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

[metron]

Every single one Ive ever played had one. To some degree. Most are like eh, I expect it. Once in a while they are really bad.

 

[GIBrat51]

I’ve read the term “Wolf Tones” a few times, first I ever heard of it was on TB. Is that another word for dead spot, or something else? Maybe I can agonize over that instead.

There may be other definitions, but IME "Wolf Tones" means the sympathetic - and often loud - harmonic resonance of the strings between the bridge (usually a floating one), and the (usually) trapeze tailpiece. Depending on the instrument, it can be... very annoying. My Gretsch Broadkaster suffered from this - quite badly. The usual fix is weaving something between the strings back there, to damp the resonance out. Gretsch hollow body guitars are notorious for wolf tones. There's a guy on the Gretsch Owner's Forum (not the TB club) that makes fancy leather strips for that very thing, that match his custom leather guitar straps. But, being a cheap bugger, I just stuck a piece of moleskin on the part of the tailpiece, where it touches the top of the bass. Worked just as well, and much cheaper... My old MIJ Epi EA-260 hollow body bass does it too, but not quite as bad as the Gretsch. If I crank the amp up enough, both of my violin basses will also do it. Hard to hear, though; I don't think the little violin bodies are really big enough. I haven't cranked the amp up for my new Gretsch Electromatic Classic guitar yet, but... being a trestle-braced hollow body, with a floating bridge and a trapeze tailpiece? I'd be very surprised if there isn't a piece of moleskin in that white/gold beauty's future...