Metallic ringing with rounds

[Gary Poe]

I have a basic question about rounds, based on a problem I've had with them on any bass (right now I have them on a CIJ Jaguar). Basically, especially on the E string, I always hear a metallic ringing above the fundamental of the note and whatever texture (growl, punch, whatever) the strings/pickups are producing. I don't have this problem with flats, and I don't hear this on recordings/live performances where the bass player is using rounds. I've tried rolling off the treble on the bass/amp, but I still hear the ringing, the note just loses clarity.

Basically, when I hear other people playing rounds, unless they're intentionally going for a trebly/grindy tone, the main thing I heard is the fundamental note. But when I play rounds, finger style or with a pick, especially on the E string, I hear this metallic ringing and it ruins it for me. Am I doing something wrong? Is this just something that gets EQ'd out? At this point, my current strings are neither brand new nor very old.

I use rounds and flats on various basses and being old school even with rounds i put a foam mute at the bridge to cut overtones . It kinda acts like a compressor depending on how thick the foam. Use a little just touching or more and see how it sounds to you. Just an idea. Hope that helps.

 

[berlihe]

@berlihe,
You should listen to S.F.Sorrow and provide a recording. Just let the notes ring so we can hear them.
Another thing not mentioned yet is how pickup self-resonance can exaggerate the highs of rounds. Need to hear it.

Hi everyone,

I'll try to get my recording interface set up and see how it sounds. I kind of knew that would be best, but I was hoping there would be One Weird Trick to solve everything!

To answer another question, these are standard (SS, 45-105) Rotosounds.

For what it's worth, I don't THINK this is a setup issue, except for the pickup height, which I'm going to try adjusting. I do have a relatively low action on this bass, but I know what fret buzz sounds like and this isn't it. But the main reason I don't think it's the setup is that I've had this problem on all different basses, with all different rounds (Ernie Ball, GHS, D'Addario, Fender, DR ...). And I don't think I'm THAT bad at stringing/setting up basses, although I grant I might be making the same mistake over and over again!

The reason I don't think this is just a question of preferring flats is that I hear LOTS of other people playing rounds, apparently not having this problem.

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions! I'll check in once I have my Focusrite set up.

 

[Dan_reeves]

Have noticed this with strap locks also, if you are seated and there is no weight on the strap.

Shot in the dark, but do you have loose hardware vibrating? The clover key has separated from the shaft on one of my tuning machines and I get a ring from that, but I don’t hear through headphones or loudspeakers.