dead notes

[Wylie]

I've got a few dead notes on an otherwise fine G string. The notes at 5th - 7th frets are not completely dead, but muffled, not ringing. Does anyone know what causes this and what can be done? There are no other dead spots, either on that string or other strings.

Strings came with the bass (Fender CIJ P-bass), which I bought new six months ago; I assume they're factory issue.

Thanks.

[nick]

[quote name='tedgilley' post='498235' date='May 26 2009, 07:21 PM']I've got a few dead notes on an otherwise fine G string. The notes at 5th - 7th frets are not completely dead, but muffled, not ringing. Does anyone know what causes this and what can be done? There are no other dead spots, either on that string or other strings.

Strings came with the bass (Fender CIJ P-bass), which I bought new six months ago; I assume they're factory issue.

Thanks.[/quote]

You'll undoubtably get a fair few replies to this, dead spots etc....
But first I'd recommend trying a fresh set of strings & a good set-up by a decent repair man.

Also see post [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1324&hl=dead+spot*"]Dead spots[/url] for more info & comments that may help.

If it's any consolation, most basses can tend to suffer - some of mine do anyway, though not so noticeable with flats
Guess it's a bit inconvenient on those particular frets.
That if deadspots are the problem(?).

Good luck.

p.s. Also, if you get a Mod to shift this post to the 'Repairs & Technical Issuesl' section, you'll probably get best advice on this problem

Edited May 26, 2009 by nick

[JanSpeeltBas]

dead spots come with the design of a bass. Fender has been looking for answers for many years. Their first Precision design had a small headstock - when they redesigned it (to the shape we still know today) they enlarged it. During the seventies they had one of their technicians look into it - he found out that actually diminishing the headstock improved the response of these dead spots - up to the point where he came up with a headless design some years before Steinberger. This Fender prototype (Phil Kubicki put up a picture in one of is Vintage Guitar columns) never made it to production. Headless basses indeed have no (or less discernable) dead spots, though neck material also has effects. Graphite is less likely to give you dead spots. A well made wood-neck instrument may have better response than a cheapo but I haven't heard (yet) a headed bass (Alembic, MM, Status, Vigier, Sadowsky, etc) that didn't suffer from it. One some 24 fret graphite reinforced necks you'll find the dead spots higher up the neck (8 or 9th fret). Groove Tubes once marketed the Fat Head (still used on ZZ Ryder basses) which is a brass plate to be screwed at the back of the headstock. This makes the headstock stiffer, also reducing the dead spots. The wooden laminates on the back of Alembic & Rick Turner headstocks serve the same purpose.

[Mr.T]

I have never noticed any dead spots on my Status Graphites.
Although, there is one on my P-Bass... I seem to be able to lessen it with some EQ'ing.

[Wylie]

[quote name='nick' post='498270' date='May 26 2009, 08:18 PM']You'll undoubtably get a fair few replies to this, dead spots etc....
But first I'd recommend trying a fresh set of strings & a good set-up by a decent repair man.

Also see post [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1324&hl=dead+spot*"]Dead spots[/url] for more info & comments that may help.

If it's any consolation, most basses can tend to suffer - some of mine do anyway, though not so noticeable with flats
Guess it's a bit inconvenient on those particular frets.
That if deadspots are the problem(?).

Good luck.

p.s. Also, if you get a Mod to shift this post to the 'Repairs & Technical Issuesl' section, you'll probably get best advice on this problem [/quote]

Thanks. Wrong place again, as usual ...

[slobluesine]

'fatfingers' are supposed to help, they increase sustain and iron out deadspots apparently