JohnFitzgerald Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 I've had a 1999 Mexican Jazz Bass for around 3 years now. It came to me with 45s on it, and those were flats. It also had quite the action on it and I had to do a fair bit of work to make it play the way I wanted it. It always had a dead spot at the 7th position on the G string. Either side, the notes just rung out, but this position just fell off the cliff in terms of sustain. I really didn't like it. It felt clunky, unresponsive and not at all me. This week, I decided to restring it. I went for 40s this time and chose rounds as well. Stuck them on, did some setup adjustments and finally, wow !! I feel such a dummy for not doing it earlier. The dead spot's totally gone, the action's way easier to get much lower and it just sings now. Never underestimate string choice is my lesson I've learnt from this. Anybody want some Thomastik flats ? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 What a splendid outcome, like you say, shame it took so long to get there. Although maybe that makes it all the sweeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Old flats= dead spots New rounds= musical bliss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40hz Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 In the 4 years I've had my Jazz from new, I've never suffered from a dead spot, but like you now, I use 40-95's and below in gauge. Maybe onto something here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 Yes, TIs seem to exacerbate this due to their very low tension. I switched to ECB81 Chromes and the need for the truss rod to be tightened a little helps reduce it. Less of a problem on USA Fender necks with reinforcement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 (edited) Every Fender type bass I've owned (and that's a lot - some of them were even Fenders) has had a dead spot somewhere between B and F on the G. Some of the basses have been extremely expensive boutique builds too. Only the Allevas seemed to be relatively immune - massive paddle headstock? Changing strings (brand, gauge, tension) tends to move the issue slightly in my experience. I only ever find it a very minor irritation though - for me it's not really an issue in most band situations. I know there's a lot written about dead spots - and various attempted solutions (Fatfinger?) - for me, it's just a part of the Fender design Edited December 21, 2015 by three Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnFitzgerald Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 I'm rather spoiled by the neck on my otherwise low end Status Energy. As well as being very slim and straight, it has no such issues and setting a low action was no effort. A Status carbon neck could yet find its way onto the Jazz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musashimonkey Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I have found a fatfinger useful in moving and reducing dead spots. Interesting to hear about change of gauge on strings. I'd never considered that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Not so much the strings that cause it. A tighter or looser truss rod affects the stiffness of the neck to some degree, and sometimes has an effect. As does the tightness or otherwise of the neck joint, which was mentioned recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1450684051' post='2934754'] Not so much the strings that cause it[/quote] Strings don't cause the dead spot but lighter strings can help to alleviate it as they generate less energy and therefore 'excite' the resonant frequency of the neck somewhat less. Along with the truss rod and neck joint, changing strings can definitely play a part in tuning out a dead spot. Edited December 21, 2015 by ikay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I don't buy basses with dead spots... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnFitzgerald Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'd never liked the relative 'weight' of the playability of this. Now that this bass has the very same strings as my Status, it's much easier to move between them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazdah Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 99% have them. My Us Vintage P has a dead spot, my Squier VM jazz has one, my two Mexican standard Jazz Basses had them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosebass Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Nice to know my Harley Benton fretless jazz is in good company.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='mazdah' timestamp='1453635496' post='2961186'] 99% have them. My Us Vintage P has a dead spot, my Squier VM jazz has one, my two Mexican standard Jazz Basses had them too. [/quote] I disagree I've had a few fenders usa, mij and mim and never had a dead spot, I did however have a few on a squire p bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I've never had a Fender with a deadspot, and wouldn't buy any bass with one, why would you? Not sure what the OP means by the Title of the post "The Fender dead spot", almost implying its inherent by the design. The design being a wooden neck bolted onto a wooden body, like 90% of all instruments. I have played basses with deadspots though, and always quickly put them back. I always find flats to be just that anyway...flat. I have them on a couple of my basses mainly to save frets, but generally its Rounds everytime for me on my regular players, much more responsive. Different tones though, so I guess it depends what you want. Horses for courses and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick's Fine '52 Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='mazdah' timestamp='1453635496' post='2961186'] 99% have them. My Us Vintage P has a dead spot, my Squier VM jazz