Loud popping sound when slapping.

[Hand slap]

I recently got into the bass about a month ago, I picked up an Ibanez GSR200b, a Fender Rumble 25, and some new strings and everything sounds good except for when I slap on the e string or the a string. When the string is open it sounds perfectly fine but otherwise there is a sound pop that comes from my amp. I've lowered the pickups, raised the bridge, and made 100% sure that my strings are not impacting my pickups but nothing is working.

After reading some of the threads, are you pushing the speakers past the point of normal excursion, and you are “HEARING “the speaker “POP”out of the driver? When a speaker is pushed past its limitation, it make an odd clicking kind of noise, hard to describe.

 

[ThatOneGuy45]

Time to check under the hood. Did you open the cover where the electronics are?. I had a buddy with an Ibanez and it had an intermittent short on the wire for tone control. If it’s an active bass, make sure the 9 volt battery is secure.

I replugged the battery and made sure everything is properly soldered and secured, problem still persists, but I'm pretty sure I have too much gain going on when I have any of the electronics on my bass boosting my signals and my amp just can't handle it, problem is is I have no direct gain control on my amp so I think I'm going to demo some preamps at the guitar store and see what that does for me in a few days.

 

[ThatOneGuy45]

I replugged the battery and made sure everything is properly soldered and secured, problem still persists, but I'm pretty sure I have too much gain going on when I have any of the electronics on my bass boosting my signals and my amp just can't handle it, problem is is I have no direct gain control on my amp so I think I'm going to demo some preamps at the guitar store and see what that does for me in a few days.

If that doesn't work than its probably technique issues.

 

[ThatOneGuy45]

I think its the string slapping the fretboard bottom if you're sure its not the pickup.

I dont know how to fix it. Maybe you'll have to try different things with your technique.

I think its the string slapping the fretboard bottom if you're sure its not the pickup.

I dont know how to fix it. Maybe you'll have to try different things with your technique.

Yeah, im fairly sure it's picking up the string impacting the fret, it's just loud to the point of completely drowning the beginning of the note out.

 

[ThatOneGuy45]

The best way I can describe the noise is like when you plug the bass into the amp when the amp is turned on.

 

[AztecViking]

Yeah, im fairly sure it's picking up the string impacting the fret, it's just loud to the point of completely drowning the beginning of the note out.

If that's really the problem then here's three things to work with ...

• String types
• Setup
• Technique modification

I'm not sure which one to suggest that you prioritize but I would say to attempt to consult someone in person who knows a bit about all three. Not always the easiest person to locate but surely someone does in your own area. By word of mouth I found a good guy for this years ago who worked at a local mom & pop music store. He's retired now but still allows me to make home appointments if I need it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I replugged the battery and made sure everything is properly soldered and secured, problem still persists, but I'm pretty sure I have too much gain going on when I have any of the electronics on my bass boosting my signals and my amp just can't handle it, problem is is I have no direct gain control on my amp so I think I'm going to demo some preamps at the guitar store and see what that does for me in a few days.

IMO, if you got pops, 99% of the time you got an electrical connection issue, which could anywhere from your bass, cord, to your amp’s circut board. From your description, it sounds like it’s the bass. Have you tried another bass?

 

[xnewyorka]

Try slapping the body of the bass hard, but without hitting the string, so that you don't play any actual notes, you just impact the wood only. If it still happens, then it's a loose connection somewhere.

If it ONLY happens when you hit a string, then I am guess the speaker cone is shot. You need to try the bass with another amplifier to confirm. Also, you can try turning your bass tone controls (on both the bass and the amp) down to zero and see if that makes it go away. If it does, it also points to the speaker as being the issue.

 

[AndyPanda]

I can't help with slap - no idea how to slap. But I still fail to see what adding a preamp to the mix is going to solve. I mean it sounds like you want to use the preamp because your amp doesn't have a gain control ?!

Why don't you just turn the volume knob on your bass down - if your bass is clipping the input of your amp, then turning down the volume knob on the bass should stop the clipping (or at least confirm for you if clipping the input stage of your amp is the problem). Turn the volume on the bass down and the volume on the amp up and test.

 

[basskong]

Ok heres what to do. Its called process of elimination.
(1) Plug your bass into a DIFFERENT amp, go to a shop and tell them you want to try an amp but using your axe - see if you get the sound still. If so its the BASS not your amp. If the sound goes away, take the bass back under your warranty or right to return something bought on credit card etc...
(2) If the sound still exists, maybe you can try a different bass into your amp? Sound goes away then its the bass guitar thats at fault. Sound persists .... its your technique