Help me on possible dead string on my 08 MIA P

[artdrtr]

I bought my P about 5 months ago and have been playing the crap out of it (figuratively) everyday since. I kept the Fender rounds that came stock on it. I play classic rock and like the sound of the strings, but my fingers are hating life .... So the E, A & D strings sound is nice & balanced between strings, but I just noticed today the G string has 3 dead spots (A#, B, C). The notes are half the sound of the other strings and really noticeable.

Does this sound like a dead string? or should I look for something else? (There is a slight bow-up in the neck that I should get checked)

I like the bright-ish sound that my rounds give that cuts -- I've never tried flats, but thinking about it for my fingers -- would they not work with my Classic Rock band?

[Petethebassman]

It's probably not the strings, many Fender bass necks have a dead spot in that area, on my P-bass the C# on the G string is really dead, the C slightly less so. Those dead spots stood out more when I was using bright roundwounds that have lots of sustain, but now that I'm using flats the overall response is more even. Somebody more knowledgeable might want to give a more scientific explanation on the subject of dead spots, but I think it happens because the resonant frequency of the neck is the same as the dead note, and they're cancelling each other out a bit.

A P-bass with flats is a good combination for classic rock, it works for me, the tone sits nicely in the mix. Try a set to see if it works for you.

[artdrtr]

Thanks for the info on the dead spot -- what gets me is it wasn't noticeable before.... and the more I've been playing though it tonight, plus cleaning the strings, it doesn't seem "as noticeable" -- I'm using a small line 6 bass cube just practicing at home -- I'll see what it sounds like at practice through my other amp at higher volumes.

What flats do you recommend? Steel or Nickel? Do they all come with the silk wraps? I prefer this with the threads -- they seem to grab themselves and hold around the posts better...

Originally Posted by Petethebassman

It's probably not the strings, many Fender bass necks have a dead spot in that area, on my P-bass the C# on the G string is really dead, the C slightly less so. Those dead spots stood out more when I was using bright roundwounds that have lots of sustain, but now that I'm using flats the overall response is more even. Somebody more knowledgeable might want to give a more scientific explanation on the subject of dead spots, but I think it happens because the resonant frequency of the neck is the same as the dead note, and they're cancelling each other out a bit.

A P-bass with flats is a good combination for classic rock, it works for me, the tone sits nicely in the mix. Try a set to see if it works for you.

[Petethebassman]

On the other hand, if you've played 5 months on the stock strings the G string might be dead, with some string brands one string dies sooner than the others; back when I was using Rotosound Swing Bass the E string always died first.

As for the "steel or nickel" question.. very hard to say, it's down to what you prefer, my choice is TI Jazz flats which are nickel. But with their low tension they're not for everyone, some people want more tension. I'm not really an expert on flats as I've only tried two brands, D'Addario Chromes and the TI flats. The Chromes I didn't like, the tension was too high and they sounded very clanky when new. The TI's are right for me, YMMV.

[atheos]

Frets 3, 4 and 5 or 15, 16 and 17? If the higher, it's pretty common. If the lower... Well, I guess it's still nothing alarming. You could try raising the action of the G string a little bit if the neck is fine otherwise. Sometimes even the slightest change has huge impact.

[lonote]

For the record, the "dead spots" issue is not limited to Fender basses but, rather, to bolt-on basses in general.