Strange question...

[danonearth]

Strange question… I am wondering if this is a ‘wolf’ tone issue or simply technique? 

 

If I play a C on the A-string by ‘pulling’ it away from the neck (‘free’ stroke style), I get a ‘dead’ tone, If I play that same C note by ‘plucking’ it sideways across the neck (‘rest’ stroke style), it sounds great! 

 

I know of course, I can just play it using the rest stroke, (but I also like to play Rockabilly, so am just curious how to fix it but why would this happen for just this one note? 

 

Any other note that I play ‘free’ stroke style sounds great - it is just that one note that sounds dead, so I was wondering is it some kind of strange ‘wolf’ tone caused by just that one note on that string vibrating 90-degrees away from the neck (instead of across the neck) that can somehow cause a ‘dead’ tone. Thanks!

[JoeEvans]

I think all basses have their idiosyncrasies in terms of the tone on different parts of the neck, and in terms of what they need to give their best tone. Each instrument resonates in different ways at different pitches, with dead spots, lively spots and so on. My bass is reluctant to start a bowed note on an open A, for example. I think it's just part of getting to know the instrument and how to get the best out of it.