The dead spots may be due to poorly seated frets or frets with a lot of air under it. If the dead spot moves with a weight added, it evidently is frequency related but if it stays in the same spot it's worth checking the actual fret seating/voids. Taping the fret can reveal poor transferance.
A nice way of finding out if you actually have dead-spots or just bad frets. If you feel like you have one, try the same note with a slide aswell, that eliminates the factor of bad frets. I also don't mind the "wolfnotes" i think they work well in solos if you can use them right! And ben, could you make a video explaning how the woods of a guitar affects tone(not sustain etc), some proof would also be nice :)
I was looking for a simple video to send to my friend who think he’s got a dead spot. The normal approach is to tap along the fret with something metal and you can hear if it sounds dull. Usual fix is hold the fret down with a fret press and run water super thin superglue down the edge of the fret. It’s usually a bad slot fret not pressed/hammered correctly unless as Ben states dead but of wood. Again more likely on cheap Chinese guitars where inferior not properly seasoned wood used and poor fret jobs
I used to play cello and wolf notes are pretty common in cellos. Most of them have a certain frequency that they are sympathetic to and when you hit that particular note it would howl. Once you know where the wolf is you can make it howl. To combat the wolf I used a brass weight placed on the string between the bridge and the tail piece to help with my wolf, which showed up at the A on the C string on my cello. The weight did't eliminate the wolf, but by playing around with the placement of the weight I could subtly change the frequency that made the wolf howl; moving it towards the bridge would decrease the frequency and moving it away from the bridge would increase the frequency. I was able to get the wolf precisely between two notes on the chromatic scale, between A and Ab. I moved it....what would you call half a semi tone? This way the wolf wouldn't show up while playing unless my intonation was way off. I just got a Taylor acoustic guitar and have found the F on the A string to be dead. It sounds as if the string is being palm muted when I play that note while all of the other notes ring out and sustain much longer. I was thinking it may be caused by the fret not being leveled properly or something, but this gives me another possible cause/solution to investigate. Thanks!
How much weight would you expect might be needed to enhance the sustain on the A string, around the 5th 6th and 7th fret? 2-3 ounces? I have no ides how much to attempt. Help???
If someone wants to shift the resonant frequencies of the guitar neck, I'd recommend using the self adhesive lead weights used for wheel balancing. Put some masking tape onto the rear of the headstock to protect the finish, then apply the weights. You can then experiment to find the ideal weight before resorting to a more permanent fix.
On ACOUSTIC guitars I've heard of guys changing the keys entirely to keys with much shorter pegs, this allows you to wind the string onto the shorter pegs, thus creating much more downward pressure on the nut, thus solving the wolf note problem, I've never tried this myself but have heard it being done and working on many acoustic guitars, same method probably would apply to electric guitars. Just a thought.
Interesting topic. I have fixed these problems mostly via setup and string changes. I have one Spanish guitar (no truss rod) that needed to have its b and e strings changed to high tension strings to solve it. That is the only guitar I have ever had with a one piece neck... all the rest are laminated.
I think everyone, on either side, would agree that the bridge, nut, and strings all play a part in the sound detected by a pickup, but if adding weights to the wood can change wolf notes isn't that proof that the wood is a factor? You're not changing the strings or the pickups, just the wood, and it effects the sound
+MrBingping This is absolutely true --- however, when making the statement that tonewood does not exist -- no one is saying that the wood doesn't matter, because it does -- it's the SPECIES of the wood that doesn't matter...People out there claim Maple has "X" sound characteristics, while Basswood has "Y" -- this is not only not true, but it assumes all pieces of Maple are identical and all pieces of Basswood are identical, etc. In my opinion, it's all about the quality of the wood and the quality of the construction -- the SPECIES of the wood used has little to do with either of these things, as you could have a perfect piece of (insert species here) for building a guitar neck, and you could have another piece of that same exact species that is absolute shit for building a guitar neck. You can not go by species and say just because it's a "whatever" guitar neck / body, it will have a "whatever" sound characteristic.
I once read or watched something about putting weights on the top of an acoustic guitar. The suggestion was to experiement putting several varying sized pieces of blu tack at differerent places on the guitar top from the outside. Then, if and when, you managed to alter the guitars vibration to your liking, you would know where to stick them on the inside (where they wouldn't be visible).
I had dead spots on my Taylor acoustic. I fixed them by carefully applying super glue to the point where the fretts meet the wood. I used a toothpick to apply the glue while the neck sat at a 45' angle...gravity feed. The dead spots were a result of loose & lifting frets. The hardened glue allows for positive vibration transfer. IT WORKED!
