Strange harmonics/overtones on higher frets??

[Adam Guzzo]

I recently purchased a 2009 musicman stingray 5 HH. Everything sounds great but when you play the higher notes on the lower strings like the A, E, and B, there are weird harmonics/overtones. It almost sounds like chorus, but sounds crappy. Any idea what it could be?

 

[Adam Guzzo]

Ohh, and these sounds also happen when the bass is unplugged

 

[JB696]

Could be that the pickups are too close to the strings. This can cause a ringing or tremolo on the higher frets.

 

[()smoke()]

are you getting a clean note or is the setup such that the string is rattling on the next higher fret? this can result in a sound like you describe...

 

[StanSzymanskiJr]

I would consider taking the bass to the best luthier/bass tech in town and get the neck, bridge and harmonics all adjusted and put right with a brand new set of strings. I play approx. 220-230 gigs per year and have my bass set up 4-5 times per year.

 

[bassobrutto]

As JB696 says, above, the pickup pole pieces are too close to the strings. Obviously, the higher up the neck you play, the closer they get, hence the increasing overtone/chorus effect. I have had two basses which do this.

 

[Moe Monsarrat]

Lower the pickups using the screws & it will go away. The magnets are actually pulling the strings because they are too close.

 

[TolerancEJ]

Have you checked your intonation lately?

 

[KeithAlanK]

It's probably the section of string between your fretting finger and the nut, vibrating sympathetically.

 

[BuffaloBass]

Ya'll should READ the post before replying - ACOUSTICALLY. Nothing about pickups. Get the bass professionally setup as said.

 

[Adam Guzzo]

Thanks for the replies, but I just recently had the bass setup (about a week and a half ago) and the strings are fresh, I tried lowering the pickups to the lowest they could be, but the problem still happens, this problem also happened before I changed my strings, I'm thinking it could be the Ernie balls that I'm stringing it with, but I doubt it.

 

[Adam Guzzo]

i figured out the problem, i feel stupid though..... lol. when you guys told me to lower the pickup, i only lowered the bridge pickup, put it was the neck pickup that was too high, so when i lowered them both..... it worked.

 

[lbwdog]

i figured out the problem, i feel stupid though..... lol. when you guys told me to lower the pickup, i only lowered the bridge pickup, put it was the neck pickup that was too high, so when i lowered them both..... it worked.

But why would that affect it unplugged? (unless the string was touching the PUP.)

 

[ggunn]

Ya'll should READ the post before replying - ACOUSTICALLY. Nothing about pickups. Get the bass professionally setup as said.

You should READ the post where he fixed it.

The effect of the pickups pulling on the strings has nothing to do with the pickups being on or off, and it can be heard acoustically. It's the permanent magnets in the strings interfering with the vibration of the string, and it's commonly known as "Stratitis" because Strats and other guitars with single coil pickups are especially prone to this condition.

 

[ggunn]

But why would that affect it unplugged? (unless the string was touching the PUP.)

See post #14.

 

[Meddle]

Polepieces too close to the strings maybe?

 

[Slax]

You should READ the post where he fixed it.

The effect of the pickups pulling on the strings has nothing to do with the pickups being on or off, and it can be heard acoustically. It's the permanent magnets in the strings interfering with the vibration of the string, and it's commonly known as "Stratitis" because Strats and other guitars with single coil pickups are especially prone to this condition.

+1 Yep, magnets don't "turn off" when the bass is unplugged.

 

[Moe Monsarrat]

Duh.