String Noise 4003s

syncop8r · Post by **syncop8r** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 12:27 pm

I have suddenly become aware of a lot of trebly noise when fretting and when moving up and down the strings on my 4003s.
Could this be a grounding problem? Cheap strings behaving badly? Normal? Imagined?
It happens more on the bridge pickup (I guess because of its trebly nature) than the neck pickup (which sounds like a flat basketball hitting a pillow in a padded cell, even with tone turned up).

rob · Post by **rob** » Thu Mar 14, 2002 2:51 pm

Now that you mention it, and I'm not sure if it's the same thing, but I once had some noise come from my 4001's treble pickup. I thought it sounded like the strings were sort of "Resonating" in the pickup's cavity. After about 1 or 2 weeks, it stopped. I do want to add that at the time, I did have roundwound strings on it, but I don't know if they had anything to do with it. I do have rounds on my 4003, and I haven't heard nothing wierd yet. My best guess would be to try adjusting your pickup height. Maybe if you move it around a little, the noise will go away.

eddier · Post by **eddier** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 7:52 am

Gentleman,
I had the same problem with my 4003. It seemed to start when I took the cover over the treble pickup off & went to a slightly heavier gauge roundwound strings.-Note The bass came from the factory with Roundwounds (Nickle 90's)and I switched to Stainless Steel 105's.

As Mr. Fronckwiak commented, it sounded like a "resonation" in the pick up cavity.

I found when I tightened the screws on the metal pickup surounding the treble pickup the noise stopped.

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Fri Apr 19, 2002 1:11 pm

Friends-- A quick suggestion. Leave the bridge pick-up cover in place. Change to flatwounds. Works for me.

eddier · Post by **eddier** » Tue Apr 23, 2002 11:11 am

Jeffery,

That would have been too easy.

Truthfully, the bass looks cooler with the cover on.

As for Flatwounds, have you tried the Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 flatwounds? Very "early Roger Waters" sounding.

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue Apr 23, 2002 6:35 pm

Edmond-- You're absolutely right. A Ric 4000 series bass ALWAYS looks cooler with the cover on. I would never dream of playing one with it off.

As for Rotosound, in my early days I was a hardcore Rotosound man. Their roundwounds ruled the world. But the competition eventually overtook them and left Rotosound in the dust. I never play roundwounds of any brand nowadays. Not that I'm a Billy Sheehan fan (although I have all of the respect in the world for his talent), but it spoke volumes to me a few years ago when I read that he dropped his endorsement of Rotosound. Apparently there was a problem with Rotosound's quality control; Sheehan brought it up with the company's bosses and they promised to take care of it. The story goes that the problems continued, despite Sheehan's enquiries, and he finally gave up and dropped his endorsement.

I've found a few brand names that I'm quite happy with now to have on my basses. Until they give me a reason to change similar to Sheehan, or someone else comes along with a product that convinces me it is superior to my current choices, I'll stick with what I've got.

Interesting observation on Waters' early tone, I've always liked it........