I'd place the instrument quite close to the speakers of my stereo and play music on that steareo often, thus letting musical-range vibrations condition the wood. Rick Turner's column here explains why.
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What do you do about dead spots?
- Thread starter darwin-bass
- Start date
I searched for examples on youtube. I guess it would be bothersome if I just tried to see how long I could get each note on the neck to sustain. I don't know. I don't play like that. I guarantee you I can milk tone out of some of those so called dead spots. Just play and stop worrying about stuff.
Until it affects what you're playing. Some basses have incredibly bad dead spots, some are barely noticeable.
Never experienced the phenomena so can’t answer the question. I would probably sell any instrument that had the issue.
D
Deleted member 165050
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Play louder on the dead spots. On my Wal fretless it's C on the G string so I know to play that one a little harder. Just as if you're in a room where there's a mode and you keep hitting it, you play that note quieter. Or, you can fix loads of gadgets to your bass to fix the dead spots, and hope that a compressor will deal with room modes (it won't).
My fivers are also free of dead spots...
My fivers are also free of dead spots...
I chose “other” because I don’t try to get rid of them, but instead use them musically. Every Fender style 4-string bass I’ve owned has had the dead spot on the 6th-7th fret(s) of the G string, but I don’t mind it or try to get rid of it.
If I don’t want the dead spot sound, especially how it glitches out my octavers, I simply play those notes elsewhere on the fretboard (usually up higher on the D string). But when slapping, playing quietly, staccato, or going for a thinner sound texture, I’ll use the dead spot notes. I don’t just do this for dead spots, I often play the same notes on different strings up and down the fretboard for different sound textures. Just like sliding my plucking hand towards the neck or bridge. Just like using a pick or my fingers. For me, dead spots are just another way to get more sounds out of the instrument. (I also own(ed) basses without these dead spots, which have all had a different headstock shape than Fender’s; 5 strings, Ernie Ball 3 & 1 tuners, Ibanez 2 & 2 tuners, etc.)
If I don’t want the dead spot sound, especially how it glitches out my octavers, I simply play those notes elsewhere on the fretboard (usually up higher on the D string). But when slapping, playing quietly, staccato, or going for a thinner sound texture, I’ll use the dead spot notes. I don’t just do this for dead spots, I often play the same notes on different strings up and down the fretboard for different sound textures. Just like sliding my plucking hand towards the neck or bridge. Just like using a pick or my fingers. For me, dead spots are just another way to get more sounds out of the instrument. (I also own(ed) basses without these dead spots, which have all had a different headstock shape than Fender’s; 5 strings, Ernie Ball 3 & 1 tuners, Ibanez 2 & 2 tuners, etc.)
I hear you. I guess I've just been lucky. I probably don't have nearly as much experience as some (most) here on bass but I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and I feel the same way about dead spots on 6 string guitar necks. I don't venture past the 14th fret much on my bass so maybe they live up there. idk I've been looking for some on this cheap 94 Mexican Jazz bass I'm playing and I can't find any.
Instead of adding mass to the headstock by using the infamous Fatfinger, I’ve acheived the same effect by installing a detuner.
I have dead notes on all 3 of my long scale fenders. On two (identical) necks they had it at the 5th fret C, then I changed tuners to hipshot ultralites and it moved up to the D. Frustrating, but if I unmute the open D string when I play that note it resonates like normal, or better. So in that case it’s better than where it was on the C.. and is a good case for adding weight to the headstock like with a fatfinger to push it further down out of the way.
For my other that’s a D# (also light tuners), I just don’t use the note on that string as much if I need it to sustain for a given song, w/ octave pedal, etc., and play the D# on the D string. Rounds and smaller flats seem to help with its sustain/noticeability also. Over all it’s doable to work with 99% of the time with the precautions mentioned above.
For my other that’s a D# (also light tuners), I just don’t use the note on that string as much if I need it to sustain for a given song, w/ octave pedal, etc., and play the D# on the D string. Rounds and smaller flats seem to help with its sustain/noticeability also. Over all it’s doable to work with 99% of the time with the precautions mentioned above.
I've never had a bass that had too bad of a dead spot to notice while I play, so I ignore them.
Doesn't the story go that he was drunk off his ass laying flat on his back on the studio floor when this tune was recorded? The bass drops out completely at all 3 of those time stamps.
Sounds to me like he missed those notes more than anything. I could be wrong though.
I avoid playing that note in that location, but only it is an exposed part that calls for a long, sustained note.
In truth though, I really only do that for myself and the 5% - 10% of people that would notice such a thing.
I have 3 basses with a dead spot. Maybe there is more than 1 dead spot but I only notice 1. They each have a very steep damping on the G string at 7th fret D. The 3 basses are all Fenders, 1 from 2021 and the others from 73. None of my others have dead spots that I notice. I understand standing wave physics so I don’t dispute there are dead spots on my other basses or guitars. I just don’t notice them. I’ve never owned a bass that I couldn’t use because of dead notes.
I love those basses and consider that there are imperfections in all my instruments and I just know to pull a little harder if I play that 1 note. On the fretless it’s really less obvious if I play more actively. If I pop it a little harder I feel like it’s ok.
I love those basses and consider that there are imperfections in all my instruments and I just know to pull a little harder if I play that 1 note. On the fretless it’s really less obvious if I play more actively. If I pop it a little harder I feel like it’s ok.
Every instrument resonates when you play, some more than others. This is where dead spots come in. Besides hearing a dead spot, you can also "feel" them due to the resonance. Adding mass to the headstock can shift the resonant frequency, helping to minimize, move, or remove the dead spot. I've also had luck removing mass. I had a bad dead spot on my USA Geddy Jazz, I swapped the tuners with some Gotoh Ultralights, made a huge difference.
This. Just checked my G&L, Stingray, and Ric.
No dead spot.
Don't recall any bass I've owned having one.
Part of my due diligence before buying a bass is not buying one that has dead spots. The only time I run into dead spots is with there are sound canceling frequencies around or acoustical phenomenon of the room. Frankly, I’ve never had a bass that had/has them.
There are far too many basses without dead notes to deal with one that has one or more. There's absolutely no reason to keep a defective instrument.
