Double Bass double bass problem

[bassturnip]

Hello,
Ive just got a double bass (last week) and ive been playing for a month however when i play my a string my tuning box starts buzzing. whats wrong with it and how do i fix it? thanks for your time

 

[Adam Booker]

I think some more information is in order (age, type of tuners, etc) but the short answer I can give is to play the a string and use your left hand to explore for the buzz. Try touching the tuners, shafts, all the machinery, the cheeks, etc. Buzzes can be a source of major headache and I feel your pain. Also, consider that it coud be the winding of the string itself coming loose, as well as the way it was wound around the tuner. Hunting down a buzz is a process.
Hope this helps!

 

[Eric Hochberg]

It could also be string rattle at the nut.

 

[Marc Piane]

...or occasionally you can get rattle against the fingerboard of the part of the string north of where you are fingering.

 

[shadygrove]

All good suggestions. Here's a couple more...

Make sure the end of the string isn't against the wood or another string.

Have someone else play it while you listen. Sometimes what sounds like a horrific buzzing up close is a string noise a listener won't hear from 10 ft away.

Where did you buy your bass? was it set up by an experienced double bass luthier? If not, IMO it is well worth having a luthier look it over and putting some money into a professional setup.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

+1. Most likely just the excess string rattling against something. Jostle the strings around in the pegbox with your finger and see if it goes away.