Sounds like the old joke:
Doctor, it only hurts when I do this.....
Well then, don't do that!
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Doctor, it only hurts when I do this.....
Well then, don't do that!
I think maybe you are using the wrong term to describe the sound. A distorted speaker will buzz or fuzz or fart, but not crack. Glass cracks. A high powered rifle shot cracks as the bullet breaks the sound barrier in a high pitched mini sonic boom. A board may crack and break under your weight especially if it is frozen. A lot of stuff cracks in the microwave.
Sounds like it could be your E string hitting the poles on your bridge pickup and causing the amp to clip. It would make sense as the E string has the lowest tension of all the strings (unless you have a B string) and it is happening in the lowest position where the string has the greatest length to vibrate.
Edit -- If you're playing in a drop tuning, this is even more likely to be the case.
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So true! And good thinking @basslust. Strings too low and/or pickups too high are a recipe for sonic disaster. That could easily be the clack/crack sound.
I also thought that too until I played outside-you'll love that xtra booty.
Right, that's why we played so loud. Had to drown out the hiss and hum.I've had my Rumble 350 head since 2012, and mine does not hiss at all. In fact it is the quietest bass amp I've ever owned. That doesn't help you, but it is not unusual for solid state amps to have low level operational noise to include some hiss. So that is normal. Like it or not. It's a good thing you young folks weren't around when everything was tube and ungrounded plugs! Talk about hiss and hum! LOUD too. You don't know what you're missing.
Rumble On!
and the sound of the sirens of rapidly approaching policemen!
This reminded me of a hum issue I had about 20 years ago. I had a G&L SB2 that had never had a problem.and the sound of the sirens of rapidly approaching policemen!
I bought what was sold as an instrument cable. I started getting this hum. I was convinced something had gone wrong with my bass. I took it apart, I re-soldered every joint. I could not stop the buzzing.
Then, it dawned on me I had purchased a new cable. I took and end off to inspect it and found I had been sold a speaker cable.
Update: So my first impressions of the Rumble 210 cabinet were blah, however I've been playing through it a little each day and it is sounding better. I don't know if it is my ears, speakers actually breaking in, solar flare or what. This morning I played for 10 minutes at a low volume while people were sleeping. It sounded great. "My sound" was as I had expected/hoped.
When I brought mine home from GC and played through it I was like meh, but after fiddling about with the knobs and buttons I was like wow. I'm actually using the Vintage button a lot now and I discovered that, for me, the OD takes very small tweaks to get the sound I like. I'm seriously considering a Fender Rumble amp head to push my Hartke stack. I'm a huge fan of my Hartke LH1000 (sounds fantastic), but it weighs a ton, and I really dig the Fender Rumble sound.
I own the 115 and 410 cabs and over time (owned both for almost a year now) over time both cabs thru usage have really opened up. At first the sounded really stiff and sterile, now \\WOW// they really sound warm, responsive and handle everything I throw at them!
I did not realize there was a "break in" period for speakers....maybe its more of a gradual change thats easy to miss?
Well, I've built a few cabinets in my time and have noticed slight differences from 1st play to many plays after. These Fender cabs in my experience with them, seem to open up and sound better over time..
Interesting posts. Is there a difference between breaking in at a lower volume and "band" volume?
I have a Rumble 200 combo and so far 80% of my playing has been at home at much lower volume.
I have a Rumble 200 combo and so far 80% of my playing has been at home at much lower volume.
Yes there is. Specifically in the amount of excursion.
Go to someone elses house and play louder!
Came across this article that explains it well:
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