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Dead Spots
Re: Dead Spots
> Resonant frequency of the neck. When a note at or near the resonant
> frequency is played, the energy of the note goes into vibrating the
> neck, rather than the string, causing the loss in volume/sustain.
>
> On wooden neck basses, you can verify this by (CAREFULLY!) attaching a
> padded clamp to the headstock, if you're the experimental type. By
> changing the mass of the neck, you change the resonant frequency.
>
> A few years ago you could buy a brass plate which bolted to the back
> of a Fender headstock and helped eliminate dead spots.
>
> It's also affected by the material the neck is made out of.
Here's more than you probably wanted to know:
http :// www .acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html
> Resonant frequency of the neck. When a note at or near the resonant
> frequency is played, the energy of the note goes into vibrating the
> neck, rather than the string, causing the loss in volume/sustain.
>
> On wooden neck basses, you can verify this by (CAREFULLY!) attaching a
> padded clamp to the headstock, if you're the experimental type. By
> changing the mass of the neck, you change the resonant frequency.
>
> A few years ago you could buy a brass plate which bolted to the back
> of a Fender headstock and helped eliminate dead spots.
>
> It's also affected by the material the neck is made out of.
Here's more than you probably wanted to know:
http :// www .acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html
Re: Dead Spots
Derek Homsberg <dhoms@gmail,com > wrote:
>> Resonant frequency of the neck. When a note at or near the resonant
>> frequency is played, the energy of the note goes into vibrating the
>> neck, rather than the string, causing the loss in volume/sustain.
>>
>> On wooden neck basses, you can verify this by (CAREFULLY!) attaching
>> a padded clamp to the headstock, if you're the experimental type. By
>> changing the mass of the neck, you change the resonant frequency.
>>
>> A few years ago you could buy a brass plate which bolted to the back
>> of a Fender headstock and helped eliminate dead spots.
>>
>> It's also affected by the material the neck is made out of.
>
> Here's more than you probably wanted to know:
> http :// www .acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html
Interesting! Interesting also that he used a Strat for this
demonstration.
The method he used has a flaw, however, insofar as it relates (or
doesn't) to the appearance of dead spots under actual playing
conditions. He's exciting vibrations in the body by shaking it at the
rear of the neck. This ignores an important factor, that is, how much
of the acoustic energy is coupled into the neck from the body while the
guitar or bass is being played.
My own view is that string trees and the low break angle of the strings
at the nut on Fender guitars and basses allow for more coupling of
acoustic energy from the strings into the neck and body than, say,
Gibsons, Gretsches, etc. that have a larger break angle and no string
trees. Hence, issues like dead spots are more likely to show up on
Fenders (and other guitars and basses with similar design issues) than
on these other instruments.
This guy's methodology wouldn't show it, however, since he's already
dumping the acoustic energy directly into the neck.
Derek Homsberg <dhoms@gmail,com > wrote:
>> Resonant frequency of the neck. When a note at or near the resonant
>> frequency is played, the energy of the note goes into vibrating the
>> neck, rather than the string, causing the loss in volume/sustain.
>>
>> On wooden neck basses, you can verify this by (CAREFULLY!) attaching
>> a padded clamp to the headstock, if you're the experimental type. By
>> changing the mass of the neck, you change the resonant frequency.
>>
>> A few years ago you could buy a brass plate which bolted to the back
>> of a Fender headstock and helped eliminate dead spots.
>>
>> It's also affected by the material the neck is made out of.
>
> Here's more than you probably wanted to know:
> http :// www .acoustics.org/press/137th/fleischer.html
Interesting! Interesting also that he used a Strat for this
demonstration.
The method he used has a flaw, however, insofar as it relates (or
doesn't) to the appearance of dead spots under actual playing
conditions. He's exciting vibrations in the body by shaking it at the
rear of the neck. This ignores an important factor, that is, how much
of the acoustic energy is coupled into the neck from the body while the
guitar or bass is being played.
My own view is that string trees and the low break angle of the strings
at the nut on Fender guitars and basses allow for more coupling of
acoustic energy from the strings into the neck and body than, say,
Gibsons, Gretsches, etc. that have a larger break angle and no string
trees. Hence, issues like dead spots are more likely to show up on
Fenders (and other guitars and basses with similar design issues) than
on these other instruments.
This guy's methodology wouldn't show it, however, since he's already
dumping the acoustic energy directly into the neck.
