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Forget Fatfinger I found the deadspot fix!

#61
89455DA8-CE81-4E56-B945-B3A7BE917265.jpeg

S-Bigbottom said:
Agree. That is why the words "Miracle Cure" was used.
Forgot to add the face man for emotions. :cautious:
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Oh yeah, i assumed that. And just in the spirit of the scientific method... no difference.
 
#63
While I'm skeptical of this working with every Fender (I've played/owned some with really dead, dead spots), I could see how this could help in some cases.

I currently don't have a bass with a string tree, but I'm wondering if something similar to a foam mute pad would work on basses with angled head stocks.
 
#65
Dubsly said:
While I'm skeptical of this working with every Fender (I've played/owned some with really dead, dead spots), I could see how this could help in some cases.

I currently don't have a bass with a string tree, but I'm wondering if something similar to a foam mute pad would work on basses with angled head stocks.
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You can get a bit of high pitched chirp from the strings on the headstock. But you have to hit the strings hard and it's so high pitched, that it's really not going to come through an amp. But something like a Gruv Gear Fret Wrap behind the nut would kill most of that chirp. If you have a bass with a string tree, then you would need to kill that portion of string too. Gromet washers will fit between the strings and then your headstock is completely silent. But it has nothing to do with dead spots.
 
#68
MultiScaleMale said:
You can get a bit of high pitched chirp from the strings on the headstock. But you have to hit the strings hard and it's so high pitched, that it's really not going to come through an amp. But something like a Gruv Gear Fret Wrap behind the nut would kill most of that chirp. If you have a bass with a string tree, then you would need to kill that portion of string too. Gromet washers will fit between the strings and then your headstock is completely silent. But it has nothing to do with dead spots.
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Gotcha. Just a curious thought I had. I'm currently not suffering from any dead spot woes, as two of my three basses are short scales with tiny head stocks. My Rick has a slight "ghost note" in a not so bad place, so it doesn't bother me. It's always been a subject I follow because I've been disgusted with and sold a few basses with dead spots over the years.

I will say IME, most basses have them, even if they're barely noticeable. And, the larger the head stock, the more likely the dead spot.
 
#69
JoeWPgh said:
Well, here's a question: Is it the dampening factor of the rubber washer, or is it that the thickness of the washer presses the strings more firmly into the nut? The latter makes a bit more sense to me. The firmer the pressure against the nut, the less that anything beyond it influences vibration of the string. I'm not saying this is what is happening, but it seems reasonable, sight unseen.
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Joe- you make a valid point that increasing the
breakover angle and thereby increase the down
force would make the nut more resistant to
vibration,but it is still a soft endpoint compared to the string tree.The nut is pulled down on one side,while the string tree is pulled up from both
sides,the nut and the machine head,the real
hard endpoint.
 
#70
Ross McLochness said:
Is the hard rubber Fender washer like the rubber strap locks they sell? I’ve had a number of Fender items over the years, but I can’t picture this mystical rubber washer you speak of.
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Ross-Some comedy writes it's self;went to Ace
Hardware looking for an appropriate washer.
Found it in a box marked "fender washers"
You can't write better than that. Someone on
here posted "yeah but Leo Fender invented the
electric bass". The reply;"He also invented the dead spot". What if Leo invented the Fender
Washer too? Mo money,mo money
 
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#72
MultiScaleMale said:
View attachment 3127852



Oh yeah, i assumed that. And just in the spirit of the scientific method... no difference.
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Rich-Are you sure there is no string to string
tree contact? Almost looks like the G could be
touching the shaft (insert dirty joke here)
For what it's worth I just cut in one place and
your's looks very thick.I've recommended 1/16-
3/32-1/8.Might work better for you.
 
#74
Chrisk-K said:
The dead spot can be removed only when the neck’s resonance frequency shifts. I don’t see how adding a washer can change the resonance frequency unless it substantially weighs.
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A dead spot is partial phase cancellation from a
traveling wave moving down the string passing thru a wave going up the string where they are
out of phase. The phenomenon is called a standing wave,but is actually a stationary
interference pattern.The rubber washer absorbs
the vibration coming from the machine head and the string tree,both hard coupled to the
sympathetically vibrating headstock,preventing it from traveling down the string.
 
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#77
Fullerton50sFan said:
cataract-Hope thats not literal because you need to look up nodes,anti-nodes,hard and soft end points, standing waves and phase inversion.
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I’m thinking that I don’t really have to do any of those things.
It’s cool that you’re sharing an idea that may or may not be an actual fix or truth but I guess we’ll see— hopefully somebody here will get to the bottom of this, maybe even with pictures.
 
#78
aldaa said:
It's just too blocky for me. I wish he would consider doing custom headstock shapes, or something inline. A few musicians of some of my favorite bands play them, but man... so blocky, lol. To each their own : )
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I’m a huge fan of the more classic headstock shape as well— personally, I think Fender nailed it with their contours! It’s a shame that the non-angled back headstock opens up the topic that this thread is about but I’m all about function over form in these cases.
 

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