"DEAD" STRINGS. HELP PLEASE.

[Rockin John]

I know this subject's been covered on a number of boards and the general advice is to change the string(s). I might well do that.

But I've not experienced "dead" strings before so I'd like to take some advice, please.

I knock about on a Squire P-bass. The G string is quite dead but only around the 4th fret. It rings out OK open and is pretty good at about 12th and above. But a few frets either side of 4, it sounds a bit like a rubber band. Is this typical of a dead string?

Those notes apparently dead on G, sound OK when played on D string.

Any further advice, please?

Thanks.

John

[KillMary]

I would try putting on new strings. If the problem is still there, you'll have to get a new bass

[rickbass]

rockin_john - The dead spot is an old, common ailment of Fender P's. I didn't know the phenomenon extended to the Squiers and newer Fenders (my P is a pre-CBS and it had a "Bermuda Triangle" on the D at the second fret; really dead). For some Fender lovers, having this flaw is kind of endearing or cherished because it is such a hallmark of the breed, sort of like having a Labrador Retriever that won't stay out of the swimming pool.

However, I got tired of running up to the 7th fret on the A to compensate an took it to the tech to have the guilty frets worked on. He may have done more, I really didn't ask him about the remedy in depth I don't recall the cost being very high.

[Edited by rickbass1 on 02-02-2001 at 11:20 AM]

[Rockin John]

Good morning, Rickbass1, and thanks for your reply.

I'm not at all sure that I want a dead spot: it really makes most of the lower end of the G unusable!

I don't know how long the strings have been on the bass 'cos I bought it second user. I suspect they've been there since it was new (guess @ 2 years). OK, and as Killmary says, new strings is a first shot. But I really can't afford new strings for various reasons.

Perhaps I'll try boiling them as has been suggested elsewhere, then see what happens.

If it does turn out to be the bass I'm really in a mess 'cos I can't afford one of those either. And if that is the case there must be a good reason for it. It's almost as if the instrument 'soaks-up' the vibrations. It's most peculair.

Oh well....

John

[Munjibunga]

I think it's a dead spot, not the strings. I had the same spot, only at the 5th and 6th fret on my '93 P Deluxe. That neck also had the shape of a Mobius strip, and was not fun to play. I finally had a luthier put a new Fender neck (a '98) on the bass. The new necks are less prone to dead spots, and this one cured all my ills. Now the bass is really fun to play, but alas, it's a four-string. All my other basses are 5's, and the P-bass doesn't see much gig action any more. I take it to rehearsal once in a while for nostalgic reasons.

[Rockin John]

Hello, Munjibunga, and thanks for your reply.

Yes. I'm now certain it's a dead spot. Boiling the strings restored them but the dead spot's still there. A new string might cure it but I've grave doubts.

Thing is, it's clearly not worth having A Squier Affinity P Bass fixed. I only paid £75 for it: what's that, about $US100.

As someone who's built basses before, I'm curious to find out more about what causes the problem. Perhaps I'll start a new thread on that.

Thanks.

Rockin John