clicking problem

[gbm]

Having a problem with my stingray 4 clicking loudly on the attack edge of notes I'm plucking. The strings have plenty of clearance from the pole-pieces

I suspect it may(?) be something faulty in whatever pre-amp is in the bass, although the click seems to be there whether I have a new battery, an old battery or no battery at all !!!????

I think I've eliminated amp or leads from the picture - I can't reproduce the problem with my other (passive) bass.

Any clues anyone ???? ...

 

[Psycho Ward]

Welcome to the forum!

The quickest and best thing to do is call EBMM customer service, they are the best in the business.

 

[Paul_C]

Having a problem with my stingray 4 clicking loudly on the attack edge of notes I'm plucking. The strings have plenty of clearance from the pole-pieces

I suspect it may(?) be something faulty in whatever pre-amp is in the bass, although the click seems to be there whether I have a new battery, an old battery or no battery at all !!!????

I think I've eliminated amp or leads from the picture - I can't reproduce the problem with my other (passive) bass.

Any clues anyone ???? ...

If it's more noticeable at gigging volumes then it could be that, like me, you have a tendency to pluck down, rather than across, the strings. I fitted a ramp to my Bongo to help prevent me from doing this when playing live, because when I do, I often bounce the string off the last fret on the neck, making an audible click.

 

[Rano Bass]

My guess is you are playing too hard and maybe boosting the treble too much.
Only you can know that for shure.

 

[Kristopher]

I've had the same or at least a similar problem. For me, it all comes down to playing too darn hard. I guess I can sometimes get a little over-excited and attack the strings with so much force that they are hitting either the frets or the pickup. I forget which because I've since taken a tranquilizer and calmed down my playing enough to sound somewhat normal.

My advice is to see if you can duplicate the sound when playing by yourself in your room and then see if backing off your attack helps at all.

 

[KennethB]

Do you dime the controls maybe?

 

[PocketGroove82]

Maybe you've been listening to too much korn?

 

[MingusBASS]

Customer Service...but it sounds like a technique problem.

 

[thunder]

pluck lighter or closer to the bridge. that will help.

 

[phatduckk]

i had this happen when i first started using MM. it was really bad... and it was all my fault. i tried various non-technique-changing things... the best result from that experimentation was to have the horn/tweeter 100% OFF

honestly this is a technique issue. thats what it was for me. some EQ stuff mitigated it but it came down to me being able to play as fast/aggressively w/ a lighter touch.

MM's are hotter basses so they will more clearly hear the "coloring" of tone that your hands/fingers generate... both the good and bad flavor of your technique will be more obvious. when you figure it out you'll use this as a great advantage

 

[Joe Nerve]

+1 on what phatduck (and others) said. No tweeter, and I roll off as much highs as I have to - or play more lightly. I believe it's a technique thing you've got going on, and I would be cautious about labeling it "bad". Just a style in my opinion. If you can control it and play lightly when ya want, then awesome.

You're also going from passive to active. You will probably have to make some radical changes in your EQ settings to sproduce sounds that you're used to.

 

[bassmancb]

Thanks guys I've been driving myself crazy the last six months trying to figure this out. Been playing passive basses for years and now have to learn to play all over again.

 

[rhythmCity944]

could be like IRON MAIDEN style bouncing the strings off the frets...

 

[Kevindm215]

I've been having the same problem the last few months, been lowering strings, pick ups, changing gauges adjusting the eq, I play with my fingers and i enjoy really digging into the strings when i'm playing, i do tend to play harder again live but the clicking noise is driving me mental, i was thinking maybe getting a Bartolini pick up since there are no pole pieces sticking out for the strings to bounce off, can anyone back up my theory or should i just learn to play with a lighter touch or alter my technique?

 

[Golem]

`

You can always put a layer of tape or thin felt over
the PU to test your idea about the pole pieces. Why
change PUs if you haven't even tested your idea ?

Also, why not lower your PU .... a lot. You seem to
have an approach based on passive basses. A MM is
more than able to deal with a lowered PU. It's really
THAT hawt ! There's tone voodoo in lowering the PU
on an active ax, depending upon your taste, acoarst.

Also, since I try to keep to the money zone, I don't
much care if my action is kinda high at the 'soprano'
end of the neck, so I tend to use minimal relief/bow
[IOW nearly flat FB] and then raise the action at the
bridge saddles enuf to avoid FNB [Flat Neck Buzz] in
frthe money zone. You might try this even if you find
it's NOT how you wanna KEEP your set up. I say TRY
it, cuz if it fixes the clicking then you'd know that it's
your right hand style clicking the strings on the neck
[in your current set up]. IOW, it's a diagnostic trick.


`

 

[bovinehost]

In my experience, what click I do get (and I used to get a LOT before I learned to calm the eff down) is from the frets, not from the pole pieces. So - you know, swap pickups if you want to, but that may not be it at all.

I echo the technique/calm down sentiments above. It's certainly made me a more......dammit, I'm not going to use the term 'sensitive' so just go with me.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

Does it happen if you use a pick? You know you have one lying around.

I'd go with Jack's scribble above. Lighten up Francis. Gail Ann Dorsey did. Anthony Jackson did..we all should.

 

[toomanyslurpees]

does anybody find the clicking more pronounced on the 3eq pre? I don't notice it at all on the 2eq. I went to a heavier string gauge pretty soon after I bought my first Stingray which I thought helped reduced that noise, that and I usually leave the treble pot in the detent or lower.

 

[drTStingray]

I have had this issue and it was all down to touching the strings against the pick up through playing too hard - if you're really going to dig in you may need the pick up lower - I noticed it especially in recordings of live gigs taken from the board with my SR5 - and yes it was down to technique - I played more carefully on subsequent recordings and the problem disappeared.

It has also occurred with my 2 band (live recording - playing far too hard/pick up too close) - in my case it's a technique and sloppiness issue.

 

[mynan]

I had a similar problem because my finger was hitting the E string, coming off plucking the A string, causing the E string to hit the frets. I just had to adjust my technique.