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Strange D-string sound

#3
vid1900 said:
Did you take the string off before this happened?
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No. Didn't do anything. I haven't checked it through the amp. It's just making a weird "mwah" sound acoustically, both fretted and open. The entire D string sounds a little like the dead 5th fret on the G string that's always been there.
 
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#4
Make sure the bridge is mechanically solid, with no excessively loose screws or strings that could vibrate. Then, take the D string off the bass, and re-install it in a way that does not exactly match the way it was in before, i.e. flip it around and uncoil the tuner end and recoil it on the tuning post. This might shake out any weirdness in the string length.

You'll also want to make sure the nut slot and the saddle for the D string are free of debris and allow free vibration of the string.

It could also be the case that the string itself is unravelling internally - usually only happens with round core round wounds. There is no fix for that aside from replacement, IME.
 
#6
Hambone70 said:
Great advice! Thanks.

I slackened the string until it was almost off the peg, then retuned it. That's a big improvement.
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The key with this is that you want to completely reinstall and retune the string in way where the stresses on the hardware and pressure against the string nodes are different than they were when the string was acting weird. Re-seating the ball end is important too. Usually solves this if there is no internal issue with the string itself.
 
#7
cxcxcx said:
The key with this is that you want to completely reinstall and retune the string in way where the stresses on the hardware and pressure against the string nodes are different than they were when the string was acting weird. Re-seating the ball end is important too. Usually solves this if there is no internal issue with the string itself.
Click to expand...
I'll do that. Thanks again!
 
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#8
If happens on open AND fretted notes, your d string bridge saddle might not have a solid enough connection /w the bridge. The saddle screws might not be touching the bridge plate.
 
#9
huh, I assumed it was maybe that the D string was set a little lower, versus the fret height, than the other strings, and a change in temp caused the neck to straighten up a bit (loose it's string-pull bow a tiny speck), making the string vibrate on the frets a spec... but yea that doesn't really sound like fretless mwaaa, does it?

good ideas.... good to hear it's helping, too!
 

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