String Tension and Bridge buzz? :O

[Pugz]

I recently purchased a new jazz, 75 MIA RI and there are several things about it that i have questions for you guys to answer

Firstly I'll start with a problem i've notice that is coming from the bridge. Currently there is a standard fender bridge installed on the bass and I've noticed that when playing the G string (sometimes happens on my E too) I get a buzz. I thought it was fret buzz first then realized that the bridge was buzzing. I tried holding down the spring and that stopped the buzz.

My question is basically is, is there anyway I can fix this or is this one of the reasons that many people by badass II bridges for their jazzes?


Secondly I'm finding something i didn't expect with this bass. I used to play a MM SUB which plays fantasic. Since I've been playing the Jazz i've found it harder to play some of the licks that I can play easily on the MM. At first I thought it must just be slight differences in the position of where my hand had to be placed because of the differences in body shape and places where I could rest my hand but now I'm thinking its to do with string tension.

On the Jazz the tension of the string seems a great deal tenser than on the SUB. It takes a lot more strength to bend a note on the jazz than on my SUB. Now as much as I like the sound of the Jazz I want a bass that has great playability too. Is there and thing that can be done to sort out tension? Is this just to do with String Gauge differences?

 

[Pugz]

bump :O

 

[SuperSnake2012]

It may even be the way you cut your strings... the shorter you cut them the less tension you get... but don't cut too much. I cut my jazz strings a little too short and the A string pops out of the nut when I play with too much force

That may not be the problem so you might want a second opinion before you cut anything.

 

[Bigduke]

A good set up includes,lowering the bridge,leveling and dressing the frets and carving the nut,adjusting intonation,and adjusting the rod ,this will eliminate the buzz.Take it to a professional.

 

[mikezimmerman]

It may even be the way you cut your strings... the shorter you cut them the less tension you get... but don't cut too much. I cut my jazz strings a little too short and the A string pops out of the nut when I play with too much force

That may not be the problem so you might want a second opinion before you cut anything.

Best to clarify why you get the buzz, exactly, since it's not really a problem with "tension". If you cut the strings too short, you don't get as many windings around the tuner, and so that often means that at the nut you don't have as sharp a break angle or as much downward pressure in the slot. That lets the string rattle.

Back to the original question. There are lots of reasons that a bridge saddle might buzz. If it's the springs buzzing, you can take them out and pull them so they're stretched out longer. If it's the saddles themselves, sometimes the height adjustment screws can be a little loose and rattle--you can fix that with a dab of LokTite or simple Elmer's glue on the screw.

The difference in playability between your SUB and the Jazz could be a lot of things. First, as you suggested, the strings could be different, and higher-gauge strings will generally have more tension than lower-gauge strings. However, if you have the same strings on both basses, you should have the same tension, since they are both 34" scale instruments.

You may also have more neck relief on the Jazz, which would make it harder to play. You can check that by fretting the string at the 1st and 14th frets and checking how much distance is between the string and the 7th fret, then doing the same thing on the SUB. Generally speaking, you should just be able to slip a business card between the string and the fret, and some people (myself included) like even less space than that. To change the relief, you have to adjust the truss rod--there are instructions down in the "Setup" forum, I think.

Mike