I have a Suhr Pete Thorn model that rings like a piano everywhere except for The C notes played at the 13th fret of the B string, and on the 17th fret of the G string. They simply stop sustaining after 2.5 to 3 seconds after picking them. This guitar has 3 vibrato bridge springs. As a quick experiment I added a 4th spring. Problem solved. The dead spots were dead no more. That’s not to say that I didn’t create a new dead spot(s) with different notes, nor did I bother checking as I prefer the feel of 3 springs. I’d rather keep the guitar’s feel intact than obsess over something that took me over a year to even notice. Nonetheless I thought this was an interesting finding and thought it might help someone.
Well done. Its a tough nut to solve. I once had a interesting partial solution on my telecaster by lowering the neck pu all the way down. I suppose it effected the resonance of the body. The headstock stuff did nothing. Ty
I found this video because of 2 dead notes on my ukulele. I'd already checked the frets, string height etc. After hearing about adding weights I tried leaving the tuner on the head while playing. The notes ring like a bell. Thanks for the help. It was the first 2 frets on the E string so hard to work around.
I have built a guitar that i love like crazy and the dead note is a G. No matter what string you play or position the g is much shorter. But here is the secret. The dead note is also the overtone harmonic. If you vibrate that note it turns into a harmonic as it dies. This is actually the prettiest sound in a guitar. If your dead note is in a common good spot to go to and sit on it for a minute then do it!! Because it sounds amazing:) the weirdest thing i just noticed. The E if i look over the neck it shakes so badly lik you can literally see it slowly vibrating!!! 😄 but above the pickup where it matters its fine.. weird lol
I'm afraid its not wood that does this, it's most materials that can resonate including steel. Most things have a natural resonance frequency, so whats happening with dead notes is that the guitars frequency is cancelling out the frequency generated by the string. Check out how noise cancelling microphones work. As for your wolf notes the opposite is happening, the frequency of your string in making the guitar vibrate in sympathy therefore adding to the level of that note. For an example look at bridges swaying in winds or the London footbridge that had to be dampened as it was resonating to peoples footsteps when crossing it. I imagine the way to find out the resonant frequency is to connect a signal generator and an oscilloscope to the guitar body and work it out that way.
A guitar has a resonate note. Just like a jug has a note that it makes when you blow across the top. So the guitar has a resonate note that it makes based on the same principal. The size of the sound hole and volume of air in the guitar body determine the note. It is usually an F#. If you had a guitar without a sound hole it wouldn't have a WOLF TONE, but you would loose the sound created inside the guitar and cut the volume in half. Which would be bad since the classical guitar suffers for lack of volume.
I looked at this as I have a lack of sustain on three frets on my acoustic guitar 6th string. Not sure this applies to acoustics but I watched anyway as it's so nice to hear someone who's erudite. Not many vids include the word ameliorate :-) Great stuff.
HI Ben! Great video I've been enjoying watching the back log I've missed. We met briefly at the guitar show a couple of years ago when I was demoing at the Sonuus booth. I was alerted to a useful approach to this problem some years ago by a magazine article and I've put it to good use a couple of times. If I can find online sources I will post them, but basically this article collected up a plethora of aftermarket tuners, weighed them and posted the weights with the advice that changing the headstock mass in either direction would provide effective in tweaking the resonance. They did also delve into tailpieces but I feel the ratio of weight change at the headstock is possibly more noticeable in its effect.
PoJoWo I have a background in electronic engineering though my career is mainly centred around teaching and playing music now, and I often think back to being taught about standing waves on transmission lines and how taken I was that a guitar and string is analogous to this. The loading at either end of the line has a profound effect on the standing wave ratio by tweaking the impedance (mass in the case of the guitar), and hence the relative influence of either terminating end of the wave. Interesting stuff. I stand in awe of your work and the fantastic community you have built around it! Hopefully I will be able to keep up to date from now on. Cheers
From my experience dead spots are usually always caused by the frets either being loose or not level with each other. Some of my guitars have some dead or buzzy notes. Usually I can adjust the truss rod or bridge to eliminate them but not always. If you have a dead note on the 10th fret try tapping in the 11th fret in that area, it may be ever so slightly loose (be careful not to put grooves/marks in the fret) or slightly file or sand the 11th fret in the same area. That should help a lot. What happens is the string is actually hitting the fret in front of the dead or buzzy note, not allowing to vibrate properly. I am surprised that Ben did not mention this at all. I have never heard of adding weights to the headstock and I doubt that would work.
dead spots or a wolfetone is on all akustisk guitars more or less, but can be differents. I think it´s a part of the building process. Most on F or F#. the worst is a dead note on the open G string. Same G in 5 and 10 position is terrible. I have selling akustisk guitars for 12 years, and never had an guitar where i couldn´t heare a dead tone. And no matter expensive or cheap.
Interesting observation about most dead notes being on the F or F#. I have a new Taylor acoustic and the F on the A string is dead. Sounds like it is being palm muted, while all the notes around it sustain and ring out.
