"No dead spots"... WHAT???

[Rune Bivrin]

I haven't given a thought to dead spots in the 13 years I've been playing, so naturally I had to try my two basses when I got home today.

And sure enough, there was a hint of death on fret 7 on the G string. As well as in a few other places. However, what I noticed was that these largely disappeared as long as I was diligent with my floating thumb technique. Which isn't surprising, since the D played on the G-string causes massive sympathetic vibration in the open D-string, which steals the energy very quickly. If the strings are properly muted (as with the floating thumb), that doesn't happen.

I'm not saying this is the single factor in dead spots, but it could explain why some almost always have them, while others have never noticed it.

 

[davelowell2]

I haven't given a thought to dead spots in the 13 years I've been playing, so naturally I had to try my two basses when I got home today.

And sure enough, there was a hint of death on fret 7 on the G string. As well as in a few other places. However, what I noticed was that these largely disappeared as long as I was diligent with my floating thumb technique. Which isn't surprising, since the D played on the G-string causes massive sympathetic vibration in the open D-string, which steals the energy very quickly. If the strings are properly muted (as with the floating thumb), that doesn't happen.

I'm not saying this is the single factor in dead spots, but it could explain why some almost always have them, while others have never noticed it.

I think there’s something to where you pluck and how pronounced it could be, closer to bridge or closer to neck.

I am a dead spot believer, btw.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

Actually, they do have a "dead spot", but on those necks? It's a case of "you can't get there from here..." The points on an aluminum/graphite neck where you could get a sympathetic resonance that cancels/severely dampens the note - which is what a "dead spot" really is - are off one end or the other of the bass' neck. But, they're there - floating around somewhere... Unfortunately, wooden necks have sympathetic resonance nodes that are accessible... For the record, none of my basses - even my '78 P-Bass - have a really noticeable dead spot. It's there - on some of them; but, I have to listen really hard for it...

I understand your theory, however, if the dead spot is located somewhere beyond either end of the 32"-35" neck then wouldn't it be fair to say that that particular bass has no dead spot?

All 7 of my basses are constructed of wood and I haven't heard (or at least noticed) a single dead spot on any of them. And until I end up with a wooden bass with a dead spot I consider them to be a dead issue. A dead note didn't stop Jamerson from supporting many hit songs but unfortunately he's dead making it awkward to ask him about dead spots.

 

[David Jayne]

If you're lucky the dead spot is centered at a semitone. 'Between' frets. In this case it may be nearly unnoticed. I've got one like that.

 

[Sid Fang]

... A dead note didn't stop Jamerson from supporting many hit songs but unfortunately he's dead making it awkward to ask him about dead spots.

Spot on that the dead can't spot a dead spot.

 

[Matty Koff]

I encounter more spots that seem to get louder than "dead spots". My P-bass is resonant at D2 at the 5th fret of the A string. I had a J-bass that was similar. It just sounded louder playing that particular note. My Sire, I haven't found a note that can't sustain at least the length of a whole note at 60bpm.

Honestly the only thing that's ever interrupted my playing as far as "dead" was either related to relief or saddle height, or one bass I've owned needed a fret job as far as I could tell. Every string on that fret was literally dead, made more of a "plunk" than a note.

Do certain notes on a fretboard sound weaker than others? On some basses more than others. But they still sustain long enough for practical use ime. The P has a a weaker note compared to others at C3 (5th fret G), but nothing that would stop me from being able to utilize it.

I propose renaming the "dead spot" the "weak spot".. and all the fun that might imply.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

I think you're on to something with #2, especially with how subtle most are.

 

[JuanB]

I recently played two separate EBMM Stingray Specials (4H models) and they both had a bad dead spot on the 9th fret of the G string. They both decayed to an upper harmonic within a second of playing the note. I could also feel the neck vibrate violently when playing the note. I wish this weren't the case as I really love the feel and sound of this model of bass otherwise.

 

[stuntbass77]

The key is not to try to find it, it won’t annoy you unless you find it . Seriously, most basses do have them but some are almost unnoticeable. It funny when I go to buy a bass I always play it unplugged first. The salesman is always looking at me like “ I got cord and amp for you right here “. I want to hear all the notes before it goes through a potentially highly colored bass amp. I decided I plan to bring my focusrite solo and my AKG headphones with me if I do buy another bass again as I will hear the True Tone of the instrument.

 

[beatdatthang]

Of the 8 basses I currently own, only one has a “dead spot”. Of course, it’s a precision. 3rd fret on the G string. I’ve never owned another bass that had one. I’ve only even ever seen them on basses with non tilt back headstocks (Fender, G&L, EBMM, etc.). I always just assumed it was the risk you took buying one of those types of necks/headstocks.

 

[220_Hz]

Out of all the ~35 different basses I’ve laid my hands on I’ve found that fender headstocks are the worst for dead spots.
4x4 headstocks are the way to go IMO but the fender C# dead spot has something to it that you can’t replace either

 

[jd56hawk]

Imho, dead spots have absolutely no effect on at least 95% of all my playing situations. I can hardly imagine a situation where I would need one of those typical notes to ring for forever either. Hence, I do not worry too much about dead spots.

