Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
When playing certain notes high up the E string (15th fret is the worst) straight after playing an open E I get a horrible noise. It isn't fret buzz from the higher frets. It seems to me that when I fret the note the string also hits a slightly lower fret and produces a sort of harmonic note from that fret (along with a big clanking sound from it) which clashes with the note I'm actually playing. The string seems to vibrate a little below the fretted note too, causing a little fret buzz further down the neck. I don't think the pickups pick up these noises too much but acoustically they almost drown out the fretted note, which at practise volume is very unpleasant. This only happens when going quickly from the open E to these few higher high notes on the same string, both if I actually pluck the string for the higher note or if I hammer on to the higher note from the open E. If I play these same notes in isolation or in other musical circumstances I don't get these unwanted noises - possibly because my left hand has damped or fretted a note lower down prior to fretting and it's a gentler fretting. I don't have any problems on the other strings. I play with both fingers and pick with a fairly light touch and I don't have any normal fret buzz anywhere on the neck. I've just put some DR Hi-Beam 45-105 strings on after many years of RS Swing Bass 45-105 and after adjusting the bridge height I have moderate and playable action (3/32" at 12th fret) and the neck is reasonably flat (although any concave curvature seems to be towards the head end of the neck when I fret 1st and last frets). I'm playing a 1975 4001 by the way. Has anyone else had this problem or know of a solution?
Re: Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
Sounds to me like the string is hitting the pickup pole screw head.
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antipodean
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Re: Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
G'day Anthony,
The simple act of fretting a string will impart energy to the string and sound a note - instruments like the Chapman Stick use this energy exclusively to create notes. On a bass, this note is barely audible, if at all, at the lower part of the neck when playing "normally" (there are some bass players who have developed their technique and set up to enable them to sound notes by fretting alone). In general, as you travel up the neck, string height from the fretboard increases and so you need to impart more energy to fret a note, and thus more energy is passed to the string, and the note that is generated becomes more audible. This note is lost if you pluck the string at the same moment we fret the note, as the energy imparted by plucking will usually dominate that imparted by fretting. Note also that unless you damp the string between the nut and the fret, a vibration will be propogated towards the nut. Unless your bass is set up with high relief, this will produce some rattle as the string is very close to the fretboard for its entire length above your fretting hand. In the extreme, the vibration above the fret can interfere with the intended note by transferring through the neck. In summary, what you're experiencing isn't a fault - it's the nature of the beast.
Hammering on from an open string to a high position exacerbates the fretted note issue, as there is no plucking or picking to dampen or override the energy imparted by fretting, and there is already substantial energy in the string from your previous open note. Fretting a vibrating string near the centre of its fundamental is not simple - you will find that there will be a deal of noise as your finger presses down on the string. Further, as you fret, you are changing the wavelength of the existing vibration and imparting new energy simultaneously. When you hammer on over two frets, you aren't normally imparting a lot of energy to the string, so the existing energy in the string dominates, in your case, however, the situation is more ambiguous, and the two energy sources may end up being in conflict. Add to that the string rattle between fret and nut and you have the potential for a bit of a mess.
The good news is that you can address the nut-to-fret rattle by damping the string with one of the fingers (the index finger will work well) on your fretting hand. This requires you to fret with your middle finger, ring finger or pinky. You will need to practice this as the damping has to be carried out with some precision. Precise timing of your plucking or picking will help eliminate unwanted noise generated by fretting the note. Unfortunately I don't think there's any solution to noise generated between the fret and bridge by hammering on, unless perhaps you set the action of the bass super-low so that very little energy is imparted by fretting and adapt your plucking to be very soft to avoid string rattle.
The simple act of fretting a string will impart energy to the string and sound a note - instruments like the Chapman Stick use this energy exclusively to create notes. On a bass, this note is barely audible, if at all, at the lower part of the neck when playing "normally" (there are some bass players who have developed their technique and set up to enable them to sound notes by fretting alone). In general, as you travel up the neck, string height from the fretboard increases and so you need to impart more energy to fret a note, and thus more energy is passed to the string, and the note that is generated becomes more audible. This note is lost if you pluck the string at the same moment we fret the note, as the energy imparted by plucking will usually dominate that imparted by fretting. Note also that unless you damp the string between the nut and the fret, a vibration will be propogated towards the nut. Unless your bass is set up with high relief, this will produce some rattle as the string is very close to the fretboard for its entire length above your fretting hand. In the extreme, the vibration above the fret can interfere with the intended note by transferring through the neck. In summary, what you're experiencing isn't a fault - it's the nature of the beast.
Hammering on from an open string to a high position exacerbates the fretted note issue, as there is no plucking or picking to dampen or override the energy imparted by fretting, and there is already substantial energy in the string from your previous open note. Fretting a vibrating string near the centre of its fundamental is not simple - you will find that there will be a deal of noise as your finger presses down on the string. Further, as you fret, you are changing the wavelength of the existing vibration and imparting new energy simultaneously. When you hammer on over two frets, you aren't normally imparting a lot of energy to the string, so the existing energy in the string dominates, in your case, however, the situation is more ambiguous, and the two energy sources may end up being in conflict. Add to that the string rattle between fret and nut and you have the potential for a bit of a mess.
The good news is that you can address the nut-to-fret rattle by damping the string with one of the fingers (the index finger will work well) on your fretting hand. This requires you to fret with your middle finger, ring finger or pinky. You will need to practice this as the damping has to be carried out with some precision. Precise timing of your plucking or picking will help eliminate unwanted noise generated by fretting the note. Unfortunately I don't think there's any solution to noise generated between the fret and bridge by hammering on, unless perhaps you set the action of the bass super-low so that very little energy is imparted by fretting and adapt your plucking to be very soft to avoid string rattle.
"I don't want to sound incredulous but I can't believe it" Rex Mossop
Re: Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
Thanks for responding and for the detailed explanation. I only mentioned it because I've never had much of a problem with it until I just changed to a different type of string last week, and it seemed to me that as well as fretting the intended fret the string was also slapping down hard on another lower fret (e.g. playing 15th fret and string also hitting 14th fret), and thus getting the noise and interfering note from two frets rather than one, with resulting discordant mess. I need to set the bass up again properly really and let it settle down and then see if the problem goes away again, and of course adapt my technique as suggested.
Re: Unwanted string noise when going from open E to high frets
Yes exactly....what Evan said. 
I was going to say the same thing but in way less words. That open "E" string is doing some serious vibrating when you hit it. (watch it some time when is just sitting in the case for example)...When you imediately go up the neck to hit some hi notes on the same string when it's still oscillating to it's fullest extent.....All the energy from the vibrating open "E" string is suddenly being stopped and the string keeps moving giving you the fret noise.
I was going to say the same thing but in way less words. That open "E" string is doing some serious vibrating when you hit it. (watch it some time when is just sitting in the case for example)...When you imediately go up the neck to hit some hi notes on the same string when it's still oscillating to it's fullest extent.....All the energy from the vibrating open "E" string is suddenly being stopped and the string keeps moving giving you the fret noise.