@@UltimaRedFireEskimo no, just living with it for now and hoping it will resolve itself or I'll learn how to play around it. Guitars are all unique individuals, each with their own personality. Sometimes you fall in love right away and sometimes it takes a while to get to know one another.
Hey Ben, With all these companies doing the baked maple thing for necks, and now Guthrie's Charvel even has a baked basswood body, would it be possible to do that process to the wood for an acoustic? In theory after baking the wood for an acoustic(including bracings inside) wouldn't that make the guitar almost crack/warp resistant? At the very least I would imagine it would give it the tonal character of a guitar MUCH much older. Cheers!
Hi, I just thought I'd add a solution I've just used that worked on a Marcus Miller 5 string... 5,7,9 14,16 and 17 were very low sustain in any tuning on the G string, so i knew it was mechanical and not frequency related. When I tapped on the point the string touched the fret there was a dull thud compared to the adjacent frets and also on the dead note frets in the other string positions. This prompted me to lift one of the dead frets and reseat it after cleaning out the slot and filling with aliphatic resin...I saw Ben once fretting with "No Nails" to make sure the void in the slot under the tang was fully filled out. The dead fret was gone straight away. the notes now all sustain equally.
Hey buddy. Great post and very well put. Out of interest. Did you ever find it sounds like its out of phase? if you know what I mean. The g?. Yes I know about dead notes etc, I got a nice 5 string bass and I've a few but this one I put the usual gauge of string on and it is dead on the g and low b, so as I had a look this evening I can see that the frets aren't really polished but BUT still seem even enough, so I think to morrow I will mask up the neck and give them a good up and down with wire wool and clean em all up and hopefully it works! But im mythed about the out of phase chorus sort of sound! Take it easy buddy.
Thank you so much for this video! I have a Jackson dinky that started making the most awful rattling sound when I hit the strings. I checked all the components of the Floyd rose system, the bolts on the neck, changed the strings, checked all the frets for anything out of place and nothing solved my issue. You had mentioned something in this video about a loose truss rod and I hadn't even thought of that being the cause, but sure enough it had backed itself out somehow way further than it should be, after putting a bit of tension on it the sound completely went away. I am very grateful for you sharing your insights. Thanks so much!
There is a physics answer to this question. The wolf note or dead spot is an incorrect relation between the node/anti-node of the vibrating string and the pickup. A change in setup would more likely fix the dead spots/wolf tones. Just popping ideas out of my head here. Three things effect the string vibration: string length, string mass and tension. Check everything that could effect the scale length (check the nut and bridge), see if there is something a little off in general. Change strings. Is the pickup where it should be? It is going to be all about getting the string to vibrate where it should and having the pickup in the correct position. It would be fun to experiment with the guitar and find out what's going on. Of course I'm talking out my arse and could be totally wrong. :-) Except about the physics part... I know that stuff. I also made an ASSumption that this was about an electric guitar. Enjoy the videos!
A little late but nonetheless ... I have noticed if you fret (not pluck) the same note, one octave lower, while playing the note that dies too soon, it suddenly gives more sustain and solves partially the problem. Try and see. (Edit: it fixes completely the problem, granted you have perfectly tuned the guitar)
Thinking about drilling a recessed hole in the back of the headstock in my historic Les Paul and putting a gold coin in there (headstock medallion?), so it doesn’t lose any value from the mod. 😮
Would lead tape work on the back or front of the head stock? My Strat Ultra's open G note is quite dead sounding. In fact, this guitar is quite dead sounding acoustically. Mind you, if you plug it in and play it, the sustain isn't as good as my Tele, but it does sound quite good when electrified. But, I do find it annoying at times. Compared to my Les Paul Standard and Tele, the Ultra is muted in the sustain category.
Hello i have a question can anybody help me,..i can not find results about this,..i have e problem with my acoustic guitar,..when i press E wherever on fretboard it gives me this loud sustain echoing sound...and on the other acoustic guitar the same problem but when i press A wherever on fretboard,...does anybody have this issue...??? And what can i do about it..???
Gave the acoustic Fender back and got the Yamaha APXT2...one month old, D and G sound dead from 9th to 13th frets.....turned the truss rod both ways....applied Baby Oil on and Inside the guitar...no luck...please advise.....
So I own a Fender Blacktop bass and I have that problem on e the E String sounds dead. I ordered a different neck made of maple instead of rosewood. How do I fix this ongoing problem.
Hey mate , I am in the process of intonation and all is good except the F and F# fret on the G string ... driving me batty ...any suggestions ??? HELP !!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Brian
I have a one piece birdseye maple neck Grosh with a crazy wolf note. Literally rings the entire body like a bell and continues after you mute the strings. Have been looking for a name for it. Thanks for the info.
