Alright. We all know it’s been over discussed:
The dreaded “dead spot”.
I’ve been blessed for 30 years. I played bass without suspecting the existence of “dead spots”.
My 1st bass was headless. For many years, I strung it BEAD. My next main bass was an Ergodyne 5-stringer. And finally, I’ve mostly played a G&L L-2500. All have been completely free of “dead spots”.
Then, I entered the realm of the P bass. And suddenly, “dead spots” were a thing.
Let’s go over the common knowledge about the phenomena:
-“Dead spots” appear most frequently on the G string, between the 3rd and 7th fret.
-They consist in a note played on that part of the neck that dies prematurely.
-The note at that fret plays softer and dies faster, quickly going into decaying harmonic frequencies.
-A “dead spot” has to do with the bass vibrating in a way that absorbs the fretted string’s frequency.
-Playing the same note on the D string, rather than on the G, will not trigger the same “dead spot”.
-The problem is not confined to a few basses: it’s very common.
-Changing strings (lighter gauge) and neck tension is often mentioned as a solution.
-Adding weight to the headstock is often quoted as a possible solution too.
-Most solutions involve “moving the dead spot” around the neck, rather than resolving it.
-As the theory goes, playing with the weight and mass of the instrument has an effect.
And last but not least:
-Most bassists learn to live with “dead spots”, so should you.
-You don’t need that one note to sustain forever.
…
I was discussing all of this with a luthier friend of mine. He told me: “Sure! You can also simply hollow out a bit of the bass’ body. Pick somewhere that’s hidden by the pickguard. Take out some mass at the center and you’ll give more relative weight to the headstock. That should move your dead spot”
That’s a novel idea... What do you think?
Or, do you have any novel idea about resolving a “dead spot” that’s not been mentioned already?
The dreaded “dead spot”.
I’ve been blessed for 30 years. I played bass without suspecting the existence of “dead spots”.
My 1st bass was headless. For many years, I strung it BEAD. My next main bass was an Ergodyne 5-stringer. And finally, I’ve mostly played a G&L L-2500. All have been completely free of “dead spots”.
Then, I entered the realm of the P bass. And suddenly, “dead spots” were a thing.
Let’s go over the common knowledge about the phenomena:
-“Dead spots” appear most frequently on the G string, between the 3rd and 7th fret.
-They consist in a note played on that part of the neck that dies prematurely.
-The note at that fret plays softer and dies faster, quickly going into decaying harmonic frequencies.
-A “dead spot” has to do with the bass vibrating in a way that absorbs the fretted string’s frequency.
-Playing the same note on the D string, rather than on the G, will not trigger the same “dead spot”.
-The problem is not confined to a few basses: it’s very common.
-Changing strings (lighter gauge) and neck tension is often mentioned as a solution.
-Adding weight to the headstock is often quoted as a possible solution too.
-Most solutions involve “moving the dead spot” around the neck, rather than resolving it.
-As the theory goes, playing with the weight and mass of the instrument has an effect.
And last but not least:
-Most bassists learn to live with “dead spots”, so should you.
-You don’t need that one note to sustain forever.
…
I was discussing all of this with a luthier friend of mine. He told me: “Sure! You can also simply hollow out a bit of the bass’ body. Pick somewhere that’s hidden by the pickguard. Take out some mass at the center and you’ll give more relative weight to the headstock. That should move your dead spot”
That’s a novel idea... What do you think?
Or, do you have any novel idea about resolving a “dead spot” that’s not been mentioned already?
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