Strings rattle against frets problem

stylo17

picked up a 4-string bass and have been playing for a short bit now, but i seem to have a recurring problem. i'll hit the E-string on the 5th fret, but when i lift my fret-hand off the string, sometimes the string vibrates against the frets closer to the body, sounds uglyyyy. any idea what i'm doing wrong?? i'm using the original strings that came with the guitar in case that might help.

Mike_Muse_Rage

Sounds like the action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard) is too low. Try raising the saddles at the bridge a tad.

stylo17

Mike_Muse_Rage wrote:

Sounds like the action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard) is too low. Try raising the saddles at the bridge a tad.

how should i do that? sorry this is probably really really basic, i'm just THAT new

xtremehardy388

On the bridge are screws where the strings come out. Tighten them a little and you might notice a difference. Make sure you loosen the the strings from the tunning pegs a little before you do this.

stylo17

i tried it, but it didn't do much.

maybe for some further explanation to give everyone a better idea, i'll hit the E-string at the 9th fret, and if i don't have it pressed down at a PERFECT spot, the entire string just rattles going crazy hitting all the frets. it's driving me crazy, to the point of taking away some of the fun of playing.

and another thing, does everyone else press down hard on the strings when they're playing? cause if i dont on mine, the string vibrates against all the frets.

xtremehardy388

truss rod. Have it done professionally

Jooooosh

There's dozens of things that could be causing fret buzz, so don't just say "truss rod" or "low action".

What kind of bass is it? I've noticed a lot of cheap basses have quite bad fret buzz. To save money the company skimps on quality in materials and manufacturing. It may be fixed with fret work, or it may be impossible to fix.

Another common problem could be the truss rod. Fret the first fret, then with your other hand fret one of the higher frets (12 or higher) -- now look at the string, is there a gap between the string and the fret board or is it touching all the frets? Ideally there should be a small gap, depending on how much relief you want.

It could also be your technique. Press down firmly right next to the fret wire, it might seem hard at first but gradually your finger strength will improve and it'll become easier.

Another possible problem is low action. This is fixed by a setup.

It could also be the string gauge. One of my guitars had quite bad fret buzz when I first bought it, I got some 11-52s and it went away almost completely.
Also, most basses (especially inexpensive ones) use very cheap strings from the factory. The first thing you might want to do is try upgrading to a decent set of strings.

One more thing, it could be caused by a poorly carved nut. Does it buzz when you play an open string?

That's all the help I can give without actually playing the bass.
My advice would be to buy some better strings, maybe up the gauge just a little (not too much or you'll have to adjust the truss rod), and if the fret buzz still persists, seek a good tech.
hope that helps.

stylo17

its an ibanez bass. and its brand new, so it could be the strings. i already ordered new strings,

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ernie-Ball-2833-Hybrid-Bass-Slinky-Round-Wound-Bass-Guitar-Strings?sku=100751

those to be exact. i tries holding down the first fret and the 12th fret at the same time, and the gap has to be SOOO minimal maybe even non-existant, i couldn't even tell on some frets.

i think my technique is decent, just gotta get used to it, thats all. working on it you know.

oh, and no buzz on an open string.

what do u think?????? and thanks for all the help guys, i appreciate it a lot