I have two high end acoustics and both have "dead" B strings. A small metal shim parked right up against the nut underneath the string (a small piece of the 'leg' of certain sized cotter pin---you'll have to experiment with different pins to get the right size) will raise the string ever so slightly and may eliminate the problem by compensating for a high spot in the #1 or #2 fret, and by providing a harder spot in the nut for that string to sit on. Put a tiny piece of black construction paper under the shim to prevent scarring on the fret board under the shim, which is so small it's barely noticeable. This will also help with micro intonation problems if you're picky about that sort of thing, which I am.
I have a note on my fender jazz Bass which has a warm with neck stainless steel threads the eighth note on the a string is way quieter than every note on the base the note before and after are completely loud it doesn't do it down the other strings in that Fred or nothing very strange
I have dead string. The high e open string is dead and lacks luster and that bright ringing tone the other strings have. Also, the high e string has a tendency to fall out of the slot and wedge itself on the outside of the nut. It's a brand new, one player guitar that's only two weeks out of the box. Please someone help. Do I need a new nut? Do I need to deepen the slot?
On classical guitars I worked out the answer to this problem. You need to get a blob of Bluetack .Try different weights on the bridge. You will find dead notes that appear on 4 strings but they are all on a similar/same note. When you get the weight right the notes will resonate but the notes close to them will also sound richer . If you add bits of coloured tape under all the dead notes it becomes very clear what is happening . The volume of the guitar will not be reduced . When you think it has worked just remove the bluetack and you will be right back to where you started . It`s very convincing proof. Mostly it`s caused by the top and back being tuned to the same note. I carefully weighed the bluetack and substituted it with a stainless steel bar glued beneath the strings at the front of the guitar. Maybe adding weight inside the back would work instead . It`s a cheap experiment if you can afford some Bluetack .
I've got a new Telecaster and it seems that I'm getting "worbling" in some of my notes at the 11th-14th frets (mostly on the D and G strings). The guitar has been set up by a professional shop and I lowered the bridge pickup, but I don't know if that will help. Besides the pick up height, what else could be causing my fretting issues and what can I do to fix it?
Weird question but do you think it's possible to find out if a guitar will have dead spots BEFORE you build it ? Dead spots seem to be caused by the wood, and apparently they somehow both react to the pitch of the note and the location of the note on the fretboard. Maybe poking the neck laminates before building the neck might help finding locations that don't resonate or something... so if you find that you have a "bad laminate" you might just want to use another one and it might help having less dead spots. I don't know, I'm just suggesting stuff.
I really really don't think so, is not something we can quantify even when the neck is built so to predict it would take technology we don't get have.. Well, I wouldn't mind having a personal supercomputer but it's not likely for now :(
if weights on the strings... how about add, remove, or move the string trees. string trees change the direction of the string moment on the headstock which will move the nodes just like adding mass. Still have to experiment with placement.
Yes indeed, also changing the string break angle using string trees or shorter post tuners will change the string tension and therefore the vibrations/tone
Hi ben, are there any other materials for an alternative way to fret? like a the pro glide thing. It would be interesting to see something different or potentially better. I suppose if it ain't broke don't fix it, but it would be interesting!
I've had good luck with it on my MIM P bass and the D'Addario strings resonate quite a bit more to my ear. Just looks kinda clunky :\ Maybe I'll drill in, glue a weight on the back of that spot on the headstock now that I know it will work!
Interesting video. I have two ukuleles with dead spots. I took one to a Luthier who took a little off one of the frets but that made no difference. As you said, it is a common problem and one I have decided just to live with.
I have weird noise when I try to bend the 15th fret (G) on the high E string. When I bend it up to A, the note goes absolutely dead. It doesn't buzz, it just stops ringing completely. 15 fret or 18 or 20 In high E string i don't know what's causing this
on the high E string around the fourteenth fret i get the same note on three different frets even tho i have changed strings several times... i have no clue to what it is or how i can fix it???
My $400 washburn acoustic has certain notes/frequencies that will ring out. I embrace it, as part of the music. I like hearing it. I'm making my guitar sing.
murmles Hi! I had a Gibson SG Special back in the late 80s. All mahogany. The F# just died instantly no matter where you played it. Embarassing when playing slow twin leads! I put a brass bridge and nut on the fukka, but no change. I really had no notion of how to fix it back then, so off it went. Good riddance, I say.
I think you meant to say the 5th fret on the high e, and the 6th fret etc. If this is the case, your 6th fret is too high , or your 5th fret is too low, or has a groove in it. You can either learn to do fret work for your self (lots of videos on the subject) or take it to a luthier for repair. It is not a big deal for any competent repair person or luthier. good Luck!
