Let's talk about clack!

[redwood]

Thanks for all the replies. Some are very helpful. Some not so much, because, as I said, I don't get it on my Bongo at all. I don't get it on other basses I've played either. But I don't think I've ever used stainless steel frets before.
I still appreciate the suggestions though.
I've played with action, playing touch, right hand position, eq........that was the reason I posted this here regarding string types.
I guess first order of business is to try out some higher tension hex cores (nickel lo-riders probably) to start.

 

[redwood]

Which? Pure Blues or Pressurewounds?

Pure blues.

 

[SixtyCycleHum]

Thanks for all the replies. Some are very helpful. Some not so much, because, as I said, I don't get it on my Bongo at all. I don't get it on other basses I've played either. But I don't think I've ever used stainless steel frets before.
I still appreciate the suggestions though.
I've played with action, playing touch, right hand position, eq........that was the reason I posted this here regarding string types.
I guess first order of business is to try out some higher tension hex cores (nickel lo-riders probably) to start.

I still can't shake the feeling your action is not right for you. Good luck though, man.

 

[redwood]

The only clack I ever get it when I pluck the strings hard enough to hit a fret unintentionally. Left hand fretting should be close enough to the fret that you never get any unintentional sound from that. If you're getting that, you're also dealing with a technique issue, but that's a fairly rare issue that normally doesn't rise to an audible level.

You would think, but that's the issue. I play some fretless as well, and even tried consciencely paying close attention to my fretting position and intensity. I still get it.
Maybe it's not audible to anyone but me, but it's annoying to me just the same.

 

[LBS-bass]

You would think, but that's the issue. I play some fretless as well, and even tried consciencely paying close attention to my fretting position and intensity. I still get it.
Maybe it's not audible to anyone but me, but it's annoying to me just the same.

Do you get this on more than one bass?

I have one bass that gives me a weird clank on the A string. It's a cheap bass, and I eventually isolated the issue to the bridge saddle. I stuck a piece of a rubber washer under the screw on that saddle and it went away.

 

[redwood]

I still can't shake the feeling your action is not right for you. Good luck though, man.

I've gone from dead flat to ridiculoiusly high. Might be a little less pronounced when it's really high, but it's still there.
Thanks man. I'll get it figured out. I was just trying to avoid trying a ton of different string types.

 

[redwood]

Do you get this on more than one bass?

I have one bass that gives me a weird clank on the A string. It's a cheap bass, and I eventually isolated the issue to the bridge saddle. I stuck a piece of a rubber washer under the screw on that saddle and it went away.

No. Nothing noticable anyway.
Maybe I should stick with fretless

 

[LBS-bass]

No. Nothing noticable anyway.
Maybe I should stick with fretless

That's one option, but maybe not ideal! Hope you figure it out.

 

[JW56789]

Alembic players know about this. When I got my first one, I could hear my notes between what sounded like hard rain on a tin roof.

Kept the same bass. Same strings. Same amp. Double checked my setup (sorta low/straight at .010" relief) and my pickup heights (though you don't get the treble bloom as they get closer to the strings as you would on high-impedance/passive pickups). Worked on both hands, mostly my left/fingerboard hand.

After a few months, I was 'clack-less'.

Whether it does it or not on your other basses is not the problem here. I'm betting, that like when I got my first Alembic, it's technique, and the bass in question is good enough to let you hear it. It's not stainless steel frets instead of _____________. Just like low action requires some modification in your hands to play cleanly, it's nearly the same thing stringing up with really bright strings and lots of top end. When you can hear everything, it's far more revealing than playing a PBass with flats.

I'd also posit that the same way the deep bass we hear is NOT the fundamentals typically, you can run a very bright tone, but restrain the very highest part of the note in your tone setup: You still get a lot of articulation and brightness, but you can round off the very top end and save yourself some finger noise, both in tone on the bass, and on the amp if your EQ options are broad enough. Think of a passive bass like a Precision or Jazz: Run the tone wide open, you'll hear any rattle that's in there. Back it off just enough to subdue that and you've still got a lot of top end that's now far easier on the ears!