has one, my two Mexican standard Jazz Basses had them too. [/quote] If all these basses you have, have had dead spots, i would suggest its how they are set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) The things that cause or contribute to the dead spot are: Bolt on neck Big 4 in line Headstocks A fender research programme concluded that to totally curr deadspot you had to go headless and through neck. Take a bow My Steinberger. Certainly carbon fibre/ graphite necks seem to improve or cure dead spots although Ststys necks seem to be better at it than Moses. Maybe adding carbon fibre rods in a wooden neck would also help. Maybe some luthiers can comment? One thing is for sure I am ordering new lighter strings immediately. Edited January 24, 2016 by Chienmortbb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twincam Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1453654670' post='2961439'] I've never had a Fender with a deadspot, and wouldn't buy any bass with one, why would you? Not sure what the OP means by the Title of the post "The Fender dead spot", almost implying its inherent by the design. The design being a wooden neck bolted onto a wooden body, like 90% of all instruments. I have played basses with deadspots though, and always quickly put them back. I always find flats to be just that anyway...flat. I have them on a couple of my basses mainly to save frets, but generally its Rounds everytime for me on my regular players, much more responsive. Different tones though, so I guess it depends what you want. Horses for courses and all that. [/quote] Indeed. It's like when people say "fender ski jump" for the little rise that can happen on any bolt on neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1453654670' post='2961439'] I've never had a Fender with a deadspot ... [/quote] Neither have I. Everytime I read a thread like this I have to go and check and everytime ... no dead spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1450526338' post='2933591'] Old flats= dead spots New rounds= musical bliss [/quote] Not at all in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Strings wear out IMO... not so much where they break but I know when a set of rounds are shot.. and they just feel 'bad'... a few days later the sound will go..where they sound too clunky and I might waste my time cleaning them again but generally there are retired/binned. But no, I don't understand this prevalence of dead spots. All my basses are of a Fender design and I've never had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1450526338' post='2933591'] Old flats= dead spots New rounds= musical bliss [/quote][quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1453656225' post='2961466'] Not at all in my experience. [/quote] Mine neither. Or at least not yet, anyway... [quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1450524672' post='2933566'] Anybody want some Thomastik flats? [/quote] Surprising! Just fitted Thomastiks to two of my basses and I like 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Literally every bass guitar I have ever spent time playing has had a dead spot to some extent - where one or two notes, usually on the G string between C and Eb, have slightly lesser sustain than the surrounding notes. That has included a couple of neck-through instruments too, one 32" scale and a couple with graphite neck reinforcements, USA and Japanese made instruments and a couple I built myself. If you're lucky, the pitch of the resonance falls in between two notes so that the effect is less strong - these are much easier to live with. If you're unlucky, it falls spot-on one of the notes. Listening carefully to the effected notes, it sounds like the fundamental dies away quickly leaving the harmonics above that ringing. I do think that they can be more noticeable with flatwounds, and neck relief also seems to have an effect. So I find the "Well, [i]my[/i] Fenders never have dead spots" response of some posters entertaining. I don't think I have unusually sensitive ears and nor have I had exceptionally bad basses, so the issue must be that we don't all identify or define "dead spots" in the same way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1453658717' post='2961496'] Literally every bass guitar I have ever spent time playing has had a dead spot to some extent - where one or two notes, usually on the G string between C and Eb, have slightly lesser sustain than the surrounding notes. That has included a couple of neck-through instruments too, one 32" scale and a couple with graphite neck reinforcements, USA and Japanese made instruments and a couple I built myself. If you're lucky, the pitch of the resonance falls in between two notes so that the effect is less strong - these are much easier to live with. If you're unlucky, it falls spot-on one of the notes. Listening carefully to the effected notes, it sounds like the fundamental dies away quickly leaving the harmonics above that ringing. I do think that they can be more noticeable with flatwounds, and neck relief also seems to have an effect. So I find the "Well, [i]my[/i] Fenders never have dead spots" response of some posters entertaining. I don't think I have unusually sensitive ears and nor have I had exceptionally bad basses, so the issue must be that we don't all identify or define "dead spots" in the same way. [/quote] Ok..I guess I just haven't found them or heard them.... which I'd also guess is very unlikely. Since I set up all my basses and one of the few things I'm anal about, I think I'd notice. So, it is a no from me. I am also one for natural sustain so set-up and string and good basic construction is key. But yes, I don't have bad basses or old strings either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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