Author Topic: Bridge rattle (Read 474 times)

1stbass · « **on:** February 18, 2005, 04:42:43 AM »

Hello all,
I just picked up a new Rouge 5 string. this this is amazing. But, there is a rattle that seems to be coming form the bridge when i pluck the B and E strings. none of the other strings make this noise. Is there any chance that there is something loose on the bridge?
It seems to me it may be the B saddle, but none of my other Alembics have any problem like this.
Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks
Doug

adriaan · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2005, 05:17:39 AM »

If you don't hear the rattle through the amplifier, try the control cavity: there is a anti-RF interference bead through which the pickup wires pass, and the bead can be rattling against the cover plate. There should be a piece of foam glued to the bead to prevent the rattle.

Manfred · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2005, 05:47:35 AM »

Check the battery compartment. I've had a similar rattle in my bass, a piece of paper did the job quite well.

Manfred

David Houck · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2005, 07:25:03 AM »

Another thought, check to see if the sustain block is not loose.

son_of_magni · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2005, 07:47:38 AM »

On the bass that I built with an Alembic bridge one of the first problems I found was a vibration in the bridge. I determined that it was coming from the B and E saddles. They were vibrating slightly on the adjusting screw and alignment rods that go through them. A tiny drop of oil on each rod and screw was enough to solve it. Probably better would be to disassemble them and put a tiny amount of lithium grease on them.
- SoM

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2005, 11:32:08 PM »

I just turn the amp up louder.

1stbass · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2005, 06:07:10 AM »

I think i have it narrowed to the B & E saddles. When you pluck thoese strings and put your finger on the saddle the rattle stops. The amp thing only works when i'am playing out, but when i'am praticing at home it drives me nuts. I think i will start with the oil fix, But does the noise ever return?
By The way Karl, nice music room.
Doug

son_of_magni · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2005, 09:11:22 AM »

Ha, thanks Doug! I should put up a new pic with my current stack though. The drop of oil is still working after 5 months.

bigredbass · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2005, 08:24:47 PM »

I had the same un-findable rattle in my Spoiler Five, that I too tracked down to the bridge. As I needed to polish it up, I took all the strings off and disassembled it to polish it.

I was amazed at just how many parts and screws there were, but after the Brasso and the BreakFree, I reassembled it and the noise was gone.

Should you decide to do this, a word of advice:

I reassembled mine and replaced it back on the bass, strung it up, and then it dawned on me . . . I'd put it on backwards ! ! So make yourself a diagram as to which way everything is facing (!) and also make a diagram of just where the saddles are along their threaded rods. I just put 'em back on at random, and a diagram to adjust them back to their previous location would have sped up resetting my harmonics afterwards.

J o e y

1stbass · « **Reply #9 on:** February 26, 2005, 05:28:44 AM »

Joey,
Did you find any movement in the saddle on the threaded rod? It seems that there is just the smallest bit of play on mine. This is driving me nuts. I tried a bit of oil, but it's still there.

xlrogue6 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 26, 2005, 09:30:46 AM »

You might try tightening the intonation screw on that saddle. If the saddle feels loose with no string tension on it, tightening the nut on the intonation screw to where you feel a bit of resistance when turning it (with no string tension) may solve your problem.

bob · « **Reply #11 on:** February 26, 2005, 10:15:55 AM »

Good point. There is always going to be a little play in the adjustment - you might find you can turn the allen wrench almost an 1/8th of a turn (probably less) back and forth without moving the saddle.

As you put on the strings and tension them, the string will tend to pull the saddle toward the neck (think about it). You want the adjustment screw trying to pull the saddle away from the neck, so you're not in the middle of the play area.

Tightening the adjustment very slightly will do just that. Go ahead and do it with the string on, you're just going to snug it up a little and should be able to feel it.

To some extent, this is similar to tuning up to pitch, rather than down. I try to finish an intonation adjustment so that all saddles are being pulled, rather than some pushed and some pulled. And if I'm putting strings back on, I'm always careful to push the saddles toward the neck in the early stage of tightening.

bigredbass · « **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:08:07 PM »

1st:

Bob has it exactly right. You will feel a LITTLE play (after all, it is a BRASS saddle on a STEEL screw), but believe me, once it's strung to pitch that's all gone. And Bob correctly points out to adjust the saddle to the tension, just the way you ALWAYS tune up, never down.

J o e y

bigredbass · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2005, 01:24:43 PM »

PS

These bridges can get loose !

Be sure that you snug the Phillips screws on each end that secure the end plates to the barrels.

Also check the little nuts that secure the saddle rods on the opposite end from the Allen heads; just don't get them SO snug the allen bolts won't turn.

I've also found that for brass that's only a little discolored (no serious green oxidation you can feel), a handy way to clean them is a good car wax (Meguiar's Gold Classic in my case). It cuts the blackish discoloration QUICK and also gives some protection as well. (I suppose the truly well-heeled can use Zymol . . . .). Plus it's great polish for your axe if you have a gloss finish instrument like me. And it cleans that old fingerprint haze off the tuning key buttons (gold or chrome) that NOTHING ever seems to clean off.

The threads on the saddle bolts work well with a LIGHT coat of BreakFree CLP. PuhLeeeze don't use WD40 or 3n1 !!

BreakFree is inert/totally harmless to finishes or electronics, but of course it's BEST to do your cleaning and lubing while it's OFF the bass.

J o e y

bob · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2005, 11:28:58 PM »

Yeah, Joey, I thought you'd like the tune up to pitch description :-) I think the slop here is likely to be worse on the concealed hardware bridges, though that's all I have experience with. I'm surprised I've never seen it mentioned before.

Let's just hope it helps 1st to reach nirvana.
-Bob

(PS - thanks for the review. For reasons I won't go into, my intonation adjustments are on the neck side, and you can't believe how many times I re-read that post to make sure I didn't have it backwards for the standard configuration...)