Is this a "dead" note ?

Hi,
I´ve looked in the search function and apparently I have 1 or 2 dead notes in my Squier Classic Vibe precision bass. This is a pain in the arse.
They are next to each other: C and Db (3rd and 4th fret in A string and 5th to 6h fret in G string. I just rarely reach these notes in the 10th and 11th fret of the D string).

I didn´t really notice this too much while playing live but in our ensemble practice room it is absolutely awful. We have to read charts for the songs and there´s a lot of dynamics that I just simply miss or struggle too much to do.

Other notes just sound normal or too strong (Boooom) and if I am not careful (or use too much bass in the amp) they vibrate everything around the house even doing low volume and others just sound " plock " as if the fundamental frequencies are gone from the spectrum leaving just a big of harmonic content. Like a black hole.
I know the room acoustics must be bad, but...

I have made the proper setup to the bass (neck, pickup height, intonation, fret leveling, nut adjustment, saddle height, etc) as I do to all my guitars since long ago and it didn´t improve. String buzz is almost inexistent. My other Harley Benton Mb-4 bass also has this issue but it is so much less evident (I actually didn´t even notice it for years) and I can play around it very easily. The Squier precision...is awful in this regard.

Maybe the room acoustics exacerbate the problem ? What can I do? The precision sounds great acoustically and also while playing live, but in the reharsals I just get lost in the mix of all those people to the point the conductor asks me to increase the volume or asks why I stopped playing in the middle or some parts. Embarassing to say the least...

I am using TI flats which sound amazing and no pedal. Just straight into my Kustom Deep End 1x15" speaker.

Please, help !

 

Well, I don´t notice them too much or at all while playing acoustically , maybe because the fundamentals are barely heard so all notes sound similar in tone. Amplification seems to bring the issue to a bigger degree.

 

Oh, I sure like the TIs, their feel, the general lack of tension, etc.
I tried 760FX Labellas before I had the TI and I had the same issue, same spots. Perhaps even worse...

What do the DR Flats have that they might work around the issue ?

 

Hi. Yes, both bridge and neck screws are tight and re-tighten in different tightning sequences.
Changing pickups is not going to do anything if the frequencies get cancelled...i mean, they wont amplify them if they are not there.

As said, I notice this while playing in our reharsal room more. Maybe the room acoustics make the issue come up to a level which is not that noticeable while playing live. I also play side by side with my combo amp. I get the feeling that the frequencies coming out of the amp next to me will also resonate with my bass guitar and make the Freq-cancelling problem that creates this muted notes even worse.

On the other hand, some notes just get so powerful as if they have so much fundamental content that they resonate the whole room even if I try to be very careful while playing. I usually pluck them at the bridge to avoid this huge volume increase.

 

Hi,
Neck and bridge bolts are tightned in sequence and crossed order to make sure everything is seating properly and so it seems it is. I even removed the neck initially and used sand paper and a block to remove irregularities from the finishing surface of the body which didn´t allow for a full seating of the neck !! It looks so much better now.

This morning I was plyaing notes while I tightened the truss-rod a bit to see if that improved the ressonance and the frequency spectrum. I was plucking the affected notes to hear the changes in note vibration while I turned the truss rod. It´s early to tell, but at least acoustically the bass sounds more even.

And it is amazing that (now) at home, the C note in the A string is stronger and ressonates more in the living room than notes D at the 5th fret or Bb at the 1st one which are notes I use a lot.

Need to clarify this in the reharsal room. I believe the issue is a combination of instrument and room acoustics. I will be very surprised if I head a stronger D and Bb in the reharsal room now cmpared to C. But if that´s the case, then it´s (ALSO) the room acoustics playing tricks on me.

 

I will try a "heavy" clamp. My clip-on tuner is too light I doubt it does anything at all. I don´t have a fat finger to test. It would be nice.
I am convinced at this point that the room´s acoustics are the main culprit by boosting some frequencies (notes) which I think should be the reference of tone for others when they shouldn´t as they´re artificially/acoustically boosted. But in reality it is the acousting boosting them.
And adding to this the fact that we have "dead" notes mixed, we will have a big discrepancy of volume from the "boosted" notes into the "dead" notes. This is probably why I say that when playing live everything sounds more balanced.

 

Well, yesterday the band played and I had the same issue, perhaps just a little less noticeable in the dead notes due to truss rod adjustment. But I won´t touch it again has it is perfect in that regard.

Interesting that the C note in A string (3 rd fret) which is boosted in my living room still sounds slightly muted in the reharsal room. Basically some notes sound boosted at home (low C) while others will sound boosted at the rehardsal room (low Bb and D).

This means room acoustics are playing tricks on me !!!

With this in mind, I have the dead notes in G string at 4th and 5th frets (C and Db). Same happens in A string for same notes, but to a less degree.

Considering this, I now understand why playing live these kind of issues are no longer an issue.

Not much more I can do at this point. My reharsal room will still keep on playing tricks on me. I will do what I have done in the past : to use a cloth to clog/choke the two front port holes of my Kustom DE100 1x15" combo. They must spread veeeeeeeeery low frequencies which are creating havoc in the room. If no notes get boosted with acoustics.... all the other will sound more even. Dead notes included !