Dialing back treble to eliminate string noise??

[TomB]

A lot of us who use GK amps tend to roll the treble control back a bit from “straight up” to get less boost in this range. I tend to start at about 11:00 (or even 10:30) with both mid controls boosted a bit.

 

[Wasnex]

I generally prefer a fairly smooth sound. However it actually helps to have some string noise in the mix.

I address excess string noise in two ways:
1. I have a light touch and fairly clean technique (reduce the source).
2. I dip high mids (correct).

IMHO clank exists mostly in the frequencies around 3K or so. So a gentle dip in that range will reduce clank. It helpful to have a parametric to dial in the best center frequency and bandwidth.

I like glass and air, which are encoded in the frequencies above clank. So I don't typically dip the treble.

Some of my older Mesas are stubbornly resistant to using EQ to mitigate string noise. I think they generate distortion in the high mids, as in some instances turning down the gain seems to help.

One of my favorite tubes to roll into bass amps is a current production Mullard ECC83. IMHO in many of my amps, this tube seems to smooth out the high mids and also extend and tighten the lows. Sovtek 12AX7PS sounds very similar in the mids and highs, but is looser/more wooly down low.

 

[TomB]

I generally prefer a fairly smooth sound. However it actually helps to have some string noise in the mix.

I address excess string noise in two ways:
1. I have a light touch and fairly clean technique (reduce the source).
2. I dip high mids (correct).

IMHO clank exists mostly in the frequencies around 3K or so. So a gentle dip in that range will reduce clank. It helpful to have a parametric to dial in the best center frequency and bandwidth.

I like glass and air, which are encoded in the frequencies above clank. So I don't typically dip the treble.

Some of my older Mesas are stubbornly resistant to using EQ to mitigate string noise. I think they generate distortion in the high mids, as in some instances turning down the gain seems to help.

One of my favorite tubes to roll into bass amps is a current production Mullard ECC83. IMHO in many of my amps, this tube seems to smooth out the high mids and also extend and tighten the lows. Sovtek 12AX7PS sounds very similar in the mids and highs, but is looser/more wooly down low.

I don’t have one any more but that Mullard is remembered fondly!

 

[NKBassman]

Adjusting the EQ on your amp to get the sound you want... what a concept!

 

[Dust2Dust]

. . . . they get smooth once played in

I just learned something Thanks

 

[Dust2Dust]

I too, "dial out" clank and clack with the treble knob

Of course, that's for my bedroom tone. For band mix tone I just let it rip

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

Yes, all my basses are active and I always turn down the treble, plus only use flats.

That's good to know, sounds like a lot of people are getting good results with flats on active basses. I guess for some reason I don't like the idea of having to do that (sorta like putting a 60's 2bbl carburetor on a 1987 Iroc-Z lol). But I can imagine it being a perfect hybrid vintage-modern sound...

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

My question to the OP

You mentioned this with EMGs.

So, you notice this with non EMGs loaded bass, have you tried a non EMG loaded bass?

Also is your action really low and you are digging in?

It sounds like you have a solution already, but just throwing some other aspects for food for thought.

Our pro-studio workhorse bass is the Pilot with EMG's so I'm tone shaping everything around it best I can. The only other bass I own is an old passive GSR200. I recently played it through the same rig with dead strings and no it didn't seem to have that issue.

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

I’m with the turn up and pluck lightly crowd. But i’m just sitting here in my arm chair, guessing it how much of it is technique.

Oh I definitely do that, it's almost a learned behavior with active basses lol. Thing is you can't always play as gentle as possible on everything... Even on slow rolling blues you gotta dig in a little unless you're doing it the droning lazy way. I also do a lot of double-fingering on faster tempo rock, rockabilly, etc. Yeah you can finesse it to a large extent but I like to dig in just a tad...

 

[KohanMike]

...I guess for some reason I don't like the idea of having to do that (sorta like putting a 60's 2bbl carburetor on a 1987 Iroc-Z lol). But I can imagine it being a perfect hybrid vintage-modern sound...

Strange comparison, flats are a very valid string choice, in fact, to me it's like replacing a carburetor with fuel injection; smoother. I don't like at all the zing noise rounds makes, that's one of the main reasons why I use flats, I even used flats on all my guitars in the day.

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

Strange comparison, flats are a very valid string choice, in fact, to me it's like replacing a carburetor with fuel injection; smoother. I don't like at all the zing noise rounds makes, that's one of the main reasons why I use flats, I even used flats on all my guitars in the day.

