Help! StingRay 4 Tuning Issue

[Uncle_Brad]

Hi Guys

Been reading through the forums looking for info on a tuning issue i am having.

Bassically, i tune my bass in standard tuning and all seems fine.
The intonation appears to be fine for all string except E
E plays fine open but every note starting from F plays sharp and gets slightly worse the further down the neck.
Strangley, if i tune e down slightly i can get the right notes all the way down except when open.

I have had the bass looked at and no problems were found and the setup was only slightly adjusted. The theroey was that the magnets one the poles were dragging the string down in lower tunings but lowering the pick up has had no change to the problem

I have check the setup and its as close as i can get it to the factory settings.
I have tried adjusting the bridge and this has also made no difference.
I have also tried a different e string and 3 different tuners which all report the same.

Using slinky standards on a rosewood fretboard if anyone is interested.

Any ideas on what the issue could be?

 

[Musicman Nut]

I don't really think it's the Bass, make sure it's the same pressure on all notes, I've never heard of this before and I have 300 of these basses.

 

[MadMatt]

Doing a diagnostic is always impossible over the internet. I would contact Custom Support

It might also be worth you trying to set the intonation as described here: Setting Bass Intonation

That never hurts

 

[oli@bass]

Disclaimer regarding internet diagnosis applies...

Theoretically: If all notes are sharp except for the open string, then the nut does either not "fret" the string at the proper length, or the string slot in the nut is cut too shallow which means that too much pressure is needed to fret a note.

Practically, your luthier should be able to find the problem and fix it.

 

[Uncle_Brad]

this is only a new problem i've noticed. i've had the bass for about 6 years and it's never let me down
i'm not sure what has changed now. i haven't changed anything prior to this happenenig.

i did try playing the e string with different pressures. higher presures make it sharper and lower makes it close but i can not physically play it any lighter to get the right notes.

i guess it might be a case of taking it back to the shop

 

[Runnerman]

You could also be pulling the string to the side slightly as you apply pressure. This will obviously cause a note to go sharp. Since you seem to be an experienced bassist, I doubt this is the problem but thought it worth mentioning for others.

Have you adjusted the nut? Are you using heavier strings than spec? The string could be sitting up at the nut.

 

[bass cowboy]

I don't really think it's the Bass, make sure it's the same pressure on all notes, I've never heard of this before and I have 300 of these basses.

Excuse me...I'm a newb here.....but did you just say you have 300 Stingrays?? I can see from your avatar pic you have a slew of them. I am seriously impressed.

 

[bovinehost]

That's what he said.

 

[adouglas]

He needs that many because he lives in a log cabin made of Stingrays.

 

[Musicman Nut]

Excuse me...I'm a newb here.....but did you just say you have 300 Stingrays?? I can see from your avatar pic you have a slew of them. I am seriously impressed.

Ernie Ball Music Man Makes the best Basses ever, you can never have enough of these guys.

 

[MrMusashi]

give ernie ball customer service a call / email

i keep hearing good things about them, and after all: who knows those basses better than them?
details in the signature below...

MrM

ps. the sickest part of mr musicman nut is that none of us forum regulars thinks 300 eb basses is too many