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Odd B String Tremolo Effect My Super 5
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Have you had a different B string on this bass and did the other string do this? I'd also try to lower the pickup and see if it changes. Just guessing here.
Oooh, I can also see how an amp could cause that if it's having problems handling the low frequencies. Still guessing 
I've had stuff like that happen on a number of basses. Could be the strings are too close to the pickups. I would check the intonation too.
B String is too close to the pickup, and/or, the B string has a twist from installation. I've had that noise out of my basses before. It was always one or both of those things.
I am lowering the pickups to see if that makes a change for the better.
Man thats weird. Glad other folks have experienced it and can help because if i heard that on my bass I would think it was haunted!!
These are the likely suspects
Intonation sounds a little off too. If it were me, I'd restring it with my favorite strings and setup accordingly.
B string intonation is spot on. The adjusting screws on the pickups are tiny. That is a design flaw. It is pretty easy to lower the bridge pickup, but the neck pickup screws are really tight and potentially very easy to strip. I lowered the pickup height a bit, but the effect was not great.
I'm having the same issue. I just posted a thread about it.
Except the initial situation for me was my B string buzzing at the higher frets (12th and up).
I raised the action at the saddle. It buzzed less, but I did get that "tremolo effect" in the upper frets instead.
I think it's something to do with the B string hanging too low compared to the other strings. The B always buzzes against the frets, especially around where the neck meets the body. So, no matter how you adjust truss rod relief, it creates a harmonic distortion.
At this point, I'm thinking shimmying the neck might be the solution.
Except the initial situation for me was my B string buzzing at the higher frets (12th and up).
I raised the action at the saddle. It buzzed less, but I did get that "tremolo effect" in the upper frets instead.
I think it's something to do with the B string hanging too low compared to the other strings. The B always buzzes against the frets, especially around where the neck meets the body. So, no matter how you adjust truss rod relief, it creates a harmonic distortion.
At this point, I'm thinking shimmying the neck might be the solution.
The bass was a demo model and I have had since January. It may be time to change the strings get a non/tapered B string.
Try this. Loosen the string, remove the string from the winding post. The coil it forms around the post will stay intact. The string will, however, un twist, making the coil not line up as it did when tuned. Turn the whole string, the ball end will rotate, until the coil lines up again, and re install and tune up. I do this to the bigger strings with every install. I found way early on in my 5 string experience that I could never get my B strings to play well all the way up the neck. I heard the Warbling type of effect, my B had zero sustain above the 5th fret or so, and never quite intonated. This procedure has helped immensely. I discovered the issue on a string change one day. The B string Un twisted itself when removing old strings. I got curious. And it helped.
Pressing the string down hard just ahead of the bridge saddle also helps immensely in setting a good witness point over the saddle, and will lower the string action off the bridge, letting you raise the saddle slightly to achieve the same action. All this, for me, added up o better B string performance and response and longevity.
Pressing the string down hard just ahead of the bridge saddle also helps immensely in setting a good witness point over the saddle, and will lower the string action off the bridge, letting you raise the saddle slightly to achieve the same action. All this, for me, added up o better B string performance and response and longevity.
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The former Gibson EB bass from 2013-14 had the same issue, mostly from 12th fret A string and 5th fret E string upwards, the pickup was simply too hot and the magnetic pull interfered with the strings vibrating freely. Seems like something very similar.
I changed and lowered the pickups until it stil sounded decent.
Sold the bass after a few years.
I changed and lowered the pickups until it stil sounded decent.
Sold the bass after a few years.
D
My first suspect would be the pickups being too close to the B-string. This will always be a problem with that type of pickup unless the pole pieces are staggered. If lowering the pickup makes the E/A-strings too weak you may have to raise the B-string a bit.
I would also double check the intonation. With a B-string you can't always trust a tuner to give an accurate readings. Use your ears. Maybe try a different strategy than intonating at the 12th fret. I have an Ibanez SR 5-string where I couldn't get rid of the wobbly "out of tune"-like tone you get from poor intonation until I intonated it using the 24th fret. It got to the point where I hardly turned the intonation screw at all and it still made a difference. B-string intonation can be VERY sensitive to even the tiniest movement of the saddle.
Or maybe you've simply got a bad/twisted string. B-strings seem to be particularly vulnerable to twisting and I hate installing B-strings on basses where the ball end can't rotate freely (like the mono rail saddles on my aforementioned Ibanez SR).
I would also double check the intonation. With a B-string you can't always trust a tuner to give an accurate readings. Use your ears. Maybe try a different strategy than intonating at the 12th fret. I have an Ibanez SR 5-string where I couldn't get rid of the wobbly "out of tune"-like tone you get from poor intonation until I intonated it using the 24th fret. It got to the point where I hardly turned the intonation screw at all and it still made a difference. B-string intonation can be VERY sensitive to even the tiniest movement of the saddle.
Or maybe you've simply got a bad/twisted string. B-strings seem to be particularly vulnerable to twisting and I hate installing B-strings on basses where the ball end can't rotate freely (like the mono rail saddles on my aforementioned Ibanez SR).
@Dr. Cheese, try playing a note and simply push down on the pickup to see if that makes the effect go away. You may have to push down on both at the same time. If that works, you have your answer.