Oh no, I know they're great strings and someday I'd like to try 'em. I just mean you're putting strings most known for the vintage 60's and 70's sound on a bass most known for the "modern" 80's and 90's sound so it's a hybrid combo. I suppose that sorta meets it more in the middle like a hot passive P with rounds or something tone-wise.

What kind of flats do you use on your basses? I'm just not sure if I'm ready to jump the gun on 'em yet, thinking of trying some warmer sounding rounds maybe even pure nickels first to see how they compare...

 

[KohanMike]

,,,What kind of flats do you use on your basses? I'm just not sure if I'm ready to jump the gun on 'em yet, thinking of trying some warmer sounding rounds maybe even pure nickels first to see how they compare...

I'm in a very different boat than most bass players, I only play 21" scale bass ukes that I actually had modified from piezo to mini humbuckers, so now I just call them mini bass guitars. I used to use the common polyurethane bass uke strings with the piezos, but they were too sticky and stretched too much, so I switched to Kala/Galli flatwound chrome steel nylon core bass uke when they came out. The interesting thing is, when I went with magnetic pickups expecting to replace the nylon core strings with all metal, to the surprise of me and my repair guy, Eric's Guitar in Sound City, the nylon core worked perfectly.

 

[John D Harris]

Oh no, I know they're great strings and someday I'd like to try 'em. I just mean you're putting strings most known for the vintage 60's and 70's sound on a bass most known for the "modern" 80's and 90's sound so it's a hybrid combo. I suppose that sorta meets it more in the middle like a hot passive P with rounds or something tone-wise.

What kind of flats do you use on your basses? I'm just not sure if I'm ready to jump the gun on 'em yet, thinking of trying some warmer sounding rounds maybe even pure nickels first to see how they compare...

I'm using Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats which still have significant treble output, yet still smoother tone than roundwounds.

I have a set of Dunlop SS Flatwounds that are supposed to have a fair bit of treble in the tone, but I haven't tried them out just yet (though they have a lot of good reviews online).

 

[TomB]

I'm using Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats which still have significant treble output, yet still smoother tone than roundwounds.

I have a set of Dunlop SS Flatwounds that are supposed to have a fair bit of treble in the tone, but I haven't tried them out just yet (though they have a lot of good reviews online).

I’ve never tried Cobalt Flats but I have lots of miles on Dunlops. They tend to be bright when new but the treble mellows before long. What they retain is a high mid focus that lasts and lasts. …very articulate. They’re also fairly soft for their gauge, not unlike the Ernie Ball group flats, which I have used a lot.

 

[John D Harris]

I’ve never tried Cobalt Flats but I have lots of miles on Dunlops. They tend to be bright when new but the treble mellows before long. What they retain is a high mid focus that lasts and lasts. …very articulate. They’re also fairly soft for their gauge, not unlike the Ernie Ball group flats.

The highs did mellow out a bit on the EB CF's as well (though the 'G' string is a bit more pokey).
They also are not as slick feeling as some flatwounds, but still not like 'half-wounds'.

By 'soft' do you mean lower tension?

 

[R Baer]

Most fret noise/buzz/clank etc... is due to technique and not the gear unless you are heavily boosting the upper mids around 1k to 3k and have the horn up high. My best advise is to remove the amp from the system by listening to yourself through an interface headphones and work on your technique until the problem goes away. Keep in mind that for some styles of music and bit of fret buzz and clank is actually just fine within the mix. Just listen to some isolated Geddy Lee or Chris Squire tracks.

 

[TomB]

The highs did mellow out a bit on the EB CF's as well (though the 'G' string is a bit more pokey).
They also are not as slick feeling as some flatwounds, but still not like 'half-wounds'.

By 'soft' do you mean lower tension?

I don’t know about tension as in pounds of stress. That seems average to me. They do feel fairly soft vs DTFS or Chromes, for instance, but not at all in TI territory.

 

[meisi]

Dead strings

Some strings stay brighter than others.

LPF with resonance is a throw money at it soliton that works

 

[John D Harris]

I don’t know about tension as in pounds of stress. That seems average to me. They do feel fairly soft vs DTFS or Chromes, for instance, but not at all in TI territory.

Great!

Yeah, the EB CF's to me are in the moderate tension category to me.

I used to use DR Lo-Riders (SS & later Nickel) which were more high tension (I had the 5 string set that had the 0.130 'B' string, because I loved that solid Low 'B') - very punchy strings!