Thanks for the videos. I have a dead high e string when played open. Raising the bridge adjustment doesn't help. Could it be the nut - the string is pulled down well with the string trees. Or could it likewise be the neck adjustment? It looks very flat. Its a newer Charvel electric with a roasted maple neck.
Every Telecaster I own has a short sustain fretted F4 note. Doesn't matter what string I play it on. I only noticed because I was working on a tune that called for a really long sustain on that note. Figured it was fretting out but no. Tried a different string on same guitar, then other guitars. Has about half the sustain of the adjacent E or F# notes. Wierd.
Hej ben. I'm about to build.Mt first guitar and I'm considering making a fanned fret guitar. But is there a difference in dressing a fanned fret guitar versus a regular fretted fretboard?
Not really. You still have to crown it from the fret's centerline. If the land you leave is on the wide side, because the fret is slanted, it may cause problems. Go for the slimest top possible.
Well, it is science. Wood is just so complicated that you can't make exact calculations. But adding weight to the headstock makes the resonant frequency of the neck lower, as does making the neck more flexible.That much can be said.
Hi Ben. I have a question about the neck on my Les Paul. I have noticed that where the neck joins the body the frets are sitting slightly higher! I was wondering what the options are to remedy the problem? is this a problem that is likely to happen again/worsen in the future? as I understand that wood can be tempermental and evil! :P Thanks for the great videos :D
It just needs a Fret level and it should be good, neck joints sometimes create a 'hump' in the board during production. Check out our tools at www.crimsonguitars.com/shop of you fancy giving it a go yourself if not find a good luthier or local repairman to help.
...interesting... I have an acoustic whose A notes are dead... all across the board. damnedest thing. was hoping for a fix here, but not sure we have one...
That could very well be an issue with the saddle then, it sounds like the saddle isn't connecting the body properly or maybe the string doesn't have enough tension over the saddle..
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars ... sorry, may not have been sufficiently clear in the description... it's not the A string, in fact, that is the only A that sounds okay... it is all the other, fretted As that are dead, even the 'chime' A... thanks for taking the time to respond, however. Just not thinking there really is a 'fix' for this. Kind of a drag, frankly.
My acoustic has four frets on the high E (11 12 13 14) that all play the kote of the 15th fret. So basically I cant userhose frets at all. I can't figure out why they are like this at all. The 11th fret is totally dead sounding. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
+Ben Johnson There is a problem with the frets, this could be a too high fret (15) or low frets (11-14) but most likely its because a hump in the wood of the fretboard. So the solution would be either a fret level, or a full refret with fretboard leveling to remove the hump.
Fender jazz basses are pretty notorious for their 5th fret G string dead spot. I have one of those clamp on weights of which you speak (Fender Fatfinger) and I'm not really certain it helps a ton.
My instrument in question is a 75 reissue with humongous tuners on it already. It's not nearly as bad as some of the others I've encountered. I think the issue has been around since they've been made.
Warmoth and Moses claim they don't get dead spots, but I tend to stay stock and just work with the instrument I've got. Unless it's super uneven, there probably won't be too much of a difference out front.
i have what I call dead strings ( D&G 12th thru the 18th frets).They make an annoying flat "Tink" noise when picked. I tried using finger pads rather than tips and get the same result.....ohhhh this is gonna be a thing!
When I play my guitar, i play frets 7 and 8 on the e string and they sound the same, there’s no note change, it’s the same for other strings on different frets. help?
I have found a contradiction that in the case of dead spots on certain fretted notes that have reduced sustain if you play those same notes with a bottleneck glass slide then you get the full sustain.
when i play on my g string on my basses its only one spot on it who made mute sound. when i play tone D on G string its make mute sound but rest of the tone on the g string are fine
Ben, You forgot one thing. Ask the player where they are playing. Is the room they are in acoustically bad? I found out that when I move to my garage in the summer months to escape the central air, I have all kinds of dead spots. When I go back into my family room in the fall, I am fine.
HEY BEN I've asked this one a couple times an never got an answer so I thought I'd ask again since you always say ask me any questions you have , So what is the status on the WOODEN PICS YOU GUYS WERE MAKING an are yall ever gonna tell us the winners of the 30,000 subscribers Contests or did yall ever mail any out??........
shon m I got some as part of the contest, as well as a mail in response to my (required) suggestion. Maybe mail them again, forwarding your original mail?
Hey, sorry I hadn't seen this before. We sent out packs to the first 250 or so people who entered, 100 more than planned and even people who didn't give meet the criteria (address, idea for the business etc) should have had an email saying they didn't make it.. It did take a while to get organised though. If you send me an email with your address I will pop some in the post to you anyway. Thanks for watching!
