Chorus-like sound on A and D string

[Jogobass]

I have the GWB205. The pickup is designed to be close to the strings. If it isn't a defect in the string, it may be a defect in the pickup windings. The 25th comes with an Aguilar pickup instead of the custom Bartolini that's on the 205 and 1005. A 130 B string is possible as well on that bass. It;s not a big difference.

Mind you, this bass it built to have a lot of mids and highs in the sound. Is it possible you're mistaking that for chorus, perhaps coming from a bass that has less pronounced mids?

 

[huben94]

Check you nut. Could be cut with out a back cut.

 

[bassdog]

I've experience that with bad string angle over the nut.

 

[Kevan Campbell]

Another “check to see that the strings aren’t twisted” suggestion here. I’ve had that happen when they twist up during a restring and had the same chorus-like issue.

 

[Darth Moley]

Ok, I got home last night and decided I'd check for string twisting first. I loosened the A string, and once I pulled the wraps off of the post, I noticed that the entire tuning machine could be moved back and forth. The nut was a bit loose, which I'll be able to fix once I get my tools, but what concerns me is that those tuning machines are held in place by both a nut AND a mounting screw. I wasn't able to go any further (didn't have my tools with me), but I'm really hoping that screw just needs to be tightened down and that the hole isn't stripped out. I decided to stop there and not check the other strings until I was able to address this issue.

I know that stuff happens in the manufacturing and shipping processes, but it's a little frustrating on an instrument approaching the $2k mark.

 

[Jogobass]

I have the GWB205. The pickup is designed to be close to the strings. If it isn't a defect in the string, it may be a defect in the pickup windings. The 25th comes with an Aguilar pickup instead of the custom Bartolini that's on the 205 and 1005. A 130 B string is possible as well on that bass. It;s not a big difference.

Mind you, this bass it built to have a lot of mids and highs in the sound. Is it possible you're mistaking that for chorus, perhaps coming from a bass that has less pronounced mids?

Correction, thought you were talking about the 20th. The 25th has the bartolini pickup.

 

[LoveThatBass]

So did you lower the pickup height as suggested by more than 1 person?

 

[sissy kathy]

So did you lower the pickup height as suggested by more than 1 person?

Not yet, he wants to check the stuff it isn't first. After that, MAYBE he'll do the correction.

 

[Darth Moley]

So did you lower the pickup height as suggested by more than 1 person?

Not just yet, life has been in the way. I did tighten up the nut and the mounting screw on that tuner, and it seems fine, so thankfully nothing was stripped out. I only had about 10 minutes to work on anything yesterday so I didn't get to try much. Pickup height is the next item after checking for string twisting though!

 

[DrThumpenstein]

Not just yet, life has been in the way. I did tighten up the nut and the mounting screw on that tuner, and it seems fine, so thankfully nothing was stripped out. I only had about 10 minutes to work on anything yesterday so I didn't get to try much. Pickup height is the next item after checking for string twisting though!

Dontcha love it when other people are more impatient about your bass issue than you are?

Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it sorted out.

 

[Darth Moley]

Dontcha love it when other people are more impatient about your bass issue than you are?

Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it sorted out.

For sure! I appreciate the advice everyone has given, and I obviously want to get this worked out ASAP. I had the misfortune of discovering the issue right at the start of the work week, and free time is at a serious premium. I also tend to work on stuff like this from "least invasive" to "most invasive", and I can't think of a less invasive thing to do on a stringed instrument than to loosen the strings and then tune them back up. The loose tuning machine made that slightly more complicated, but not much. I understand that multiple people have suggested adjusting the pickup height, but there were a few recommendations to slack and re-tune the strings as well, and I can't imagine that loose tuning machines have zero effect on things, either.

 

[Darth Moley]

I had a little bit of time tonight, so I went at it. I tightened up the nuts holding the tuning pegs in, and it helped a little.

I then followed the procedure Gary Willis described in his GWB setup video for ramp and pickup height. When I took the ramp off. I discovered that one of the screws was snapped off just proud of the top of the body. There was still enough thread on the head portion of the screw to keep it anchored to the ramp, but that screw is doing nothing to anchor the ramp to the bass.

Finally, I adjusted the pickup. Gary says that when the G and B strings are pressed at the 24th fret, the pickup should be parallel to the string. It was not. It wasn't off by much, but I lowered the front of the treble side of the pickup by maybe a quarter turn and it was parallel. I tested it out, and that seems to have been the last piece. I'll do more testing, but it appears that the issue is resolved. Thank you to everyone who offered advice!

 

[LoveThatBass]

Just glad you are getting somewhere with it.

 

[Darth Moley]

Just glad you are getting somewhere with it.

I'm just glad that there weren't any issues I couldn't fix! I am debating trying to remove that broken screw, but I'm not sure it's really worth worrying about at this point. Not like I need to adjust the ramp all the time, it's more of a set it and forget it kind of thing. I just wish that it used brass inserts like the GWB1005 appears to, but, then again, I guess there's a reason that the 1005 is $4,600. Maybe someday...