After two Fender Js and one Fender P, all American, Ive noticed a slight loss of sustain at some frets but nothing like a loss of sustain after a second, or even ten. But I always look for this when shopping for a new bass. My P is a 1999 and does not have a significant dead spot as defined by the OP... Diablos in your experience all basses eventually develop a noticeable dead spot as they age? Keeping my fingers crossed that mine doesn't...
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POLL: Fender Basses and "Dead Spots"
- Thread starter BassHappy
- Start date
After two Fender Js and one Fender P, all American, Ive noticed a slight loss of sustain at some frets but nothing like a loss of sustain after a second, or even ten. But I always look for this when shopping for a new bass. My P is a 1999 and does not have a significant dead spot as defined by the OP... Diablos in your experience all basses eventually develop a noticeable dead spot as they age? Keeping my fingers crossed that mine doesn't...
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
All my (fretted) basses have them but I also play with a rather low action. My Carvin was the only new bass I have bought in recent memory and it developed one within 6-10 months.
I don't think the average player will notice most dead spots. Most people like high action (3+mm) out in the wild in my experience.
I can find a "less-than-optimal" sustaining note on most of my basses if I really, really look for them. I can also find too-hot notes. Fortunately, in most cases (especially the 6th-7th fret G string) I'm not dwelling on those notes very long, just passin' through.
I HAVE played a bass or two in my day with a HORRID dead spot, but not mine to tinker with to try to alleviate. If they were, I'd try several things, like different strings, a tweak of the truss rod, and whatever else I might think would help out. Then I'd sell it!
I HAVE played a bass or two in my day with a HORRID dead spot, but not mine to tinker with to try to alleviate. If they were, I'd try several things, like different strings, a tweak of the truss rod, and whatever else I might think would help out. Then I'd sell it!
The last choice should have read "yes, I have a Fender with a dead spot, but I kept it and play it because my employers love the sound of it and I'm smart enough to work around the notes that sustain only very slightly less than the rest of them".
I will say this...the 2 Alembic Series 1s I used to own had no discernible dead spots at all. Both were late-70s models.
I will say this...the 2 Alembic Series 1s I used to own had no discernible dead spots at all. Both were late-70s models.
Almost every bass I have ever owned had at least a slight dead spot. By far the worst is the fifth fret C on the G string on my Geddy Lee Jazz. But it's still a keeper, great bass other than that flaw.
I've owned about a dozen Fenders over the years. Of those, three had what I would call "problematic" dead spots. Worst was a '78 p-bass. All three have long since been sold. Best have been AVRIs (2 P's and a J) all of which have had zero issues.
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"Yes, at least one of the Fender basses I have owned had dead spots, but I kept it."
I ultimately sold my Fenders but dead spots wasn't the reason. I just wasn't feelin' either one and wanted to try something else. It's kinda weird how Fender is the only bass company that this topic is debated. Why is it so hard for some to believe that this one music instrument manufacturer may put out instruments that aren't perfect?
I ultimately sold my Fenders but dead spots wasn't the reason. I just wasn't feelin' either one and wanted to try something else. It's kinda weird how Fender is the only bass company that this topic is debated. Why is it so hard for some to believe that this one music instrument manufacturer may put out instruments that aren't perfect?
Why is it so hard for some to believe that all manufacturers have this same issue, to some extent?
The dead spot imo is when you fret and pluck the note, and the fundamental tone quickly loses volume, and you're left with a harmonic overtone of some sort. They're easy to work around.
Dead spots are pretty much a constant unless you add/remove mass from the headstock or alter neck stiffness. (which can move or minimize them)
They don't develop over time.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
My experience disagrees with this. My Carvin played fantastic for the first 6-10 months. It eventually developed a dead spot. I assume it has something to do with adjust to it's new climate but I honestly do not know.
I don't doubt that something changed in your bass, resulting in a dead note, but the kind of dead spots we're talking about don't work like that.
That's my question. Why are people acting like Fender is the only instrument brand that has this problem? Or that Fender has significantly higher number of instruments with dead spots than anyone else? (which I highly doubt) Somebody show me reliable statistics to prove that Fender has more dead spots than anyone else.
I've had mild dead spots on many basses; with Fender fours it was typically Db on the G string. Never had a horrible one on a Fender. I believe Marcus Miller said the response on his famous J-bass wasn't perfect; he's just learned to play with or around the unevenness.
Ha ha... made you look....
Actually, you did. I just checked out my Fender Precision and there are no dead spots.
Maybe it's defective.
Actually, you did. I just checked out my Fender Precision and there are no dead spots.
Maybe it's defective.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
We are talking about the same thing. Dead spots are dead spots. I find it much easier to believe they develop than they are built with them. It is like a new house, it has to settle.
Why just Fender? A lot of basses have dead spots.
One of my Fenders has a slight one but the worst is my EBMM. Of any bass I have ever owned it is by far the worst.
One of my Fenders has a slight one but the worst is my EBMM. Of any bass I have ever owned it is by far the worst.
My Roscoe Beck has a dead-ish note on the first string, 9th fret. Not bad enough to be a problem. My other Fenders are fine.
The worst bass I ever came across was an 80's Guild Pilot 4. Along with multiple dead notes, it also had a couple fierce wolf notes. That was just too much, had to dump it.
Received a Carvin SB-4000 this week. Looked for dead spots, haven't found any.
I think it's the luck of the draw with 34" bolt-on basses, and that thinner necked basses are more prone to it.
The worst bass I ever came across was an 80's Guild Pilot 4. Along with multiple dead notes, it also had a couple fierce wolf notes. That was just too much, had to dump it.
Received a Carvin SB-4000 this week. Looked for dead spots, haven't found any.
I think it's the luck of the draw with 34" bolt-on basses, and that thinner necked basses are more prone to it.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
My P has a bit of a dead spot, but it isn't my idea of a bad one. The Ric had one, but a bit of a truss rod tweak moved it and diminished it. Some fret work knocked it down further. That was the worst dead spot, and it was on the D string, not the G string. A bolt-on Thunderbird had a dead spot on the G string, but that's not why I gave it to my son. It just needed a bit of tweaking. The neck on that bass was huge, so I'm not sure the added mass makes a difference. The EB-2 doesn't have a dead spot as far as I can tell, and the Japanese hollowbody doesn't either. It's a short scale bolt-on, so who knows. Maybe the fretless 'Bird does, but I haven't found it. I don't remember finding one even before it got defretted. The upright is only dead when I screw up or when the strings need to be changed.
Hopkins
Commercial User
Since when is Fender the only bass brand that suffers from dead spots. I have had plenty of basses from other brands that have the same problem. Any bass made of wood has the potential for dead spots, even neck through basses and basses with 2+2 head stocks. If the neck vibrates at a frequency that will kill a certain note, it will have a dead spot. Usually its not a big deal at all.