I do not know whether basses with no dead spots whatsoever exist. But just as much as I believe you that you have never owned one without them, I tend to believe those who claim they know of a bass which has none.

Then again, your hearing ability might be above average. In German, we speak of people who "hear the grass growing" or "the fleas coughing"...

All that needs to be said.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

All that needs to be said.

I strongly disagree. I've had basses I couldn't use live on certain songs where I needed a specific tone to ring out. The thing with dead spots is that they may seem like a minor issue when playing at home or even at band rehearsals. In some situations they can be hardly noticable. But in the context of a mix or even worse, through a huge PA system they can turn into a total disaster. The lows just completely fall out of the mix. Like when your need to play a fat sustaining note at a critical point in a song and the bass just goes "ping" in front of thousands of people. No fundamental, just thin sounding overtones.

I will also repeat my point from my earlier posts that every single bass I've ever played has had dead spots and although I don't rule out the possibility that some quirky headless, metal neck designs may be free of dead spots I still think that 99% of people who say "my bass does not have dead spots" don't know really know what a dead spot is or how badly it can behave in certain situations. A lot of people seem to confuse dead spot with bad frets, fret buzz, etc.

 

[BassmanM]

I strongly disagree. I've had basses I couldn't use live on certain songs where I needed a specific tone to ring out. The thing with dead spots is that they may seem like a minor issue when playing at home or even at band rehearsals. In some situations they can be hardly noticable. But in the context of a mix or even worse, through a huge PA system they can turn into a total disaster. The lows just completely fall out of the mix. Like when your need to play a fat sustaining note at a critical point in a song and the bass just goes "ping" in front of thousands of people. No fundamental, just thin sounding overtones.

I will also repeat my point from my earlier posts that every single bass I've ever played has had dead spots and although I don't rule out the possibility that some quirky headless, metal neck designs may be free of dead spots I still think that 99% of people who say "my bass does not have dead spots" don't know really know what a dead spot is or how badly it can behave in certain situations. A lot of people seem to confuse dead spot with bad frets, fret buzz, etc.

I believe there is no right or wrong here. The gig situation you describe would certainly not be desirable. If I were to experience something like that, I would play the particular note on another string, maybe even an octave higher or lower if necessary.

 

[EmaTheMirror]

Yeah, dead spots are almost a given, to some extent, on my basses. Not very drastic, but there's the odd note sustaining for a shorter time on the G string.

However, I found a rather fail safe solution to fix them by removing the fret of the note, cutting it shorter with a precise tool and putting it back, then filling in the tiny gap under the G string with wood laminate, as you do when defretting.
Take this P bass of mine, for instance - there's no dead-sounding D# happening on the G string at the 8th fret after my fix, all the notes on that string are fab:

 

[Leonid Nidis]

IMO a lot of people think a dead spot is a note that is actually dead or one with lower volume than the rest.
I played around 150 basses(I do set ups) and only one had a note that had lower volume attacked.
All the other dead spots were basically less sustain.Worst case I would get one second ring on the note followed by an overtone.
All the basses I tried had these notes,mostly frets 5-8 on the G string.
I could play for years and never have use for a long note on the G string and therefore never even notice the dead spots.

 

[Giffro]

All my wood basses have deadspots, but my Steinberger, with carbon graphite neck, doesn't seem to. It probably does, if you had some kind of equipment to monitor it, but if I can't hear it, is it there in any way that matters? It wasn't anything I ever noticed until somebody pointed it out. You will NEVER hear an audience member say "dang, too bad about that 1/8th note in the intro that sounded microscopically different than the preceding and subsequent notes, kinda ruined the performance". Fugeddaboudit.

Thanks for the giggle @Gilmourisgod

 

[Manuel Bass]

Yeah, dead spots are almost a given, to some extent, on my basses. Not very drastic, but there's the odd note sustaining for a shorter time on the G string.

However, I found a rather fail safe solution to fix them by removing the fret of the note, cutting it shorter with a precise tool and putting it back, then filling in the tiny gap under the G string with wood laminate, as you do when defretting.
Take this P bass of mine, for instance - there's no dead-sounding D# happening on the G string at the 8th fret after my fix, all the notes on that string are fab:
View attachment 4051694

Wwooouuu never saw this solution before
It really works?

 

[FunkHead]

I have had only one bass out of well over 1000 that had a noticeable dead spot.

 

[sears]

Yeah, dead spots are almost a given, to some extent, on my basses. Not very drastic, but there's the odd note sustaining for a shorter time on the G string.

However, I found a rather fail safe solution to fix them by removing the fret of the note, cutting it shorter with a precise tool and putting it back, then filling in the tiny gap under the G string with wood laminate, as you do when defretting.
Take this P bass of mine, for instance - there's no dead-sounding D# happening on the G string at the 8th fret after my fix, all the notes on that string are fab:

I had a P defretted and it still has the standard dead spot at c# on G. I like dead spots. Making the imperfection sound good is called soul. Granted, I haven't played in front of thousands of people so I'm not as qualified to say so.

My other basses don't have dead spots that are nearly as bad. You can choose to ignore them because nobody will notice.