Ringing not Buzz or Hum

[larrygk]

First post and glad to be here. I have experienced an annoying issue which has somewhat become independent of the bass or the amp. It is a ringing and slight "howl" as I define it. Especially mid fretboard on up the sustain of any note and string becomes excessive if that makes sense. The equipment: both on an Atelier Burner 4, and my Fender JB American Standard 2010. Amps have been an Ampeg RocketBass, and for just practiced a Phil Jones Bass Session 77. Yes EQ gets turned down to try to compensate along with the strap on foam piece down at the nut. Strings on the Atelier are the D'Addario Deep Talking Bass flats and on the Fender IIRC Rotosound 77. Atelier has stock Pup's and the Fender I had installed Custom Shop '60's single coil a while ago.

Whether this helps or not I ordered a set of SD Apollo Humbuckers that will fit both and most likely install on the Fender as the Atelier is a switchable passive/active and install is a little more complicated.
Speaking of the Apollo's the wiring instructions are a bit unclear. Looks like black and bare connect together and get soldered to the back of the pot? Diagram is not clear.

Thanks much for any comments.

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, black and bare go to the back of the pot.

You are talking about sustain of the strings starting to howl in the middle or the fretboard, or some kind of other ringing?

 

[ehdwuld]

Welcome to the forum

Is it on both guitars or just one


It is possible that your strings are rattling on either a fret or the pickup itself

Do you have low action?
Are the pickups super high?
do you have a high fret?

It could be a sympathetic vibratio. With something loose in the cab or head , tube clip comes to mind

 

[larrygk]

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, black and bare go to the back of the pot.

You are talking about sustain of the strings starting to howl in the middle or the fretboard, or some kind of other ringing?

Thank You for that. The sustain is really across they entire fretboard but more pronounced in the middle. I want to be careful of the word howl it is really more what I would classify as too much sustain and yes those sympathetic vibrations.

 

[larrygk]

Welcome to the forum

Is it on both guitars or just one


It is possible that your strings are rattling on either a fret or the pickup itself

Do you have low action?
Are the pickups super high?
do you have a high fret?

It could be a sympathetic vibratio. With something loose in the cab or head , tube clip comes to mind

Thanks for that. Yes I would classify mostly as sympathetic vibrations. In the items you listed it is more prevalent in the Atelier than the Fender but not by much. No, action is not particularly low and in fact I backed it off to see if that would make a difference. Pickups are not high in fact if I compare them to what say SD says as far as string to pickup distance they are more far away than close. That is on the Atelier. I even changed the cord out to see if that would help and my Hoka seemed to help a bit but not much.
No, strings are not rattling. This one is a real mystery, not that I have been a bassist for that long but I do not remember this to be a problem months ago. I know the PJB amp is very accurate (IMO) and you hear everything but the Ampeg does it (less) as well. IDK, all your suggestions are great but for starters I will change the Fender Pup's out for the SD Apollo's and see what that does.

 

[Mincer]

So it is some kind of resonant frequency, I guess. Do you notice this acoustically?

 

[larrygk]

So it is some kind of resonant frequency, I guess. Do you notice this acoustically?

Audibly, yes. I will first change the strings to make sure something is not going on there. The SD tech said he rarely sees this because of a PuP.

 

[Chistopher]

Is there a way you can tell us what frequency it's at? Does a tuner pick it up? I don't know if it would help, but it wouldn't hurt to know.

My bet is a uncommon form of electrical noise

 

[Mincer]

Is there a way you can tell us what frequency it's at? Does a tuner pick it up? I don't know if it would help, but it wouldn't hurt to know.

My bet is a uncommon form of electrical noise

Well, it sounds like it is acoustic resonance. Notes are activating the resonant frequency of the instrument...or something like that.

 

[larrygk]

Is there a way you can tell us what frequency it's at? Does a tuner pick it up? I don't know if it would help, but it wouldn't hurt to know.

My bet is a uncommon form of electrical noise

I don't but I know what you mean. I don't think it is that. I am going to change strings and start with that. I will say the change out of cable seemed to help a bit. And I am going to spend time playing my Squier P bass today while practicing to see if this is common across my 3 basses. My son borrowed it otherwise I would have done that previously.

 

[ehdwuld]

May be something behind the nut
or beyond the bridge saddles
Outside the normal vibration path

You said that it happens when played open or fretted
On any of the strings

What type of bridge did you say you have?


If it a single string then it may be a crack in the nut under the string

It may be a loose section of the bridge rattling

Or it may be a loose back cover

The nut on a potentiometer my be loose

Screw on the switch

 

[GuitarDoc]

It's happening on both guitars so it's safe to say that that is not the problem.

At first it sounded like it was due to the amp, but you say you've tried different amps and you still have the problem?

That leaves only two possible causes.
1. something in the room vibrating.
2. a poltergeist.

 

[larrygk]

So I got a chance to take out the Squier PB yesterday. This axe also has LaBella DTB strings on it. So...same amp (PJB), same strings as far as type, different bass. Issue is not there at least to any extent that is annoying (and I consider myself to have a pretty good ear). So on the Atelier, I was wrong: the strings are newer Ernie Ball Custom Gauge Group II. have a new set of Deep Talking Bass (seems to be my go to) strings coming and I am going to lean towards this possibly being a fix. Nut and bridge are all stock and the Atelier is next to new as far of hours of play, not saying there could be a fault.
Will report back when strings are on. But I will install the Apollo's (Humbuckers) on the Fender and sell the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Vintage Pup's. As the tech said from SD: this is not a Pup issue. Thanks for the inputs.

PS..anyone own this model amp? If so opinions?
https://reverb.com/item/57580523-ph...-compact-300-watt-4x5-bass-combo-amp-red-used

 

[ehdwuld]

ahhhh
you have wound the strings up with the most of the string on bottom
and the coming off the tuner from the top
going to the nut

not enough downward pressure
too high in the nut

im kidding
are the strings coated?

are they those glow in the dark crappy ones?

 

[larrygk]

ahhhh
you have wound the strings up with the most of the string on bottom
and the coming off the tuner from the top
going to the nut

not enough downward pressure
too high in the nut

im kidding
are the strings coated?

are they those glow in the dark crappy ones?

No, no crappy strings. Good names and models as listed. LaBella's and the Roto's
No faults on the nut and the bridge is the next to new stock Atelier bridge.

Played my Squier P Bass for 3 hours yesterday...perfect, no issue (not me but the bass ) So, new LaBella's will go on the Atelier tomorrow and we shall see.

Thanks for all the comments from everyone. I appreciate it and all things to keep in mind.

 

[GuitarDoc]

So, new LaBella's will go on the Atelier tomorrow and we shall see.

Same amp and location?