ID decals in neck pocket - resonance

Picked up a honeybursted G&L MJ-4. Very nice bass. Good tone but seemed kind of subdued.

I've owned the following Jazz basses: a 2013 Fender Select, 2013 USA Deluxe, and a 2014 66 CS as well as a nice USA std with a warmoth neck. Was down to a P bass and missed the Jazz fun. Was hoping the MJ-4 leaped ahead of all of those I'd experienced before. Felt that there was good reason to think it might. Simple controls with high mid low (boost and cut) and volume and pan controls. G&L advancements.

Tried Chromes. Ok. Tried TI flats. Better. Found a dead note on G string (C). Never noticed one before. Pulled bass apart, noticed that there were two decals on the neck in the pocket.

So between a 1/4 sawn Maple neck and a fine Ash body, probably over tight from factory, I've got two paper stickers (gaskets) sitting there. There was good info on them. So I left them there and tightened the neck and bridge screws back to just snug after placing a bit of wax on them. The dead spot seemed to have improved significantly, but the bass still seemed a bit restrained.

Someone said that the decals don't do anything. I thought it over For a few days, concluding that stickers do not belong between the neck and body joint on a musical instrument.

So, today, a few weeks later, pulled the neck off and carefully photographed the decals / grain for future historical reference and pulled those decals off. Reassembled.

Well, maybe it's just my imagination, but it really has come alive. The notes resonate more. Playing through a GK 700rb and GK neo 115. Even while tuning it up on the bench before plugging in, it seemed to resonate more.

Thoughts?

 

Strumming the bass hanging on the wall vs a similarly equipped L-2000 (1/4 sawn w RW) but w Chromes that still has the decals - a remarkable difference. Muted vs fills quiet room. The strings make a difference but not that much, from my experience.

Considered the following before removing: thoughts of fine acoustic instrument building. Imagined joints with paper between them not filling the entire space; gaps (i.e., the decals do not cover the entire pocket area). Imagined placing paper between two pieces of wood and striking it lightly vs no paper. At wide open throttle volumes, it wouldn't matter, clearly. But the lighter approaches I felt it could. I appreciate a nice sounding instrument with subtle nuance. I think the decals mute it a bit. That's all. Let me put it this way. Before today, the instrument struggled to keep up with my recollection of any of the Fenders. Now, it's right there in the mix, still undecided but right there. No dead notes. The voicing resonates. Subtle pleasant nuances leap out. It's a freaking nice Jazz bass now. Before, it was struggling but for the exceptional cut/boost circuit.

 

That's a powerful two word statement sir. I appreciate that. On the other hand, I am reaching out with purpose. If I am right, the stickers should be eliminated, and basses and bassists will rejoice. If I am wrong, I am wrong.

 

LoL

 

Put some paper between the string and fret. Niiice.

 

I've got an old P Bass neck with threaded inserts mated to an older P bass body that someone routed for a battery/ EMGs. Those active pickups are gone and a correct pickup is installed. It resonates well. I couldn't say whether it's better with the threaded inserts, since I didn't have the neck before the inserts were installed, but it sounds great. Maybe put a misfit, thick label in that neck pocket, with some history noted, sprayed with poly... No.