When i play with my fingers sometimes i have an issue where ill pluck and youll hear the sound of the string hitting the fretboard. i was wondering if this is a set up issue or if i can fix it
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Make my playing less noisey????
- Thread starter BassGod2013
- Start date
You can rise your action a bit if you want to play a bit harder.
Btw, some players bang strings on the frets all the time. Steve Harris is almost only fret sound.....
Btw, some players bang strings on the frets all the time. Steve Harris is almost only fret sound.....
Do you notice this when practising, or have you noticed it on gigs, too?
When playing in a low volume, like in the room, you may hear the sound coming directly from the fretboard.
Anyway, you shouldn't change the action, unless :
a) It can be heard through the amp (I'd suggest that you take a recording or use headphones to test it) AND
b) It is excessive or simply undesirable. Many bassists (myself included) like some "clank" in their sound. It may sound offensive on its own, but it may sit nicely in the mix .
Also, maybe you need to i) play softer and ii) do a plucking motion that is parallel to the fretboard plane .
When playing in a low volume, like in the room, you may hear the sound coming directly from the fretboard.
Anyway, you shouldn't change the action, unless :
a) It can be heard through the amp (I'd suggest that you take a recording or use headphones to test it) AND
b) It is excessive or simply undesirable. Many bassists (myself included) like some "clank" in their sound. It may sound offensive on its own, but it may sit nicely in the mix .
Also, maybe you need to i) play softer and ii) do a plucking motion that is parallel to the fretboard plane .
You can EQ alot of it out with either the amp EQ or the bass tone control/eq knobs. If you want fat & smooth tone, you can also change to flatwound or tapewound strings as well.
Are you amplified? Noises unplugged may vanish when amped.
Are you in a band? Noise solo may vanish in a band.
But noises amped + in a band are bad.
I don't think tone knobs and EQ address the real problem.
Preferred top 10 solutions, in order:
1-9.) adjust your technique, pluck lightly and turn up.
10.) check your setup but make sure #1 fails first
"But I like the aggressive tone!!!!"
THAT is what the EQ & electronics are for. Save your fingers, make the gear do the work.
Are you in a band? Noise solo may vanish in a band.
But noises amped + in a band are bad.
I don't think tone knobs and EQ address the real problem.
Preferred top 10 solutions, in order:
1-9.) adjust your technique, pluck lightly and turn up.
10.) check your setup but make sure #1 fails first
"But I like the aggressive tone!!!!"
THAT is what the EQ & electronics are for. Save your fingers, make the gear do the work.
1. Make sure your rig has enough power and speaker surface area for the volumes you need to play.
2. Make sure your bass has a good setup with a slight bow in the neck so that fret buzz only happens when you really dig in.
3. Play with a lighter tough and make the amp do the work. Use your fingers on the strings for dynamic range and only dig in for accents.
Mike
