Flat spot on fingerboard

[everogere]

I have a Fender fretless that has an annoying flatspot on the G string at about 4th fret position. Does anyone have any ideas how to remove it. I have tried several different makes and gauges of string and adjusting height etc. Now stuck for any other ideas please help.

[Buzz]

Dead spot eh?

Get yourself a small G clamp to alter the headstock mass, then if that cures it, go buy a FatFinger, which is a neater professional G-Clamp device.

[leschirons]

[quote name='everogere' post='457773' date='Apr 8 2009, 07:13 PM']I have a Fender fretless that has an annoying flatspot on the G string at about 4th fret position. Does anyone have any ideas how to remove it. I have tried several different makes and gauges of string and adjusting height etc. Now stuck for any other ideas please help.[/quote]

Is it a jazz? If it is, there's been quite a few posts about this issue and despite lots of views. It appears to be a "thing" with jazz basses in my opinion. Had the same problem on all my jazzes except a Roscoe beck (usually somewhere between the 3rd and 7th frets) I would think an aftermarket neck change at worst. As already mentioned, it could be the mass. Maybe some serious EQing could help a bit but that may compromise the tone generally. Call the Bass Gallery maybe for their opinion.

Edited April 9, 2009 by leschirons

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Buzz' post='457995' date='Apr 9 2009, 12:05 AM']Dead spot eh?

Get yourself a small G clamp to alter the headstock mass, then if that cures it, go buy a FatFinger, which is a neater professional G-Clamp device.[/quote]


[quote name='leschirons' post='458092' date='Apr 9 2009, 08:57 AM']Is it a jazz? If it is, there's been quite a few posts about this issue and despite lots of views. It appears to be a "thing" with jazz basses in my opinion. Had the same problem on all my jazzes except a Roscoe beck (usually somewhere between the 3rd and 7th frets) I would think an aftermarket neck change at worst. As already mentioned, it could be the mass. Maybe some serious EQing could help a bit but that may compromise the tone generally. Call the Bass Gallery maybe for their opinion.[/quote]

I may well be wrong but I think that the OP has said 'flatspot' not 'deadspot', i.e. a flattened area of the fingerboard, hence his raising the action etc.

If that is the case in guitar repairer worth there salt will be able to level that board for you. You can do it yourself but you need the right paper and block otherwise you'll have rolling hills all over your fingerboard and nasty scratches.

[everogere]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='458112' date='Apr 9 2009, 09:18 AM']I may well be wrong but I think that the OP has said 'flatspot' not 'deadspot', i.e. a flattened area of the fingerboard, hence his raising the action etc.

If that is the case in guitar repairer worth there salt will be able to level that board for you. You can do it yourself but you need the right paper and block otherwise you'll have rolling hills all over your fingerboard and nasty scratches.[/quote]


No... my mistake it is a dead spot and it is between the 3rd and 7th fret position and it is a jazz reissue. Sounds like the mass as suggetsed. I will look into this fat finger thingy. Thanks

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='everogere' post='458771' date='Apr 9 2009, 08:04 PM']No... my mistake it is a dead spot and it is between the 3rd and 7th fret position and it is a jazz reissue. Sounds like the mass as suggetsed. I will look into this fat finger thingy. Thanks[/quote]
Aye.. it's a Fender thing. Most of 'em have it in varying degrees. Try a G-clamp before you splash out on a Fat Finger.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='458801' date='Apr 9 2009, 08:41 PM']Aye.. it's a Fender thing. Most of 'em have it in varying degrees.[/quote]

So does my Warwick, and my Stingray, and... I think every 4-string bass I've ever owned, to some degree.

Definitely not a problem specific to Fender, although I suppose we can blame them because everybody else's designs are based on theirs...

[lozbass]

I've had dead spots on every bass I've owned bar three (and I've lost count). There is an extended thread on the issue - it's the first 'pinned' thread in 'Repairs and Technical Issues'. I've tried all manner of remedies with varying degrees of success (depending on the bass) but I've never fully eliminated a dead spot. To be honest, I now just see dead spots as part and parcel of bass-playing. It's irritating, but as long as the spot is not too bad, I just try to work around it and don't obsess (and to the OP, I doubt your bass is particularly defective - compare it with a few more Jazzers). I've found Jazz designs to be particularly vulnerable to dead-spots, and graphite basses relatively dead-spot free.

[SJA]

another idea for solving the problem- put a Status graphite replacement neck on it.

[martthebass]

[quote name='SJA' post='459238' date='Apr 10 2009, 01:05 PM']another idea for solving the problem- put a Status graphite replacement neck on it.[/quote]


Good call, I had a MIM fretless Jazz with a dead spot on the G at 5th (pretty poor place to have it). A status graphite neck (also Fretless) cured the problem completely - expensive fix tho......I was lucky and got a second hand one for £165 inc. Hipshot ultralites

Edited April 10, 2009 by martthebass