Hey Shon, I'm pretty sure I've answered this already but no worries. We sent out several hundred more than promised but ran out of time and money for the project.. We had 2 guys working for several weeks making them and posted out inside a month.. However, if you drop talitha an email at office at crimsonguitars.com she'll make sure to get some out to you. Thank you for your support!
At least 20 years ago, there was a product advertised in Guitar Player magazine (here in the U,S) that was machined brass. I'm guessing cymbals that didn't pass Q.C. that were shaped to fit the back of popular headstock (Strat, Tele and Gibson)designs. They were supposed to add massive amounts of sustain.
put some tape/putty/stuff on the neck, any change in local mass, strength will change the local resonant frequency or (if you are rich as shit) go to some automotive NVH developer, let him measure the resonances and all related stuff and he will give you detailed instructions where to start with your changes
This is a common problem with ukuleles. Don’t care how expensive they are, or how good the stings. Ther will always be a dead note oN AT LEAST TWO STRINGS.
As soon as this video started, I just thought "Im probably fucked since I dont have any of those 1000 tools behind him.."
🤣
Friggn Hilarious
No lie, I’m sitting here with a pair of toenail clippers and I clicked on this Guy !
The dead spots may be due to poorly seated frets or frets with a lot of air under it. If the dead spot moves with a weight added, it evidently is frequency related but if it stays in the same spot it's worth checking the actual fret seating/voids. Taping the fret can reveal poor transferance.
A nice way of finding out if you actually have dead-spots or just bad frets. If you feel like you have one, try the same note with a slide aswell, that eliminates the factor of bad frets. I also don't mind the "wolfnotes" i think they work well in solos if you can use them right!
And ben, could you make a video explaning how the woods of a guitar affects tone(not sustain etc), some proof would also be nice :)
I was hoping to hear an example of a dead spot as opposed to someone just chattering on about it.
yep
I was looking for a simple video to send to my friend who think he’s got a dead spot.
The normal approach is to tap along the fret with something metal and you can hear if it sounds dull. Usual fix is hold the fret down with a fret press and run water super thin superglue down the edge of the fret. It’s usually a bad slot fret not pressed/hammered correctly unless as Ben states dead but of wood. Again more likely on cheap Chinese guitars where inferior not properly seasoned wood used and poor fret jobs
I used to play cello and wolf notes are pretty common in cellos. Most of them have a certain frequency that they are sympathetic to and when you hit that particular note it would howl. Once you know where the wolf is you can make it howl.
To combat the wolf I used a brass weight placed on the string between the bridge and the tail piece to help with my wolf, which showed up at the A on the C string on my cello. The weight did't eliminate the wolf, but by playing around with the placement of the weight I could subtly change the frequency that made the wolf howl; moving it towards the bridge would decrease the frequency and moving it away from the bridge would increase the frequency. I was able to get the wolf precisely between two notes on the chromatic scale, between A and Ab. I moved it....what would you call half a semi tone? This way the wolf wouldn't show up while playing unless my intonation was way off.
I just got a Taylor acoustic guitar and have found the F on the A string to be dead. It sounds as if the string is being palm muted when I play that note while all of the other notes ring out and sustain much longer. I was thinking it may be caused by the fret not being leveled properly or something, but this gives me another possible cause/solution to investigate.
Thanks!
Did you solve this as I have a guitar whose F on the A string does the same...
@@tommysixstring5094 no, I just got used to it. Lol just part of the character of that guitar.
@@plainoldjason Same here... The instrument is otherwise fantastic so yeah... Character!
just attach weights using two magnets and thats it
How much weight would you expect might be needed to enhance the sustain on the A string, around the 5th 6th and 7th fret? 2-3 ounces? I have no ides how much to attempt. Help???
If someone wants to shift the resonant frequencies of the guitar neck, I'd recommend using the self adhesive lead weights used for wheel balancing. Put some masking tape onto the rear of the headstock to protect the finish, then apply the weights. You can then experiment to find the ideal weight before resorting to a more permanent fix.
On ACOUSTIC guitars I've heard of guys changing the keys entirely to keys with much shorter pegs, this allows you to wind the string onto the shorter pegs, thus creating much more downward pressure on the nut, thus solving the wolf note problem, I've never tried this myself but have heard it being done and working on many acoustic guitars, same method probably would apply to electric guitars. Just a thought.
Great idea, Randy! Thanks for sharing.
Interesting topic. I have fixed these problems mostly via setup and string changes. I have one Spanish guitar (no truss rod) that needed to have its b and e strings changed to high tension strings to solve it. That is the only guitar I have ever had with a one piece neck... all the rest are laminated.
I think everyone, on either side, would agree that the bridge, nut, and strings all play a part in the sound detected by a pickup, but if adding weights to the wood can change wolf notes isn't that proof that the wood is a factor? You're not changing the strings or the pickups, just the wood, and it effects the sound
Now there's a thought! And that is an easily demonstrable thing! Thank you :)
MrBingping I'm pretty sure the wood itself affects how the strings vibrate and the vibrating strings is what causes the sound.
