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My strings are wrong.

#41
Alcyon said:
That ******* attitude is uncalled for.
Click to expand...

i didnt hear any attitude. i heard good advice. This guy obviously is a beginner and doesnt know what he's doing. weve all been there. he just needs to quit assuming he can fix it. Take it to somebody who can show you exactly what to do.

Not trying to be insulting. We all started somewhere. You gotta be a bit humble and ask someone who has played bass for a while. And don't get defensive when he gives you advice.
 
#42
OK, I see my last post was a bit late. But you've made progress, good.
1) The white thingy is called the nut.
2) Raising the bridge saddle does NOT make the string tighter(well, temporarily it does, but after raising it you tune the string back down to correct pitch. Once you do that, it's the same tension as before).
3) The neck should look almost perfectly straight. If it is not, the truss rod needs adjusting. I don't think you have the proper experience to do this yourself.

Now, if the string is rattling at the end where the nut is, the string slot is cut too deeply, or at the wrong angle, or it's too large for the string. The string needs to fit snugly in the slot. One way to temporarily fix this is to place something in the slot, under the string.
A better way is to remove the nut from the neck, and place something under it, raising the whole nut. Then re-adjust the depths of each slot to get the correct string-to-neck distance. Again, you need knowledge and certain tools to do this right.

Your best bet at this point, I think, is to get help from someone you know that knows how to do this stuff, or you might end up worse off than before. But good for you for making progress.
 
#43
I adjusted my bridge back to default (the way I got it) and de-tuned the bass (loosened the strings). I'm gonna try tune it again, and if I keep getting rattles, then I got lots small plastic pieces that I can snug under the strings on the nut...

Can the nut be worn down because of tight tuning? i.e. when you tune it too hard and the string pops?

Again, thanks dmusic for constructive advice.
 
#45
Alright, so I managed to get a desirable EADG tuning. My saddles are almost not configured, except for the A, to remove some rattle.

I think the mistake was that I tuned my strings the wrong way. I probably had too tight strings on E and G, and then my middle strings got altered.


But I can probably say this for sure, there were nothing wrong with my strings, there is nothing wrong with my hearing, and something really wierd happened through this shizzle.

I'm overall happy happy with the product.
 
#48
the neck doesn't have enough relief. get the bass to someone who can make adjustments to the truss rod to eliminate the buzzing in the lower positions.

the symptoms are obvious, and the treatment should never be undertaken by someone who is clearly a beginner.

back to the shop for a set up, or visit an experienced bassist who knows how to do setups.

cheers,
john
 
#51
This thread is destin for TB's "Hall of Fame" :D

I'm having a real hard time with understanding all thats transpired in the last 3 pages :confused: :eek: :D , but if your neck is backbowed the slightest - it will cause fret buzz. Not trying to give you a bad time, but it clearly sounds like you don't have an understanding of the geometry of a bass or how to do a setup in the proper order. Use a standard set of strings, and tune it EADG. You don't set the saddle height until you have checked the neck relief first - then the intonation third. After all the adjustments you have changed - you should really take it to a music store, and get a proper setup. ;)

READ >> http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/
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#52
@Mads, thank you, I really appreciate your offer, I live in Bergen, so I can't really make it an reality :)

@Solarmist, true, I don't have a clue about the geometry of the bass, and mostly, I don't want my whole neck to explode like a string. When I find someone who can work on it, I'll ask them. But right I don't know anyone.

Anyways, the rattle is quite low now, and while I'm plugged into the amp, I almost can't hear it.

Just another question, is a setup really important? Shouldn't it be possible to just play as the bass is delivered?
 
#53
TommyH said:
Just another question, is a setup really important? Shouldn't it be possible to just play as the bass is delivered?
Click to expand...

Possible? Probably, but very often it needs some adjustments. People also want different setups; some people like low action whereas others prefer or need a higher action. Some people can accept a very low action because they pluck very lightly, whereas a player with a harder touch get nothing but buzzing when playing the same bass.

However, things as relief and intonation will need to be setup properly to have a playable bass that is in tune. The lower action you want, the more important it is to have it setup correctly.
 
#55
If I am interpreting what I have read in this thread to date, it seems most likely that the slot in the nut for the A string was cut too deep at the factory. If the slot is too deep it will be very difficult to keep the string from hitting or buzzing on the frets. The factories that make most low cost beginner basses don't have the best quality control and it sounds like yours slipped through the cracks.

Putting a small piece of plastic under the string as you did is a good temporary fix. You will likely need to get a new nut installed to fully correct the problem. Did the bass come with a warranty? If so, the nut replacement should be covered.
 
#59
Em, ok.. interesting thread :rolleyes:

1) Can i suggest getting a tuner? it helps a lot. Really. and they're only aboout... 10 euro.

2) remember the thickest string is the one closest to the top when you hold the bass in the playing position.

3) Thickest is tuned to E.then A, D, G. There was some line i saw back there.. *looks*

"The A string I use made an A on the other bass, while on this bass it's making an D."

do you mean it's tuned to a D? :confused:

Anyways, a tuner would probably help a lot, and maybe some new, decent strings.

Let someone set it up properly for you, though.


hope you can get playing soon :bassist:
_Kar.
 

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