dead bass. Is it the wood?

[BassLife77]

for some reason an OLP MM2 bass I bought sounds dead even after I upgraded the electronics. It seems to be muffled and the sound doesn't resonate well. I swapped the electronics with my other OLP bass (which sounds great) but it still has that dead sound. Could it be bad wood or the neck isn't fitted properly to the body? would a bridge replacement help?

 

[JKos]

Changed strings? Nut looks ok? Bridge saddles look ok?

- John

 

[steve_rolfeca]

IME, a bridge swap is a fine adjustment, suitable for tweaking an instrument that you already like. It won't resurrect a bad bass.

The problem is more likely to be the lumber, the neck joint, the setup, or a combination of the above...

You might get a noticeable improvement from having a tech do a thorough setup and possibly some fretwork. Also, it's a radical step, but I've helped a couple of cheap bolt-ons by doing a "redneck set-neck": epoxying the neck joint.

On the other hand, years ago I did all of this to a bad Samick 5-string, along with a $400 electronics upgrade, and it was still flatter than a dead mackerel.

If the resonance simply isn't in the lumber, no amount of tweaking will help.

 

[Eric Moesle]

I presume the strings are fresh?

 

[perfektspace6]

I presume the strings are fresh?

+1 Dead strings = Dead sound

If that isn't it time to dump the bass.

 

[SurferJoe46]

There is no resonance in the lumber - I've proved it by building basses out of junk wood and one wood that was a few steps below balsa for 'resonance'.

2 x 4 stud material of Hemlock and Douglas Fir are not typically what any fantasy for a tonewood would ever use - yet they sound good - great even!

The wood can only absorb vibrations, never reanimate a string to make a bass sound good - or in this case better.

You've got some other dynamic going on here. Don't make me get Tink out again - it's Sunday and her union says I gotta pay her triple time for a minimum 4-hours if I do.

 

[BassLife77]

I presume the strings are fresh?

everything is fresh and new. I checked out the neck pocket and it looks like it's a nice fit. by process of elimination it has to be the wood. these Chinese basses are either hit or miss. they aren't going to be too selective with wood when you are dealing with slave labor. The other OLP bass I upgraded sounds amazing. It resonates and sings like a canary with great sustain.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

IME, some bass just won't sound good no matter what you do. One of my US StingRays is that way.

 

[stanknuckle]

Make sure your strings aren't twisted. If you take them off the peg end and they unravel themselves, put them back on now they are straight. Sounds silly? Something like this can cause huge tone issues etc.

 

[Skitch it!]

IME, some bass just won't sound good no matter what you do. One of my US StingRays is that way.

+1.

It's infrequent ime but you will get the occasional bass that has that kind of resonance/frequency cancellation due to that particular piece of wood/neck match-up. Some pieces don't seem to resonate but rather soak-up resonance and sustain, I've played a couple in the past with that problem, nothing seems to cure it, it's just an inherent problem with that particular piece.

 

[mongo2]

for some reason an OLP MM2 bass I bought sounds dead even after I upgraded the electronics. It seems to be muffled and the sound doesn't resonate well. I swapped the electronics with my other OLP bass (which sounds great) but it still has that dead sound. Could it be bad wood or the neck isn't fitted properly to the body? would a bridge replacement help?

If I were to think the wood is the issue, I'd suspect the neck first.

 

[darkstorm]

Could be inferior peice of wood causing the deadness. Since it seems youve investigated other possible causes.

 

[BassLife77]

I replaced the stock el cheapo bridge saddles with solid brass ones and wow did it make a difference! the dead sound is totally gone. I think the bridge was part of the problem. I couldn't find an entire OLP type bridge made out of brass so I just mooched the saddles off another bridge. gonna upgrade the nut next to see if it will sound even better

 

[berwick63]

The nut only effects open strings, and very very slightly at that. I'm sure the nut is fine.

 

[BassLife77]

The nut only effects open strings, and very very slightly at that. I'm sure the nut is fine.

I always thought that too until I upgraded the nut on another bass. I heard an improvement on the whole neck. so it's a subjective topic that can go back and forth all night. plus I like to hear open strings ring out while slapping. The nut on this OLP needs to be replaced anyway, the Rotosound steel roundwounds took their toll

 

[john grey]

I agree that most all of these things are so subjective, they don't have clear definitive answers unless a great deal of info exists.
Have you experimented with the height of the pick-ups?
I have heard too many basses that used very high quality wood and those that used lower quality wood for me to put too much faith in the "wood/resonance" issue.
The factory specifications for a EBMM the pickup height is 6/32" or 4.76mm from the top of the plastic between the pickup covers to the bottom of the G string. It is possible that the pick-up is a problem electronically or in placement. In such an instance you could have the finest wood you could desire and have a poor sound.
If you upgraded the electronics yet missed the level of resistance required or some other electronic idiosyncratic element that could also contribute to a distinctly different sound.
You can't really change what you have however, you could try to "think outside the box" in areas that may have been overlooked.

 

[rymiraflores]

This thing about so.called "tonewoods" is really a myth... for acoustics obviously it is very relevant..but on an electric instrument..at least 90% of your tone and sound is purely related to ..strings, pickups, electrics, amps...the sound is electrical...not acoustic. I really can´t understand this urban myth about the choice of wood influencing an ELECTRIC bass or guitar...and I defy anyone to prove me wrong.
If your bass sounds dead it can only be one of the following; strings, E:Q: bridge, nut, electrics.

 

[JTE]

No myth. The pickups can only translate how the strings are vibrating. That vibration is a function of the entire system. A flexible neck changes how the strings vibrate compared to a stiff neck. I'd it were all down to electronics, a Gibson SG (slab mahogany body), Les Paul Standard (mahogany body with substantial maple cap), and ES-335 (solid maple block with maple semi-hollow body) would sound the same.

Recording only tells you the difference if ALL factors are the same. Just because I can't tell Clapton's SG from his Les Paul in Cream doesn't mean HE (or Tom Dowd, Felix Pappilardi, etc. can't ).

Further, to say that a heavy ash bodied Precision sounds exactly like an alder bodied one dismisses the experience of many rational and reliable witnesses over decades.

Jihn

 

[narud]

No myth. The pickups can only translate how the strings are vibrating. That vibration is a function of the entire system. A flexible neck changes how the strings vibrate compared to a stiff neck. I'd it were all down to electronics, a Gibson SG (slab mahogany body), Les Paul Standard (mahogany body with substantial maple cap), and ES-335 (solid maple block with maple semi-hollow body) would sound the same.

Recording only tells you the difference if ALL factors are the same. Just because I can't tell Clapton's SG from his Les Paul in Cream doesn't mean HE (or Tom Dowd, Felix Pappilardi, etc. can't ).

Further, to say that a heavy ash bodied Precision sounds exactly like an alder bodied one dismisses the experience of many rational and reliable witnesses over decades.

Jihn

but he DEFIES ANYONE TO PROVE HIM WRONG

 

[LilloEsquilo]

There is no resonance in the lumber - I've proved it by building basses out of junk wood and one wood that was a few steps below balsa for 'resonance'.

2 x 4 stud material of Hemlock and Douglas Fir are not typically what any fantasy for a tonewood would ever use - yet they sound good - great even!

The wood can only absorb vibrations, never reanimate a string to make a bass sound good - or in this case better.

You've got some other dynamic going on here. Don't make me get Tink out again - it's Sunday and her union says I gotta pay her triple time for a minimum 4-hours if I do.

Hey I clapped my hands, and Tink never showed, I'm bummed! I want some of that magical wood that grows in the elven forest!