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Notes "Flaring"/bass problems

Ezmar

Ezmar

Jul 8, 2010
837
46
#1
I'm not sure where I'd put this, so I'm putting it here first ,where it'll probably get more traffic.

So today, I noticed that when I play my bass kind of hard, especially the open notes, they'll tend to flare sharp, which they haven't done before. I live in MN, and the climate is changing, would that cause something like that? I just had it set up a few weeks ago, and it's seeming to have a lot of troubles: for example, all the strings are in tune, but if I strum a hard fifth on Open D and second Fret G, it sounds really terrible, because the D string starts almost a half step sharp.

I'm not sure what the issue is, and I'm very paranoid, as this is a new bass I've just spent $1000 on, so I'm very worried that there's something too wrong with it to fix. I just noticed this problem today, and ever since I had it set up, there's been a tiny amount of fret buzz, which I think has gotten worse since. is this the changing weather, and what can I do about it? I'll probably want to bring it back in to my tech, but what then?

Also, any Mods can feel free to move this to somewhere more appropriate.
 
#4
elgecko said:
Sounds like the strings are too light for how hard you play. Did you have them install the same type of strings that you had before?
Click to expand...

It was the same set of strings, and although it doesn't happen all the time, it's worst on the open D string, and when I'm doing flamenco strumming stuff. And it's really most noticeable with a perfect 5th. It's mostly that on top of other minor issues that's giving me reason for concern now. I'm using a .040 .060 .080 .100 set, if I recall correctly. I also think that I may be having some issues with my bridge saddles, I need to find some time to take it back in to the shop.

It could be nothing, but could poor set-up due to climate change exacerbate that problem?
 
#7
elgecko said:
The fret buzz is probably the strings being setup lower than they were previously. That may be contributing to the sharp notes.
Click to expand...

Just a sort of side question on that, should the neck be perfectly straight, or slightly bowed? My guess was that the fret buzz was due to the neck being set straight, whereas I would guess that it should be EVER so slightly bowed, to eliminate errant fret buzz.

I feel kind of silly worrying about my bass not being perfect, but I want this to last me for a long time, and it's very troubling to be running into issues with it. Am I overreacting? :hiding:
 
#9
The actual Problem with the notes seems to be the fact that the open D string seems to be overly sensitive to it, and does it a little bit even with almost any attack.

I really hope that this is a simple thing and that I'm overreacting. It's a really good instrument, a 2005 MIA fender Jazz, so it shouldn't be having problems with a weak neck or anything. :/
 
#10
It seems to be a set up issue, given the fret buzz you're experiencing. Look down the neck of the bass from your headstock. Is it bowed upward/downward more than about 0.15 degrees or summat? Are the strings too close to the frets at certain points? Play chromatically up each string: are there any dead spots or fret buzz on certain strings? If you have an adjustable bridge, a fix could be as simple as raising the height for those individual strings just a tad, so that when you press one fret, the depressed string is not buzzing against another fret. Sometimes a dead string can also cause that buzzing sound.

In case your neck angle seems to too great, could be the weather. Considering it's an expensive instrument, it's likely to be fixable with some minor truss rod adjustment. Ideally you should learn to do that yourself, I hate entrusting my guitars to someone to set up in a way that I would want it to be if I did it myself. But be careful if you don't know what you're doing, might snap the rod. The thumb rule is extra small adjustments and continuous evaluation of what impact your adjustment has made.

Hope you resolve your problem.

- Jimmy Rage
 
#11
Technique issue unless your strings are out of intonation or out of tune. Assuming that's all good, you're somehow bending a string. Pretty common problem...folks can do it and not even know they're doing it, especially when they play hard.
 
#12
Sounds like a very common problem beginning wiht when you actually first tune the bass.

try this...when you tune, play hard as you can, same note fairly quickly over and over, not one note, let it ring, one note let it ring etc.

Tune to THAT.

If you play the string gently, let it ring and tune to that, it will flare sharp when you dig in.
 
#13
Ezmar said:
It was the same set of strings, and although it doesn't happen all the time, it's worst on the open D string, and when I'm doing flamenco strumming stuff. And it's really most noticeable with a perfect 5th. It's mostly that on top of other minor issues that's giving me reason for concern now. I'm using a .040 .060 .080 .100 set, if I recall correctly. I also think that I may be having some issues with my bridge saddles, I need to find some time to take it back in to the shop.

It could be nothing, but could poor set-up due to climate change exacerbate that problem?
Click to expand...

How old are the strings? Do you find that you have to constantly re-tune? That's not a good thing.

What kind of bass is it and what kind of bridge is on this bass? I'm surprised it has these problems, considering the price.
 
#14
1958Bassman said:
How old are the strings? Do you find that you have to constantly re-tune? That's not a good thing.

What kind of bass is it and what kind of bridge is on this bass? I'm surprised it has these problems, considering the price.
Click to expand...

Brand New strings, don't really have to re tune, but like I mentioned, it's rarely a problem unless I'm playing an open note and a fretted note double stop, since the frretted notes don't really flare.

It's a 2005 Fender Jazz, with stock bridge. Like I mentioned, it's very possible I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, since it's my first expensive bass. I'm bringing it in to the shop today for a diagnosis. He'll be able to tell me if there's something wrong or if it's my imagination. :rolleyes:
 
#15
The only thing I can really think that could cause the open string to go sharp only when playing notes on other things, is that you are pulling the neck back towards you when playing.

You can play as hard as you like just on the open string and it doesn't go out of tune? Did you do this with a tuner, and you are sure that your fretted notes aren't actually flat?
 
#16
if it isn't any one of the other options mentioned above....

maybe try going to a .105 for your e string? I play in drop D for about half of our songs, and when I wen to the .105, it helped a lot of things, especially the possible "bend" when you play harder...
 
#17
EDIT: in response to Meyatch, it goes sharp when it's played alone, too, but it only causes a major problem when other notes are played, since those notes are in tune, so the interval is off, Bass sounds out of tune, etc.

Yeah, like I said, I'm going to take it in to the shop today, and try not to be embarrassed when I'm inevitably told that there's nothing really wrong with it. It's very possible that the slight "off-ness" I'm feeling in the bass are due to the fact that I'm in Minnesota, and We're coming into November. It will only be a matter of time before we have permanent snow cover. Also, this bass came from Seattle, would that make it more susceptible to dry weather? Just a thought.

You know how it is, something happens to a huge investment, you freak out.
 

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