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Dead Spots on Fenders..Huh?

faulknersj

faulknersj

Supporting Member
Apr 4, 2008
5,437
5,898
Scottsdale Az
#1
'Fenders have dead spots.'

Who Hasn't heard this?

Ok...my experience is with MIJ, MIA, Vintage, and Custom Shop Fenders...and I have yet to find a quote 'dead spot.'

Can someone produce evidence to support this claim...maybe a YouTube video that clearly shows a dead spot?

Maybe I just don't know what I'm listening for? Or maybe this is just nonsense...

Anyone have proof?
 
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#3
I have a Fender Modern Player Telecaster and it has a dead spot on the G string 5th fret. Luckily, I very rarely ever use that string.

Edit: I don't have any recorded evidence of my dead spot. I didn't think it important or interesting enough to document. Instead of producing a clear note on that fret, it makes a kind of "plonk" sound. If I have a lot of overdrive and other effects on, it's not that noticeable. And it's on the G string, so I don't really care.
 
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#4
mongo2 said:
I find them all the time, that's all the proof I need. I've also found that short scale basses are much better at controlling/eliminating dead and hot spots than long scale.

I sometimes wish I didn't notice them, it'd make instrument selection much easier. ;)
Click to expand...

This answer is hilarious. Still no evidence.
 
#5
Every single bass I have owned has some sort of dead spot, the only bass that did not have any was Dingwall. In Fender is pretty common on G string 6-7 fret, my experience include MIA standard, MIA AVRI, Highway one, MIM standard, RW, MIJ. I have found the same problem in the same spot in different degrees on: Sadowsky, Valenti, Yamaha, Lakland, Ibanez, EBMM etc.

Play the G string from 5th to 9th fret, let it ring, you will notice that in one spot the fundamental decay faster leaving only overtones.
Never worried me.
 
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#6
mongo2 said:
I find them all the time. I've also found that short scale basses are much better at controlling/eliminating dead and hot spots than long scale.
Click to expand...

This topic has been covered a number of times and has been beaten half to death. But - since you asked - and since I am a dead spot survivor I will tell my tale. First of all - ditto for medium scales as above from Mongo 2 - I have 15 mediums and nary a dead spot among em - although there was a report that a TB'er actually did find a dead spot once on a Gretsch B5123 medium scaler. But I have the same model and mine is fine.

I had a 1972 Fender jazz I bought brand new through the PX in Germany when I was in the army - natural ash finish with black block fingerboard. I replaced the pick guard with a clear one:

RIck%20&%20Stan3.jpg


The notes were COMPLETELY dead on both the G string and the D string from frets four to seven. I mean the notes would not even sustain for even a full second. I have no clips of it - sorry this was 1972. I guess I am one of the few bassists on here that occasionally play whole notes, because many folks say they have them but 1)it doesn't bother them for the style of music they play or 2)they rearrange their playing with work-arounds.

During the rehearsals for the song "Open Book" the song required three second whole notes. I soon realized the Fender Jazz just couldn't cut it and it became history. Until I found TB and realized dead spots were fairly common - I thought Fender was sending all their "seconds" to the GI's overseas. What I use for a little dead spot test on ANY bass I consider buying (when I am able) - is simply start on the G string (the most common culprit) with the first fret, pluck the note as you normally would and give it a one-mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi, four. I would say if you make it to four you are looking good. Repeat for each note on each string exactly as described and please don't hate me. :thumbsup:

If anyone cares, this is the song that signaled the demise of my Fender Jazz. A little ditty in 5/8.



BassHappy
www.innertainment.net
 
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#10
BassHappy said:
This topic has been covered a number of times and has been beaten half to death. But - since you asked - and since I am a dead spot survivor I will tell my tale. First of all - ditto for medium scales as above from Mongo 2 - I have 15 mediums and nary a dead spot among em - although there was a report that a TB'er actually did find a dead spot once on a Gretsch B5123 medium scaler. But I have the same model and mine is fine.
Click to expand...

I recently tried a few Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster basses with the 32" scale. You're right about how even response is with the 32" scale.
 
#15
Out of my four Fenders, only my '51 CIJ reissue has a dead spot (7th fret on the G string). Since it's mainly for one band, and kind of what I use a Höfner 500/1 for live or in the studio anyway; I stuffed foam underneath the strings so it dampens the tone altogether and acts as a compressor kind-of... and sounds really good for rehearsals at least.
 

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