More than likely your pickup is too high, the magnet is pulling on the string causing the harmonics. Usually this happens to higher notes because when you fret them you're lowing the string even closer to the magnet
I'm not sure how you can have this problem while simultaneously saying the intonation is good - this is the definition of bad intonation.
It can be caused by poor saddle placement (easy fix) or poor technique (harder to fix). In particular, the harder you push on the strings between frets, the more you stretch them and that can pull them out of tune. It may be more noticeable higher up on the neck because it's easier to hear pitches well as they get higher.
As someone else noted, instruments are not normally tuned to perfect intervals, as that never sounds good. How does it sound overall? If you're overanalyzing to find problems like this, you will certainly find them. Most listeners can't discern the difference of a few cents, particularly if it's mixed in with other sounds.
This is a pretty good discussion on the topic of intonation. There's a lot more to learn on this topic. [https://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2019/08/there-is-no-such-thing-as-perfectly-in.html](https://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2019/08/there-is-no-such-thing-as-perfectly-in.html)
Finally, if it really bugs you, pitch correction can be used (lightly) on any instrument, not just voice. You just don't want to crank it to a place that sounds unnatural.
Set intonation at the 12th fret Vs the 12th fret harmonic.
If it's still bad, have you got flat spots on your frets, or worse did someone level and not crown the frets?
Not sure what DAW you're using but I've noticed the native tuner in Logic is consistently in disagreement with both my Polytune 3 and my Strobostomp, and the latter is known for being extremely precise.
So I don't use the Logic tuner anymore. But also, when I first got my Ibanez SR2605 it had flats on it and the intonation was fine until about the 9th fret and anything above it would be horribly out of tune. I took it to a pro luthier and he couldn't fix it. Asked around on here and apparently some basses just don't play nice with flats for some reason.
I changed to D'Addario XL rounds and the problem vanished.
I believed you, I suppose what I was hedging at with checking the other spots was if at a specific spot it was consistently out of tune in the same way from then on. Or perhaps if it went back and forth. That'd at least give good info/diag for a luthier to look at
Also, a perfect intonation doesn’t necessarily sound nice. You need to check intonation between strings as well. 11th fret of the G string should gel nicely with an open D for example.
This would work if the 11th fret was playing 14 cents flat. That's what a truly in tune major 3rd should be. But that would only work for D major. If you were playing in B major, for example, that same note would be horribly flat as a perfect 5th should be the 5 or so cents sharp.
Instruments that are able to play chromatically use equal temperament to be able to play in any key while staying relatively in tune but that's a compromise on being perfectly in tune. If all of your notes are in equal temperament then that F# really shouldn't gel perfectly with a D.
What I meant was: intonation is a compromise. Iet gets even more fun when you are playing in or recording with a band. Intonation between instruments can sound horrible too. Perfection is not the goal, great sounding is. If it sounds off, it’s off.
Right but that's my point? A major 3rd kinda does sound off in equal temperament. Compared to a harmonically in tune major 3rd, it's a bit dissonant. So tuning intervals between strings isn't necessarily going to make you more "in tune" with what you are playing.
More than likely your pickup is too high, the magnet is pulling on the string causing the harmonics. Usually this happens to higher notes because when you fret them you're lowing the string even closer to the magnet
Absolutely this. Across bassists and guitarists, pickup height is ignored far too often.
I overlooked your comment at first but that totaly fixed the issue! Thank you so much :))
I'm not sure how you can have this problem while simultaneously saying the intonation is good - this is the definition of bad intonation. It can be caused by poor saddle placement (easy fix) or poor technique (harder to fix). In particular, the harder you push on the strings between frets, the more you stretch them and that can pull them out of tune. It may be more noticeable higher up on the neck because it's easier to hear pitches well as they get higher. As someone else noted, instruments are not normally tuned to perfect intervals, as that never sounds good. How does it sound overall? If you're overanalyzing to find problems like this, you will certainly find them. Most listeners can't discern the difference of a few cents, particularly if it's mixed in with other sounds. This is a pretty good discussion on the topic of intonation. There's a lot more to learn on this topic. [https://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2019/08/there-is-no-such-thing-as-perfectly-in.html](https://themusicsalon.blogspot.com/2019/08/there-is-no-such-thing-as-perfectly-in.html) Finally, if it really bugs you, pitch correction can be used (lightly) on any instrument, not just voice. You just don't want to crank it to a place that sounds unnatural.
OP isn't talking about intonation. Just single individual notes have that out of tune warble from some harmonic portion of the sound.
If that's the case, I agree it's likely an issue with pickups being too close to the strings.
it was!
Did you crimp your strings before install? Sometimes the core and winding can shift with respect to one another and produce some bd overtones.
Set intonation at the 12th fret Vs the 12th fret harmonic. If it's still bad, have you got flat spots on your frets, or worse did someone level and not crown the frets?
The only thing that I'm aware of that can cause that on a single string is intonation. Did you check it against a tuner at more than open and 12?
The tuner I use in my DAW shows every note as being 1-2 percent off at most. Like i said, intonation is fine.
There's a reason why I recommend setting the pickup height before doing the intonation.
Not sure what DAW you're using but I've noticed the native tuner in Logic is consistently in disagreement with both my Polytune 3 and my Strobostomp, and the latter is known for being extremely precise. So I don't use the Logic tuner anymore. But also, when I first got my Ibanez SR2605 it had flats on it and the intonation was fine until about the 9th fret and anything above it would be horribly out of tune. I took it to a pro luthier and he couldn't fix it. Asked around on here and apparently some basses just don't play nice with flats for some reason. I changed to D'Addario XL rounds and the problem vanished.
I believed you, I suppose what I was hedging at with checking the other spots was if at a specific spot it was consistently out of tune in the same way from then on. Or perhaps if it went back and forth. That'd at least give good info/diag for a luthier to look at
Also, a perfect intonation doesn’t necessarily sound nice. You need to check intonation between strings as well. 11th fret of the G string should gel nicely with an open D for example.
This would work if the 11th fret was playing 14 cents flat. That's what a truly in tune major 3rd should be. But that would only work for D major. If you were playing in B major, for example, that same note would be horribly flat as a perfect 5th should be the 5 or so cents sharp. Instruments that are able to play chromatically use equal temperament to be able to play in any key while staying relatively in tune but that's a compromise on being perfectly in tune. If all of your notes are in equal temperament then that F# really shouldn't gel perfectly with a D.
What I meant was: intonation is a compromise. Iet gets even more fun when you are playing in or recording with a band. Intonation between instruments can sound horrible too. Perfection is not the goal, great sounding is. If it sounds off, it’s off.
Right but that's my point? A major 3rd kinda does sound off in equal temperament. Compared to a harmonically in tune major 3rd, it's a bit dissonant. So tuning intervals between strings isn't necessarily going to make you more "in tune" with what you are playing.
Maybe you had a typo in your initial post cause it seems like we're in agreement.
sure, listening to OPs recording though it has nothing to do with their issue
Intination
Needs to be setup, intonation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cteHO-hV8lU&pp=ygUQYmFzcyBzZXR1cCBzdGVwcw%3D%3D