"Clickety-clack": Bad Technique or Set-Up

[sutarappa]

Note: Your recorded track, those sounds are exaggerated because the camera mic is super compressed.
Here is a famous bass track played by Wilton Felder soloed. Flat wounds but plenty of what you are concerned about.....sounds good in the full track

Good thoughts, but I don't think the camera sound in the OP's vid is exaggerating the harsh clack all that much because I've had the same issue. And I'm not hearing the clack at all on the Felder track; it sounds great. I agree some fret/string noise is always part of the character and nuance of electric bass.

Technique changes can remedy, of course, and that, plus setup, equals solution. I've just found it interesting that this particular harsh clack is most apparent on my Fender American Precision (2008). Seems I don't have to manage technique so closely on my G&L, Ibanez, Warwick, or Washburn basses, and they all have lower action than the P. Love the P bass, though.

 

[elBandito]

IMO, playing clean and playing with 'clack' are two distinct techniques. When I play at home through my recording setup, I practice as cleanly as possible with restraint. When I play with my friends, bouncing the string off frets, like John Entwistle helps. Check out John Myung's isolated tracks. His clacks are clearly intentional.

 

[Icculus]

Thanks for all of the replies. Lots of insight... I was away from the computer for the last few days, but here are the answers to some of the questions:

1. I can hear the clacking very clearly through the amp. It's distracting and I find it undesirable. I know that I can lighten up my attack, but I feel like I'm not getting enough on the string when I play soft enough to avoid the clacking sound. Maybe I need to play softer but crank the volume up on the amp.
2. I'm using D'Addario Chromes. I think the Entwistle approach, as someone put it, sounds much better with rounds than it does flats.
3. My action is already set up quite high
4. I prefer to play near the pickup for the tone (I don't typically like playing near the bridge, but I've noticed that the "clacking" is much less with that)

I'm going to try to pluck more parallel to the string length and see how that works. I can avoid this a lot when I play slower, more spaced out notes, but playing 16th notes and such usually makes the clicking sounds, and it's bothersome because it's not on every stroke and almost comes out random.

 

[Icculus]

I'll also try lowering the pickup height to see if that mitigates some of it.

 

[Dogbertday]

Something I've done in similar situations is trying to make it click every time . That way my hands learn why the click happens. Then after that try to make it not click.

 

[Vociferous]

I have this same "problem". I play very aggressive with my right hand, Geezer and Timmy C. are 2 of my favorite players and I tend to beat the crap outta the strings if it's a song that calls for.

I just raise my action, and embrace it as part of my sound.

I totally agree. Rock n' Roll came here to shake things up, and so did my bass tone. It's a percussive thing that I think helps the music, even though the overtones might be noticeable in some instances. I'll bet there is even a way to alter/record the rattly part of the sound to get the harmonics you want. My sound doesn't always have to sound like passing gas in the bathtub. Voc.

 

[Vociferous]

I have this same "problem". I play very aggressive with my right hand, Geezer and Timmy C. are 2 of my favorite players and I tend to beat the crap outta the strings if it's a song that calls for.

I just raise my action, and embrace it as part of my sound.

I totally agree. Rock n' Roll came here to shake things up, and so did my bass tone. It's a percussive thing that I think helps the music, even though the overtones might be noticeable in some instances. I'll bet there is even a way to alter/record the rattly part of the sound to get the harmonics you want. My sounds doesn't always sound like passing gas in the bathtub. Voc.

Personally, that's the thing I go for intentionally. To each their own though, right? Regardless, does the neck have any relief to it or is it dead straight? I would think some relief would help.

Exactly. I think some tunes require an over-enthusiastic approach. I would have liked to have seen Rachael Bolan hit harder on Riot Act or David Kiswiney on "Don't Push Me", as just two examples. Billy Sheehan is the only one I've really heard employ some good fret rattle, string/pickup slap. Then again, I sometimes wonder if it is just his chorus I am hearing.
Maybe for guys like us: Removeable frets to alter our sound?

 

[Vociferous]

I have this same issue, but it is interesting to note that the only bass on which I have this issue is a Fender Precision. I have tried adjustments with action, pickup height, and neck relief. I have been wondering if it may be more of a pickup or strings type/age issue where the clack gets so pronounced. I don't have this issue at all on a G&L L-2000 with lower action. Technique is important and maybe mine is crap, but I find I really have to baby the technique on the P to avoid the bad clack unless the tone is rolled all the way dark.

That's interesting, because the axe that really sounds like a freight train when I open up and play fast is my G&L SB-1

 

[Vociferous]

I've found that a weak fretting (non-dominant) hand that causes this. Hand-strengthening exercises help, as do lighter-guage strings, which I don't have to wrestle to the ground as much.