Uneven Bass Volume

[Mincer]

My bassist has a 5 string Squier Classic Vibe Jazz Bass, with a stock preamp. Not plugged in, all strings have the same volume. Plugged in, either passive or active, the D string of both pickups is louder than the other strings. Is it the preamp (even in passive?) Could it be *both* pickups (unlikely)? How could we go about troubleshooting this?

 

[Snake Aces]

It's not the string height on the D-string saddle?

 

[Chris Pile]

Some preamps have controls inside the cavity to set individual volumes... I have no experience with this Fender, but it doesn't hurt to check.

 

[Chistopher]

Probably isn't it, but bass guitars are a lot more susceptible to an EQ acting as a volume control. Are all the knobs on the amp set flat?

 

[uOpt]

Bypass the preamp with crocodile clips for a test.

 

[Mincer]

It's not the string height on the D-string saddle?

No, as you can hear that they are the same volume unplugged.

 

[Mincer]

Bypass the preamp with crocodile clips for a test.

This was my thought.

 

[uOpt]

So what is the volume when comparing the same D note on an open D string to 5th fret A string?

If that is different it is likely not the preamp causing this.

 

[Chistopher]

Hmm yes

Perhaps a bad string?

 

[beaubrummels]

I've had this with Fender guitars and it was an individual pickup pole that was demagnetized. Very rare, but actually happened.

 

[ehdwuld]

No, as you can hear that they are the same volume unplugged.

Wait what?

Unplugged they are the same volume
Correct
Thats acoustic in the room right.
Height over the pickup makes no difference at all in this situation

You have to measure pickup volume plugged in

Then string height over the pickup affects volume

If the string is too loud, raise it a bit to compensate

Un plugged tells you nothing about pickup volume

 

[uOpt]

I was thinking of a demagnetized polepiece magnet, too. Hence the question about D note on A string.

 

[Snake Aces]

Wait what?

Unplugged they are the same volume
Correct
Thats acoustic in the room right.
Height over the pickup makes no difference at all in this situation

You have to measure pickup volume plugged in

Then string height over the pickup affects volume

If the string is too loud, raise it a bit to compensate

Un plugged tells you nothing about pickup volume

Exactly. Playing an electric bass acoustically does not factor the pickups or string height into the equation at all.

 

[Mincer]

But if unplugged the problem was there, it might point to the nut.

 

[Snake Aces]

But if unplugged the problem was there, it might point to the nut.

True

 

[Mincer]

I was thinking of a demagnetized polepiece magnet, too. Hence the question about D note on A string.

I thought about this, too, but it is happening on both pickups, and the odds of that are pretty slim.

 

[Snake Aces]

I have owned two P-Basses. One was a Japanese Squier II, my first bass.

My second bass was a Fender P-Bass Deluxe with the P+J. That bass had a loud D string but it was my main bass for several years. I eventually sold it for a SUB Stingray, the first Gen of them when they were good.

I never looked into fixing the D string issue because I was such a noob. This was over 20 years ago.

After that I had two Warmoth J-basses. I still have one of them. It is a traditional Jazz with Duncan Basslines pups. The other was a P+J with Basslines pups. They both had/have consistent volume across the strings.

I don't have any interest on acquiring another Fender-style bass anymore. But I would start by looking at the Active EQ options under the hood and take a look at string height at the saddle and measure it at the 12th fret across all the strings. Just see where it is at and go from there.

 

[ehdwuld]

Oh are we just pointing at stuff that we don't understand?

How would the nut cause it to be louder?

Maybe it is rattling on the saddle because the break angle isn't sharp enough

Its the D string, middle one in group of five

Center of the guitar, right

Change strings? Maybe

It may be a newer string and the other four a just dead

 

[Mincer]

The D string was swapped out for a bigger size. It is brand new (the other strings are a few months old), so I doubt it is the string itself. Also, the nut wouldn't cause the D to be louder, but quieter (possibly) if it was improperly cut. I will say that the string is the same distance as the other strings over the 1st fret, and this is happening on every note, which takes the nut out of the equation, anyway.

 

[Chistopher]

Its the D string, middle one in group of five

5 string bass is tuned BEADG

Unless the string is the same brand and construction as the other 4, the problem is almost definitely the string. D string might be made of more magnet material than the others