To me, this one of those questions that has no big single, light-switch answer; it's gonna take a little modding here, and here, and here.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Thanks for all the replies. Some are very helpful. Some not so much, because, as I said, I don't get it on my Bongo at all. I don't get it on other basses I've played either. But I don't think I've ever used stainless steel frets before.
I still appreciate the suggestions though.
I've played with action, playing touch, right hand position, eq........that was the reason I posted this here regarding string types.
I guess first order of business is to try out some higher tension hex cores (nickel lo-riders probably) to start.

I had some clack and buzz on my Squier Mustang when I bought it new 2 months ago. My solution was to play it for a few weeks with the stock strings and not worry about extraneous noise. Once I got sufficiently annoyed with the stock roundwounds (I hate rounds on bass), I set it up for flats and raised the action slightly. That got rid of 99% of the buzz. Now that the bass and strings have settled, I can lower the action a touch.

My experience over 30 years of guitar and bass is they take at least a few months, if not a year, to settle in. Give it some time and play the crap out of it. It'll be great.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Usually it's either playing technique where you'll actually hammer on before you pluck the note or the action is too low.

 

[Dragan]

LOL. That's the first thing I did ;-)

Oopss, sorry, my bad. I thought you meant Sandberg. Now l see there is Strandberg basses.

 

[Rob Rogers]

Raise your action and cut back on the tone. I have the same issues. Also when you start hearing the clack with the two things I mentioned move closer to the bridge. Also if you have active it definitely will be more noticeable.
Good luck.

 

[Fuzzbass]

There are times when I include the "clack" in my sound. Certain songs seem to demand it, in my opinion.

For rock (which I play a lot) I love clack/clang/zing (whatever). I mostly go for Entwistle-style tone (his live tones), but Steve Harris and other bassists also incorporate it. Gives the bass a human feel IMHO. Even for traditional/oldies tunes I don't try to eliminate it entirely, though I do dial it down -- mainly via playing technique. EQ is also valid, but that could simply mean rolling back a passive tone knob.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I probably should have specified that it's more a left hand issue than a right. It's the lighter passages that I have more of an issue with. Even lightly frettring the note gives me a lot more clack than I have had on any other bass. Also, my right hand technique isn't great, but I move position alot to get the sound I'm after, as well as using a pick (quite a bit more than I used too). That doesn't seem to help at all.

How's the neck relief on that bass?

I ask because improper neck relief can cause the clack to become more or less apparent at certain frets due to some frets becoming higher due to the shape of the neck. I hope I worded that clearly.

I'm not familiar with your exact instrument, but if it's a bolt-on neck, once the neck is properly relieved, it may need a wedge shim between the body and neck.

Is the clack far more pronounced at certain positions?

 

[BassFalcon]

I probably should have specified that it's more a left hand issue than a right. It's the lighter passages that I have more of an issue with. Even lightly frettring the note gives me a lot more clack than I have had on any other bass. Also, my right hand technique isn't great, but I move position alot to get the sound I'm after, as well as using a pick (quite a bit more than I used too). That doesn't seem to help at all.

If clack is left hand related something doesn’t seem correct. Get yourself a lesson or two and have a pro take a look at your technique, or if money is tight or there are no good teachers in your area, watch some video of some good left hand technique and then play in front of a mirror, make your hand match theirs.

 

[Dirk Rockbottom]

I haven't seen anything here yet about truss rod adjustment. That should be the first thing. Then find some nice roundwound strings. I had this problem, and now no longer get clack. I set the string height at just above 3/32" on the E an d A, and just under 3/32" on the D and G. I know it's a little high, but with the looser rounds, it's still easy to press down on the strings with my fretting hand. Good luck.

 

[Dirk Rockbottom]

I forgot to mention, I always measure string height at the fret where the neck joins the body which in most cases is the 17th fret.

 

[conttador]

I like a little clack for tone depth but like anything, too much of a good thing isn’t good.

I usually try to manage it with the onboard preamp first and then fine tune w the amp settings. I use different strings on my basses but I find it most pronounced with steel strings.

 

[LBS-bass]

I haven't seen anything here yet about truss rod adjustment.

Just a dozen posts or so suggesting his action might be too low...