distorted sound

[jeffsixx]

ok so i started to play my stingray today and noticed that when i play really aggressive over top of the pickup with my fingers or a pick it clips in my head phones. like the sound distorts really bad, but if i play up towards the neck more it doesnt do it as much if at all. so i checked the battery its fine, so is my eq starting to die on me or is it just that my heads are most likely blown? i dont have another pair of head phones or an amp to check it through them.

 

[Lazybite]

i would suggest it is the gain into the headphones. I have had this problem... is the volume quite loud?

 

[jeffsixx]

i checked it now with 3 different headphones and still the same deal. it does it at all volumes except when i turn all three of my eq knobs all the way down then it doesnt do it. part of me thinks it could be my bass trainer. i just worried it is my basses eq and that would suck.

 

[Aussie Mark]

The other thing to consider is pickup height. Try lowering the pickup a little and see if that makes a difference.

 

[tkarter]

There is a volume knob on the bass turn it down. Or the gain on the amp.

tk

 

[Big Poppa]

tkarter is correct when you are cutting the eq you are cutting the output along with it. this is the age old problem of people thinking that they have to dime the volumewith an active instrument. keep your eq where you like it and the reduce the volume on the bass until the distortion goes away

 

[tkarter]

tkarter is correct when you are cutting the eq you are cutting the output along with it. this is the age old problem of people thinking that they have to dime the volumewith an active instrument. keep your eq where you like it and the reduce the volume on the bass until the distortion goes away

Heart attack time. Me thinks it is the first time BP ever agreed with me.



Listen to him though he knows things the rest of us doesn't

tk

 

[jeffsixx]

the only thing that worries me is the fact that ive had the this bass for two years, and ive had the bass trainer for a year and this has never been an issue until today. so its either the tascam or (and i really hope not) the music man. i played it like two days ago and it was fine i went to use it today and the sound just kept gettig worse like the battery is dying.

 

[tadawson]

the only thing that worries me is the fact that ive had the this bass for two years, and ive had the bass trainer for a year and this has never been an issue until today. so its either the tascam or (and i really hope not) the music man. i played it like two days ago and it was fine i went to use it today and the sound just kept gettig worse like the battery is dying.

Have you tried a new battery in the bass? Clipping at lower than normal output levels is also a sign of a dying battery . . . .

- Tim

 

[Lazybite]

is there an output gain knob on the tascam? that could be it.

 

[maddog]

Have you tried a new battery in the bass? Clipping at lower than normal output levels is also a sign of a dying battery . . . .

- Tim

If the volume knob don't fix it, try a new battery. Both cheap possible fixes.

 

[tkarter]

If the volume knob don't fix it, try a new battery. Both cheap possible fixes.

I think maddog is a rocket scientist too so you better listen.



tk

 

[boston asphalt2]

I think maddog is a rocket scientist too so you better listen.



tk

more likely a mad scientist.


or just mad.

 

[jeffsixx]

i tested the battery and its fine ill by a new one tomorrow just to be safe. but its not even a month old and i've only gotten a chance to play it like 5 times at an hour each time. i just hope its the tascam bass trainer because i have a warranty on that, that will get it replaced. thanks for the help though. quick question if it was my eq going down how would i be able to tell or would it just quit?

 

[Big Poppa]

your eq doesnt go down.......

 

[todd4ta]

You should try to work the following into your plan:

A) try playing your bass through a bass amp (use a friend's or take a trip to a music store with your bass)

B) try playing a different bass through your tascam (again use a friend's bass or take the tascam with you also when you go to a music store)

If you're only going to be playing 'this' bass through 'this' Tascam, then get the volume and EQ set to where it sounds OK. From my experience, playing bass through a headphone amp is always less fulfilling than playing through an actual amp. Most headphones aren't made to handle bass too well.

Could you have blown out the speakers on your headphones?? I've done that before.

Does your Tascam have various EQ/effects settings? Maybe you have something set (distortion, etc.) that is causing the distorted sound.

I think the extremely last possibility would be the preamp on your bass.

 

[jeffsixx]

well ive tried my tascam with other headphones, and the same deal. the battery is fine, and ive played this bass with that tascam for a little over a year now. so since big poppa said the eq wont die then im pretty sure its the tascam that has started to die on me. which is good i dont know what i would do if my music man was out of commission. really thank you all for the help.