Help with Strange Noise on Squier Classic Vibe Mustang

[Deleted member 271037]

That's IT!. After I read your post I went and inspected the situation and sure enough, the A string goes in a almost a straight line to tuner shaft. I picked up the bass and pressed my finger down on the A string on the headstock side of the nut and pluck the string. All the buzz was gone! I loosened the string and pressed down pretty hard. That fixed a good deal of it, then I used a wood dowel to press the string further into the nut and that fixed the rest of it. . .

. . . well at least for the most part. There is still a tiny bit of buzz when it's unplugged, as as soon as I fire up my amp the buzz can't be heard even at low volume. (I used to be able to hear LOUD buzz, plus I could feel it rattling the bass as I played)

The next time I change strings I'm going to add more wraps around the shaft to help sharpen the angle.

It feels like I have my bass back Thanks for that!

(Pic from before you told me what they problem was)View attachment 7125186

That's great!

More wraps will definitely help a lot and probably get rid of the buzzing. You can probably add an extra wrap or two on the E-string as well, for better tone on your open E.

A bar-style retainer that includes the A-string will be even better. Not only will you get rid of the buzzing/rattling, you will also get a better tone from your open A-string, due to higher pressure over the nut. Ideally you would want all the strings to leave the nut at more or less the same angle as the D+G strings in your pic. I don't think you will get quite there with just more wraps.

But of course, bass players have gotten excellent results with Fender basses without an A-string retainer for DECADES. I'm not saying you NEED a retainer for the A-string. This is just to get an even better tone out of the somewhat compromised open A that can be problematic on most Fender basses.

 

[96tbird]

I was reading this and was going to suggest break angle at the nut.

I cut my A string past the end of the headstock and wind it down to the deck. Same with my E.

Also, the trend of concave tuner posts are a bane to society. Always driving the string to the middle of the post. Junk.

 

[Dust2Dust]

That's great!

More wraps will definitely help a lot and probably get rid of the buzzing. You can probably add an extra wrap or two on the E-string as well, for better tone on your open E.

A bar-style retainer that includes the A-string will be even better. Not only will you get rid of the buzzing/rattling, you will also get a better tone from your open A-string, due to higher pressure over the nut. Ideally you would want all the strings to leave the nut at more or less the same angle as the D+G strings in your pic. I don't think you will get quite there with just more wraps.

But of course, bass players have gotten excellent results with Fender basses without an A-string retainer for DECADES. I'm not saying you NEED a retainer for the A-string. This is just to get an even better tone out of the somewhat compromised open A that can be problematic on most Fender basses.

.
Thanks again for the advice, and also thank you to both of you for letting me know that "more wraps" is a sane idea and not just another one of my cockamamie schemes
.

I was reading this and was going to suggest break angle at the nut.

I cut my A string past the end of the headstock and wind it down to the deck. Same with my E.