Issues with clicking string noises.

[PauFerro]

I have this problem A LOT. Over 20 years I have not been able to get rid of it completely. Part of the problem is that I play only 30" basses and the string tension is less on that scale, so the strings tend to be floppy when I hit them and they clack against the frets.

I do this:

1. Turn the treble down on my instrument and to the clacks don't make it through to the cabinet or mix.

2. Don't use a DI box. I used one once on a video and it was unusable because every single clack made it into the mix.

3. Play softer. Don't pluck the strings as hard.

4. If you want to go through a PA system. I find it's OK if I use my line out from the rear of my amp, or put a microphone on the cabinet.

Hope that helps.

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Bass12.
I would not know how to deskribe the tension of the rotosound strings since I do not have any real points of referance other than the exposed core strings of the same brand which arw considerably tighter. If I was to take an un educated guess i would call them medium tension, and thus quite flexible on bends and such but they do not move a lot more than the ones I am using at the moment.

Rj1972.
I don't think that grounding is the issue in this case since the pickups are grounded through both the braid in the shielded cable as well as through a star grounded copper foil in the pickup cavities and the electronics cavity. But i will however give it a good inspection just to be sure.

Fishheadjoe.
I think that I understand where you are going with this. Do you mean that in order to compensate for the string height at the lower register you had to lower the strings too far at the bridge? And if this is the case, what would you say is a good height at the nut?

That's what I was trying to get at...
In my experience with a nut too high, in order to get the action lower, I was lowering the height at the bridge to get low action. That brought the strings too low above the 12th fret and was one of the causes of string clank.
(Me wacking the crap out of them didn't help!)
With an adjustment of the nut, lowering the strings in the lower registar allowed me to adjust the bridge appropriately across the whole fret board.
I didn't negate all of the string clank (note the wacking the crap out of them comment above, but it certainly helped and also made the bass easier to play everywhere.
Couldn't tell you what the measurements were, but if you have a look at the stickys above, there should be some info to get you started.
Also, as I don't have the equipment myself to do the cutting, it's not something I am comfortable doing.
Again, this was my experience and I thought I would pass it along.
Fishheadjoe

 

[edpal]

This makes no sense.

While not helpful/sensible in this case, I agree that lowering the nut slots changes nothing for fretted notes, since string height near fretted hand is then controlled by the fret in front of the finger that is pressing down - think about a capoed instrument, the nut height is out of the game other than what I say in next sentence. High nut slots cause intonation issues in the lower frets due to string-break issues(angle down causing undue stretch) and make your fretting work harder.

That said, getting nut height down to proper level -virtually same height at second fret when fretted at first makes the total setup easier and more proficient. Many basses have nuts too high making frets 1-4 chronically sharp. And many try to get action at say 12th fret and beyond low because they are thinking it makes the work on their right hand easier. Lowering the nut will do more to reduce fretting hand work unless you live in upper register. Your picking/plucking hand doesn't care about string height so start at other end of neck to get killer action.

OP - I'd look at technique and yes, make sure a pickup isn't riding on screw when you dig in. Take your finger tip and try bouncing the pickup end while plugged in.

Oddly(to me) many guitarist seem to LOVE the clanky sound. I feel a little self-conscious of it depending on material. Good luck brother.

Height of nut(open string) to first fret - some take it down to within .010(.25mm). I take mine down to where I can just feel it is draggin on a credit card I try to slip under string at first fret.

 

[knegolf]

Thank you all for your input on this question. It is nice to see some angles of approach to this issue that I haven't thought of at all.
I was going to buy a set of new strings last Saturday and really spend some long hard time with adjusting and measuring, but then my car decided to ruin my plans by breaking down on me which did take some time to fix, but now I'm back on track and am going to get some strings as soon as my local retailer restocks on five string sets.
I have taken some time to read up on the adjustment guides here on the forum and found that the one written by Jerzy Drozd was very informative and helpful and offered a great deal of insight to potential issues. So I will start by following that guide like a holy scripture of sorts. If the problem persists to an extent that it still isn't manageable then I will either fully blame myself for developing a lousy technique by playing too much in a band where it is impossible to hear myself clearly and thus starting to pluck the strings in a less than favorable way, or send the bass to my local luthier to get some professional help.
Either way. Thank you all ones again for all the great insights and for taking your time to help my.
Best regards/ Anders

 

[spz8]

Raise action, improve technique, higher tension strings, or less treble/OD. Maybe a combination. Some basses will handle super low action much better than others. If you love the bass, perhaps some fretwork would help?

 

[edpal]

Also, as I don't have the equipment myself to do the cutting, it's not something I am comfortable doing.
Fishheadjoe

That is a tricky one - what to use? I have a set of pin gauges(former toolmaker) so I have figured out(measured ) which size pin plus a wrap of fine fretboard sandpaper(in a U shape) creates a dead-on same size as the string. But admittedly that would get dicey for many people. At least if a guitar tech/luthier screws it up THEY get to pay for the new nut and you only pay for the work once. And it's a good idea to angle the slots back a little toward the headstock so the string is resting on the front edge of the nut, otherwise you are changing intonation subtly - a string sitting on the back edge of the nut has had it's scale change. Sort of like a reverse Buzz Feiten system.

Speaking of the Buzz Feiten system, I think the main thing you are getting is a really good setup where the nut has been taken down to almost zero string break. They make a slight assumption that the builder of every instrument hasn't spaced the frets for an equally good tuning across the board. I've had instruments with it - my thought was "meh, nothing special beyond a proper setup". YMMV.