One "choked" fret ... new problem ... HELP!

About the only clue that I can see is the fact that if you really push down hard the note becomes more normal.

There is one part of your post that I have to believe is a typo. You say that your string heigth is only 1/16" at the twelve fret. If that is correct, the string heigth is still less if it's fretted in the six fret. The string sure doesn't have much excursion room.

That is extremely low action. How much relief do you have in the neck?

A badly worn fret could cause something very similar to what you describe but it wouldn't start all at once.

You might try just laying something like a piece of wire or a 4d finishing nail right behind the 6th fret and noting the string down on the "substitute" fret. If it rings clear, it's a good clue that it's a problem with the fret. I have no idea what could cause a fret to act this way and the problem not be apparent by a close visual.

My mind keeps wanting to go back to the extremely low string heigth. I would try increasing the string heigth to 1/8" after making sure that there was a bit of relief in the neck.

Please keep us posted on what you end up finding cause that's one for the books.

good luck. It sounds as if you're gonna need it.

 

Wow, I just looked at a ruler. I keep my G string the lowest of the bunch at 3 mm, around 1/8". I really cant imagine going much lower than that and still having all the notes ring out clearly, since I already use a pretty light touch. I agree with pkr2 that you need to just raise the string a bit. The string has to have room to vibrate in all directions.

That said, if you are sure that the string is not simply too low, then take it to a professional. It does seem odd that this problem is only occurring at one fret. In any event, good luck with your bass!

 

What you need is a fret level, crown job, fret buffing and a good set up, with an action at least 2 to 2.5 mm high at the 12th fret. Try that and you will see and play the difference and it will be the end of your problem

 

There are no 2 basses that the set up is the same. Depends on the stability of the neck under the pressure of the string and the condition of the frets. A bad fret will make a string choke.
A very low action, since the string need space to vibrate, will create a fuzz or make a string choke. Even if the frets look shiny and in good condition that doesn't mean that they are level, some frets might be higher than others.
So a low action on a 4 string bass at the 12th fret is 3/32 (2mm) on the "G" and 1/8 (3mm) on the "E".You measure from the bottom of the string to the top of the fret at the 12th fret. You might have a lower action on some basses but when the humidity changes, then the bass starts fuzzing, buzzing and choking. It might choke one day and not another. That's the way you have to deal with wood. It moves and basses are made out of wood with 150 to 200 lbs of pressure on the neck from the strings so they need a lot of adjustment.

 

To you it is a medium-to-high action you might be right. But ask any Luthier you need a damn good stable neck to have an action lower than that in Canada and some parts of the States. Because the humidity goes to the extreme in this part of the world.
Fuzz, buzz or string choking are 90% of the time caused by bad frets, fret leveling, bad strings and super low action.
So If you don't accept my opinion, there are a few more luthiers on this forum that might give you other advice but this is my opinion from trial and error of my days as a maker and a repairman
Couple of basses that I use to handcraft in the old days!

 

Pickles, the fact that when you mash down hard on the note or bend the string and the prob improves both indicate the same problem. I would almost bet the farm that you have a notch worn into the fret under the G string. The fact that you have small fret wire still further increases the likelyhood of a worn fret.

There are still a couple of things that don't add up though. First, the problem comes and goes. Second, you don't actually see a worn place on the fret.

Don't think that we are "on your case" about the action heigth. I have been doing set up for more years than I want to admit and I have honestly never seen a bass with action as low as yours that didn't buzz and rattle like crazy. That's not to say that yours didn't play just fine for you. I suppose that you must play with a super light touch in order to make it work. In trying to diagnose a problem, though, it has to raise some question as to whether it might have a bearing on your prob.

May I ask why you would want the action so low? Ease of playing wouldn't really suffer with a more conventional heigth and as was mentioned, humidity and temp would have much less effect on it. I'm just curious.

 

The adjustment to the heigth that I suggested wasn't meant to be a permanent adjustment. Just a means of trying to diagnose your prob.Sometimes you just have to eliminate possibilities one at a time.

"I feel like one of those people that "won't take the advice they are asking for right now", but I think you guys are off target on this one."

I can't be off the target because I haven't chosen a target. I thought finding the target was what we were trying to do.




I am detecting a little bit of animosity in the tone of your response so I'll just gracefully back out of any further suggestions. I do wish you the best of luck with your prob. I'm sure you'll get it sorted out.

 

I always thought the way to measure action height was top of fret to the bottom of the string, with the string open and unfretted. Also, most setup procedures that I have seen give measurements farther up the neck - like at the 17th fret or so . . This might explain the difference folks are seeing in measurements . . . . . lemme go look at mine . . .

On my P, if I measure the way you do at the 12th fret, fretted at the first, I get about 5/64 on the E. If I don't fret, I get 3/32. This bass was setup to Fender factory specs (3/32 at the 17th), so while you are a bit lower, it does not seem to be by all that much. Or did I miss something altogether . . ? . . ? . . ? . . ?

- Tim

 

Before you do anything else, take a look at the string itself and make sure there's nothing on it or on the fingerboard. I had a scary experience just like this a couple weeks ago - played a C on the G string of my fretless five and it was absoutely dead. Nothing. Turned out to be nothing more than a tiny black (and therefore nearly invisible) sliver of foam that had come off the lining of either my gig bag or strap and wound up right under the G string at the 5th fret.

Lonnybass

 

Understood. My point is that I was trying to draw attention to the fact that you were measuring that way - it gives lower numbers for a given setup than if you don't fret . . . . as does measuring at the 12th, as opposed to some other published procedures. I just wanted to point out the potential discrepancies between different setup procedures, so that folks here could make sure that they are really comparing measurements made under the same conditions. As I noted on my P, using the Fender procedure and yours give very different numbers for the same setup . . .

- Tim