This is what a "Dead Spot" sounds like

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Some folks have wondered what a "dead spot" sounds like. Well here you go. This is about as bad as they come. A customer of mine brought me this 2006 MIM P bass with a nasty deadspot. As usual, it's on the 7th fret of the G string.

In this audio clip you'll hear 2 normal notes on the G string, and then the dead D note: http://www.atkinsonbasses.com/storage/deadspot.mp3

Here's a picture of the waveform:

 

[thisSNsucks]

thats a pretty bad deadspot.

 

[EagleMoon]

Good example!

 

[mojosimone]

Thank you. Always wanted to know what a dead spot sounded like. You read about it and no reference to my virgin ears

 

[Need2KnowBasses]

What is the best dead spot for metal?

 

[5string5fingers]

What is the best dead spot for metal?

The entire neck. If youre whole bass is dead, after tuning it DEAD then you're completely metuhl

 

[Rockmusician]

Sounds like the deadspots I had on both of my Stingray. I noticed that the note didn't sound right in the studio. I could also see the difference. It looked just like the waveform that you posted. I got rid of them the following week.

 

[Rocky McD]

One of the worst deadspots ever recorded has to be on Marvin Gaye's "Whats Going On" when James Jamerson goes for the C# on the G string at the 6th fret and it is a sick THUD.

Rocky

 

[FunkyMan]

The last note is so sad...

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

What is the best dead spot for metal?

*spit take*

 

[bjabass]

Uh, so were you able to improve it at all?

 

[SchizoBassist]

Some say that my bass is full of dead spots, but I say it's all in the fingers.

 

[Emm9T]

# 1: I never realized DEAD tuning spells 'dead'! so metal.

# 2: great reference for a dead spot, this is why Talkbass is the shiznit.

 

[colcifer]

^^ heh

 

[Eater_of_Birds]

the actual sound wasnt as bad as i expected but even looking at the waveform without listening you can tell its less than half the sustained length of the other two. gone before you know its there. nasty.

 

[jaymag_87]

I'm new to the instrument. Been learning for about a year.

What causes dead spots?
What is the bestmethod to determine if your bass has them?
How do you corect them?

 

[RickBlair]

There seems to be a sensitive interaction between strings and body/neck on Fender designs. My SX Jazz played fine until I put on a set of flatwounds and then I had a huge dead dead spot on the 5th fret of the G string.

Rick B.

 

[Tusec]

Makes you wonder where all that string energy went. It had to go somewhere. Could you feel the neck or maybe the body vibrate at that pitch?

 

[johnk_10]

9 times out of 10 you'll feel the neck shake when playing a dead spot. that's where the energy is going. rather than remaining rigid and the note ringing out, the neck becomes a 'shock absorber'.

 

[yamark]

I hate a fender fretless that had a dead sound just like that on the same D. Crazy dead Mwah sound.