I agree, however there are a lot of people who would not
+MrBingping
This is absolutely true --- however, when making the statement that tonewood does not exist -- no one is saying that the wood doesn't matter, because it does -- it's the SPECIES of the wood that doesn't matter...People out there claim Maple has "X" sound characteristics, while Basswood has "Y" -- this is not only not true, but it assumes all pieces of Maple are identical and all pieces of Basswood are identical, etc. In my opinion, it's all about the quality of the wood and the quality of the construction -- the SPECIES of the wood used has little to do with either of these things, as you could have a perfect piece of (insert species here) for building a guitar neck, and you could have another piece of that same exact species that is absolute shit for building a guitar neck. You can not go by species and say just because it's a "whatever" guitar neck / body, it will have a "whatever" sound characteristic.
+surgeyX I also agree with that, but even then people will say any material would sound exactly the same if it had the same pickups.
I once read or watched something about putting weights on the top of an acoustic guitar. The suggestion was to experiement putting several varying sized pieces of blu tack at differerent places on the guitar top from the outside. Then, if and when, you managed to alter the guitars vibration to your liking, you would know where to stick them on the inside (where they wouldn't be visible).
I had dead spots on my Taylor acoustic. I fixed them by carefully applying super glue to the point where the fretts meet the wood. I used a toothpick to apply the glue while the neck sat at a 45' angle...gravity feed. The dead spots were a result of loose & lifting frets. The hardened glue allows for positive vibration transfer. IT WORKED!
On a Taylor? That's outrageous surely? I am here as I have a new gs mini and I have a dead spot pretty annoying
I just bought a $4,000 Taylor three weeks ago and just noticed it has a bunch of dead spots, super disappointing
I have a Suhr Pete Thorn model that rings like a piano everywhere except for The C notes played at the 13th fret of the B string, and on the 17th fret of the G string. They simply stop sustaining after 2.5 to 3 seconds after picking them.
This guitar has 3 vibrato bridge springs. As a quick experiment I added a 4th spring. Problem solved. The dead spots were dead no more. That’s not to say that I didn’t create a new dead spot(s) with different notes, nor did I bother checking as I prefer the feel of 3 springs. I’d rather keep the guitar’s feel intact than obsess over something that took me over a year to even notice. Nonetheless I thought this was an interesting finding and thought it might help someone.
Well done. Its a tough nut to solve. I once had a interesting partial solution on my telecaster by lowering the neck pu all the way down. I suppose it effected the resonance of the body. The headstock stuff did nothing. Ty
I found this video because of 2 dead notes on my ukulele. I'd already checked the frets, string height etc. After hearing about adding weights I tried leaving the tuner on the head while playing. The notes ring like a bell. Thanks for the help. It was the first 2 frets on the E string so hard to work around.
Get to the frickin' point!
2:06 for the impatient
I have built a guitar that i love like crazy and the dead note is a G. No matter what string you play or position the g is much shorter. But here is the secret. The dead note is also the overtone harmonic. If you vibrate that note it turns into a harmonic as it dies. This is actually the prettiest sound in a guitar. If your dead note is in a common good spot to go to and sit on it for a minute then do it!! Because it sounds amazing:) the weirdest thing i just noticed. The E if i look over the neck it shakes so badly lik you can literally see it slowly vibrating!!! 😄 but above the pickup where it matters its fine.. weird lol
I'm afraid its not wood that does this, it's most materials that can resonate including steel. Most things have a natural resonance frequency, so whats happening with dead notes is that the guitars frequency is cancelling out the frequency generated by the string. Check out how noise cancelling microphones work.
As for your wolf notes the opposite is happening, the frequency of your string in making the guitar vibrate in sympathy therefore adding to the level of that note. For an example look at bridges swaying in winds or the London footbridge that had to be dampened as it was resonating to peoples footsteps when crossing it.
I imagine the way to find out the resonant frequency is to connect a signal generator and an oscilloscope to the guitar body and work it out that way.
Thank you! Your explanation helped me understand exactly.
Great! So how do I fix it?
He addresses the fucking question at 2:15. You're welcome
A guitar has a resonate note. Just like a jug has a note that it makes when you blow across the top. So the guitar has a resonate note that it makes based on the same principal. The size of the sound hole and volume of air in the guitar body determine the note. It is usually an F#. If you had a guitar without a sound hole it wouldn't have a WOLF TONE, but you would loose the sound created inside the guitar and cut the volume in half. Which would be bad since the classical guitar suffers for lack of volume.
