Just found a deadspot on my Dingwall. I am annoyed.

[kwmlondon]

Hi. I've had my ABZ since July last year and I am very happy with the thing - damn well should be as it took 8 months to build and cost a pretty penny. However, I was just doing something that needed a noise gate and found something weird happening with the C on the 10th fret of the 2nd string as the note cut out way quicker than the others. When took the gate off I realised that while the note sounds fine it dies away within a couple of seconds, much faster than the surrounding notes. I tried pressing the tip of the headstock against my desk and the issue stopped and the note sustains really nicely, but as soon as I stop pressing the bass into the wood of the desk the note just chokes off.

 

On one level it's not important - when the hell do you need to sutain that note? On the other, I'm feeling peeved. I'll pop Mark at Bass Direct a message tomorrow - they may have a quick fix for it. If not I could just play the rest of my life with the heastock touching a desk or wardrobe or something...

[Hellzero]

The dead spot is inevitable on instruments as it's linked to their resonant frequency and every material has one.

 

You could add some weight on the headstock to move it further away so it won't annoy you, something like the (Fender) FatFinger can do wonders and it's easy to place and remove.

[Killerfridge]

I think some dead spots are just more pronounced than others. I can't find any on the basses that I own (I'm there they're there, just minimal/unnoticeable). I tried a Fender Custom Shop P the other week, and there was a dead spot so bad that I think I would have avoided even playing near that note - it was about half the volume and sustain of everything around it

[kwmlondon]

30 minutes ago, Hellzero said:

The dead spot is inevitable on instruments as it's linked to their resonant frequency and every material has one.

 

You could add some weight on the headstock to move it further away so it won't annoy you, something like the (Fender) FatFinger can do wonders and it's easy to place and remove.

I thought this. I'll ask Mark if Dingwall have any suggestions- they may have come across it before and have some ideas e.g. new strings.

I wonder if putting one of those headstock tuners on would help? Can't do any harm...

[kwmlondon]

22 minutes ago, Killerfridge said:

I think some dead spots are just more pronounced than others. I can't find any on the basses that I own (I'm there they're there, just minimal/unnoticeable). I tried a Fender Custom Shop P the other week, and there was a dead spot so bad that I think I would have avoided even playing near that note - it was about half the volume and sustain of everything around it

Yeah, I had a USA Jazz Pro that had a terrible dead spot on the C of the second fret of the 3rd string... that's a well used note! My Stingray had a slight drop off in sustain on the B at the 7th fret of the 4th string, only noticed it after about 20 years of use so it wasn't exactly bothering me!

 

It's annoying on my Dingwall though as this is a custom job and it's not like I could just swap the neck out, but it's not a huge issue. May even become less pronounced if I change the strings or get a setup. Will ask Mark at Bass Direct. I'll get over it anyway.

[snorkie635]

2 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

I thought this. I'll ask Mark if Dingwall have any suggestions- they may have come across it before and have some ideas e.g. new strings.

I wonder if putting one of those headstock tuners on would help? Can't do any harm...

Sorry to say that new strings will make no difference. The Fatfinger does work and sometimes, so well, it removes the dreaded dead spot altogether. If you go the FF route, try different positions across the headstock as this can make a difference as well. I have three basses with dead spots and all were fixed by the addition of the FF. obviously, the extra metal will make the neck more prone to dive, but at least your bass will sound as it should. Goodest of luck.

[kwmlondon]

1 minute ago, snorkie635 said:

Sorry to say that new strings will make no difference. The Fatfinger does work and sometimes, so well, it removes the dreaded dead spot altogether. If you go the FF route, try different positions across the headstock as this can make a difference as well. I have three basses with dead spots and all were fixed by the addition of the FF. obviously, the extra metal will make the neck more prone to dive, but at least your bass will sound as it should. Goodest of luck.

Thanks.

 

I just tried clipping one of those woodworking clamps to the headstock, it's small and light but that was enough to give the note a fair bit more sustain so I recon a headstock tuner would probably be enough to mitigate a lot of the issue, but I'll reach out to Dingwall anyway - they may have something a bit more elegant to offer.

[snorkie635]

Just now, kwmlondon said:

Thanks.

 

I just tried clipping one of those woodworking clamps to the headstock, it's small and light but that was enough to give the note a fair bit more sustain so I recon a headstock tuner would probably be enough to mitigate a lot of the issue, but I'll reach out to Dingwall anyway - they may have something a bit more elegant to offer.

Possibly, but best wishes for a happy resolution whatever you decide.

[kwmlondon]

7 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

Possibly, but best wishes for a happy resolution whatever you decide.

Well, one thing I'm not going to do is play a gig with a Fat Finger on the end of the bass - trust me, with my playing nobody would notice a C not sustaining as long as the other notes but people will ask why I've got that thing stuck on the end of my bass! If it becomes an issue recording then, yes, that'd make sense. Cheers for all the input though - it's much appreciated.