Knocking strings to the frets

[Ajgor]

Hello.

When I'm playing my bass normally, the strings accidentally knoks on the frets. I have to play gently to eliminate this effect. Especially on concerts it disturbs. My bass is a new Fender Modern Player Jazz Bass. What I'm doing wrong? Or is this effect normall? I have sufficiently high action of strings.

Greetings.
Ajgor.

 

[furym]

Not normal. I have had basses that have done that and was able to eliminate it with a proper set up.

 

[DannyBob]

Check the neck relief - chances are the neck is bowed slightly, so the action is low at the 20th fret or so, making it knock if it is, just adjust the truss rod, or take it to a bass tech who can fix it for you

 

[PortlandBass77]

Adapt a Steve Harris style?

 

[Jeff Scott]

Along with the above check your playing style, such as how hard you pluck/pick/slap the strings.

Is this your first bass? Does this occur with other basses you play?

 

[Ajgor]

Thank You All for Your advices

 

[PotsdamBass8]

Also try changing the angle of your right hand. You could be plucking diagonally down which will create more clicking. Try plucking more parallel with the body of the bass and it will clean it up.

 

[Bent77]

Also try changing the angle of your right hand. You could be plucking diagonally down which will create more clicking. Try plucking more parallel with the body of the bass and it will clean it up.

This. When I play live, sometimes I get carried away and get sloppy.

The Steve Harris method works well. Turn up the amp and easier on the string

 

[DerekW]

Please educate me on the Steve Harris method.

 

[dkelley]

some of us actually like this sound and use it for agressive entwistle style fills and runs.... juat sayin..... anyhow its typically a side effect of a very low action on a fretted bass but some axes are worse than others with the sensitivity to it

 

[Mediocrity Man]

I call it fret clank. I have a bit of a percussive style with heavier stuff so I get it too. Change your attack and you can control it. Embrace it when possible.

 

[Ajgor]

In fact, perhaps sometimes this effect is wanted, but not always. I think I have much to practice

 

[Bent77]

Steve Harris is known for using a heavy gauge flat wound and "tickling" the strings if you will. It does not induce fret clang, and can be used with a great deal of speed.
Another option is using a pick

 

[Ajgor]

I do not like picking Prefer to play using fingers. Fingers gives more warm and deeper sound.

 

[Bent77]

What strings are you currently using?

 

[Bassist4Eris]

What kind of strings do you use? You might benefit from a stiffer string. For roundwounds, DR Lo-Riders are a good choice. For flats, try Rotosound 77 Jazz Flats.

EDIT: mrb327 beat me to it!

 

[Ajgor]

I am from Poland and curently using this Warwick strings:

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But in near future I would like to change them to Rotosound Swing Bass Strings (wchich adviced me my friend):

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[Bent77]

Cool, I need to brush up on my Polish reading skills.


I struggled with the "clang" for awhile. I started with flats, high tension. It allowed me some sloppy habits of not controlling the strings (fret hand) and poor dynamics (pluck hand).

The way I unlearned these bad habits:
1. Turn the amp way up practicing. Makes mistakes sound worse, so you stop
2. Lower your action practicing at home. Teaches better control and techniques plucking the strings more in a "walking motion" across the strings, less pushing the strings toward the body/fretboard.
Then when you play live, set the sction a tad higher, try not to REALLY dig in.
3. Embrace the clang. Do it on purpose, and how exactly to control it. I find it to be an interesting tone to be added (as was mentioned above). Then clang when you want to.

Additionally, using higher tension strings help reduce clang initially. But i would learn the technique to control it first

 

[Ajgor]

Thank You for advices
On the Polish pages, I gave above, there is nothin interested to reading Just wanted to show, which strings I use.

 

[Bent77]

No worries, I can actually read most of it.
Just giving you a hard time. Let us know how you progress. You will likely learn something we all would like to know