Harsh highs on RB Corvette active.

[Bumsebrul]

Hello folks!

I am sitting here with my RockBass Corvette Premium 5 (active) that arrived today. Where I live music stores are scarce and so I usually have to resort to ordering instruments without trying them. I took a chance on the rockbass as I play a regular Warwick Corvette fretless as a main instrument and wanted a fretted that would match it's neck as closely as possible for intonation purposes.

Now, I'm having real trouble getting a useful tone out of this thing. There's a harsh metallic trebly timbre no matter how i set the eq. rolling the highs all the way down gets what on most basses i've played would be a "wide open" sound. By the half way mark it gets a very bright and trebly tone with lots of hiss, anything above it is simply awful. Other than that the tone is decent.

Now to my question:
Is there any known issue with the electronics that could cause this? Something wrong with the tone pots? Could the pickups be too close to the strings? Are the stock strings the culprit? Or is this just the way they all sound?

If I can't get rid of the harshness this bass is going straight back to the store. Shame, as it felt nice and all that. Though the "AAA maple" is a bit of a ripoff as well, the figure hardly shows. Minor issue compared to the tone though.

Would be grateful for any tips that may help fix this?

[and for the record i'm a fairly experienced player who knows how to EQ his amp, so neither that nor playing style is to blame.]

 

[Eberbachl]

Try some different strings - the Red labels are pretty brash and metallic sounding when they're fresh.

My Active Rockbass Corvette sounded pretty great.

 

[Doog]

My Vette RB active aint harsh at all, it's a 4 string, but you should have a low B , so the high end should be the same. Don't know what the say Bro. The Vette is a little trebbly, it's alder and maple, but nowhere near the edge of my Ric.

 

[Florin]

Hey man, and welcome to the forum.

I've never noticed a rockbass vette to be harsh before... I don't know what to say.

 

[Doog]

Just noticed you said lots of hiss. I've never noticed that, man. Does sound like the preamp may have some issues. I set my basses flat and EQ on the amp, BTW.

 

[Florin]

It sounds like the treble are full up. Maybe a broken pot?

 

[Bumsebrul]

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

The treble control does effect the tone, it's just that the range of the pot goes from trebly to extreme instead of treble-cut to treble-boosted, so to speak. Anyway, i suppose I just got a lemon, I'll return it as messing with electronics or changing strings would void my right to return it.

Thank you again everyone!

 

[Doog]

The treble cut should make the bass pretty dull sounding. Sounds like it should go back if it can.

 

[sandor e]

i put a new set of red strings on my rockbass corvette 4 passiv yesterday , and they are not sounding harsh , my amp is not one with a verry warm sound .
so i don't think youre problem has something to do with the strings , pr-amp and/or pot are more likely to be it.
grtzz sandor

 

[tjobrien21]

Thanks for all the helpful replies!

The treble control does effect the tone, it's just that the range of the pot goes from trebly to extreme instead of treble-cut to treble-boosted, so to speak. Anyway, i suppose I just got a lemon, I'll return it as messing with electronics or changing strings would void my right to return it.

Thank you again everyone!

Good call. Strings wouldn't make the difference for the type of prob you're having, and you shouldn't mess with a brand new bass - it should work from the get-go. Hope the next one does better for ya!

 

[pista]

My active Corvette also has very harsh treble, I think the pot cuts/boosts too much. The bass pot has the same problem, the sound is distorted even if the bass pot is in half-way.

 

[Doog]

Sounds like there may be a few duds out there. Mine's bright with the treble cranked, dull as snot with treble completely cut. Never heard distortion from the bass control, full up or down. Zero harshness, and that's through an SWR Workingman's 10. with the horn turned on. I think it prolly has the original strings on it.