have some hearing loss. I went over all the details of the instrument and made a couple of adjustments, but he said the problem persisted. I went over the instrument again, but still could not find (or hear) a problem.
About a month later he called me - problem solved! He had a hearing test and they prescribed some hearing aids. Once he had the hearing aids he could hear much better and the problem disappeared.
I will also note that though my hearing loss is "moderate" I hear out-of-tuneness much more acutely now than I ever have.
A client of mine had a similar problem with his acoustic guitar -- a kind of warbling on some notes particularly higher up the fretboard.. I couldn't hear what he was describing, but I do have some hearing loss. I went over all the details of the instrument and made a couple of adjustments, but he said the problem persisted. I went over the instrument again, but still could not find (or hear) a problem.
About a month later he called me - problem solved! He had a hearing test and they prescribed some hearing aids. Once he had the hearing aids he could hear much better and the problem disappeared.
I will also note that though my hearing loss is "moderate" I hear out-of-tuneness much more acutely now than I ever have.
similar thing happened to me. chronic sinusitis was messing with my hearing, and one day out of the blue, the intonation was off on the upper frets of my living room bass. i went to set it, and it was perfect. i tried again, and my ears thought it was off. everything was fine the next day. it's happened once again since then. different bass,same ears.
Did you try adjusting the bridge intonation screw? If so did you loosen the string enough to make sure the saddle actually moved and not just screwed out the adjuster? (Sometimes you have to manually move the saddle if you are moving it closer to the nut. )
If all your notes above the 25 th fret are out of pitch and it is only on that one string then at least it isn’t a bad fret board.
If all your notes above the 25 th fret are out of pitch and it is only on that one string then at least it isn’t a bad fret board.
Yes I tune down the string before moving the saddle. The tones are not out of pitch/tune when fretting past 15 fret the tone just pulsing a bit. And it mostly on g string I can hear it.
Check EVERY moving part on the instrument, screws, jack, pots, bridge, springs, saddles, tuners, strap buttons, nut, everything. Odd vibrations can come from places you'd never suspect.
Another tip: tinkering with intonation AFTER you've set the witness point on the bridge can also cause weird string behavior.
Another tip: tinkering with intonation AFTER you've set the witness point on the bridge can also cause weird string behavior.
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Another possible fix would be to re-crown the frets so that the witness points are slightly to the nut side
Turnaround
Commercial User
OTOH if you set the intonation before setting the witness points, the intonation will be off when you set the witness points.
Yeah, it's a little trade-off here, that's why the witness points must not be set by jumping with mountaineering boots on ther strings.
Turnaround
Commercial User
The strategy is to move the saddles back a bit first, set the witness points, then check the intonation. If it's off it will likely be flat, so move the saddles forward a little, reset the witness ponts and check the intonation. Continue the process until the intonation is correct. Using this process any kinks put in the string will be behind the witness point where they will have no effect on the vibrating part of the string.
drumvsbass
Commercial User
- Aug 20, 2011
- 1,981
- 4,323
- Disclosures
- I work for Long and McQuade Musical Instruments Canada in Sales.
Is the string ringing on the nut side? If you fret a note, can you play on the 'wrong' side of the string? If you catch my drift.
drumvsbass
Commercial User
- Aug 20, 2011
- 1,981
- 4,323
- Disclosures
- I work for Long and McQuade Musical Instruments Canada in Sales.
Wrap a sock around the first fret, see if it helps... Not kidding.
"The hardest thing to get the bass to do is not make noise"~Jaco Pastorius.
