Tapewound string rattle

[TDSLaBassiste]

My Rotosound 88 set has a slight rattle on the G string. I've checked everything, the nut, the saddle, the all the springs on the bridge. I checked every screw and loose part and this rattle will not go away at all. It's only really pronounced when I use a pick or my fingernail hits it, but it's still slightly audible when I just use my fingers. Any ideas what it could be?

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Seated properly in the nut?

 

[hdracer]

I have used Roto 88's
They can be noisy and sound real bad with a pick or if a nail touches them. With perfect technique they can be great.
I took them off after a month.

 

[jasper383]

Can you hear the rattle through the amp?

Is it fret rattle?

Tapewound strings act differently from other strings.

They are really fat gauges but behave like small gauge strings, because under all that plastic is a very thin string. Consequently, you need to set the bass up like it has a set of really light strings on it--a little more relief, a little higher action.

I would also put a tiny square of notebook paper between the string and the nut to see if it's rattling there, and also at the bridge to see if it's rattling there.

 

[TDSLaBassiste]

They break from the nut at a decent angle so it's not rattling there, I've checked everywhere the string touches. Nut, tuning machine, all points on the bridge. Nothing.

hdracer, this could just be a normal thing then. I love the sound of the strings, but this rattle is giving me ulcers.

Jasper, it's being used on a fretless with fairly high action, no fret rattle. And no, not a side effect of mwah, either. The rattle happens when the G is open too. No, it doesn't come through the amp (I don't think so, anyway). As for set up, strings already sit high and I can't adjust relief, this bass has no truss rod. But the neck is about as thick (if not thicker) than DB neck so it doesn't bow at all.