I looked at this as I have a lack of sustain on three frets on my acoustic guitar 6th string. Not sure this applies to acoustics but I watched anyway as it's so nice to hear someone who's erudite. Not many vids include the word ameliorate :-) Great stuff.
Thank you for watching, I hope it helped.. ameliorate a good word isnt it? B
Can you do a video series on building a B.C. Rich Warlock? I own one but I think it would be cool to see one built.
HI Ben! Great video I've been enjoying watching the back log I've missed. We met briefly at the guitar show a couple of years ago when I was demoing at the Sonuus booth. I was alerted to a useful approach to this problem some years ago by a magazine article and I've put it to good use a couple of times. If I can find online sources I will post them, but basically this article collected up a plethora of aftermarket tuners, weighed them and posted the weights with the advice that changing the headstock mass in either direction would provide effective in tweaking the resonance. They did also delve into tailpieces but I feel the ratio of weight change at the headstock is possibly more noticeable in its effect.
PoJoWo I have a background in electronic engineering though my career is mainly centred around teaching and playing music now, and I often think back to being taught about standing waves on transmission lines and how taken I was that a guitar and string is analogous to this. The loading at either end of the line has a profound effect on the standing wave ratio by tweaking the impedance (mass in the case of the guitar), and hence the relative influence of either terminating end of the wave. Interesting stuff. I stand in awe of your work and the fantastic community you have built around it! Hopefully I will be able to keep up to date from now on. Cheers
From my experience dead spots are usually always caused by the frets either being loose or not level with each other. Some of my guitars have some dead or buzzy notes. Usually I can adjust the truss rod or bridge to eliminate them but not always. If you have a dead note on the 10th fret try tapping in the 11th fret in that area, it may be ever so slightly loose (be careful not to put grooves/marks in the fret) or slightly file or sand the 11th fret in the same area. That should help a lot. What happens is the string is actually hitting the fret in front of the dead or buzzy note, not allowing to vibrate properly. I am surprised that Ben did not mention this at all. I have never heard of adding weights to the headstock and I doubt that would work.
icu469 - This is a different phenomenon. Dead spot may appear on open string not touching ANY fret.
thats called a buzz not a dead spot.
guitarlicks101 Should I adjust the truss rod by tightning a quarter turn?
dead spots or a wolfetone is on all akustisk guitars more or less, but can be differents.
I think it´s a part of the building process.
Most on F or F#. the worst is a dead note on the open G string. Same G in 5 and 10 position is terrible. I have selling akustisk guitars for 12 years, and never had an guitar where i couldn´t heare a dead tone. And no matter expensive or cheap.
Interesting observation about most dead notes being on the F or F#. I have a new Taylor acoustic and the F on the A string is dead. Sounds like it is being palm muted, while all the notes around it sustain and ring out.
@@plainoldjason I have the EXACT same issue right now. Did you end up getting it fixed? Driving me nuts right now...
@@UltimaRedFireEskimo no, just living with it for now and hoping it will resolve itself or I'll learn how to play around it. Guitars are all unique individuals, each with their own personality. Sometimes you fall in love right away and sometimes it takes a while to get to know one another.
Hey Ben,
With all these companies doing the baked maple thing for necks, and now Guthrie's Charvel even has a baked basswood body, would it be possible to do that process to the wood for an acoustic? In theory after baking the wood for an acoustic(including bracings inside) wouldn't that make the guitar almost crack/warp resistant? At the very least I would imagine it would give it the tonal character of a guitar MUCH much older. Cheers!
Someone loves the sound of their own voice.
What can I say, the guy's got a lovely voice.
Ya know I'm not hating it. Dude is just really about his guitars
Hi,
I just thought I'd add a solution I've just used that worked on a Marcus Miller 5 string... 5,7,9 14,16 and 17 were very low sustain in any tuning on the G string, so i knew it was mechanical and not frequency related. When I tapped on the point the string touched the fret there was a dull thud compared to the adjacent frets and also on the dead note frets in the other string positions. This prompted me to lift one of the dead frets and reseat it after cleaning out the slot and filling with aliphatic resin...I saw Ben once fretting with "No Nails" to make sure the void in the slot under the tang was fully filled out. The dead fret was gone straight away. the notes now all sustain equally.
Hey buddy. Great post and very well put. Out of interest. Did you ever find it sounds like its out of phase? if you know what I mean. The g?. Yes I know about dead notes etc, I got a nice 5 string bass and I've a few but this one I put the usual gauge of string on and it is dead on the g and low b, so as I had a look this evening I can see that the frets aren't really polished but BUT still seem even enough, so I think to morrow I will mask up the neck and give them a good up and down with wire wool and clean em all up and hopefully it works! But im mythed about the out of phase chorus sort of sound! Take it easy buddy.
Thank you so much for this video! I have a Jackson dinky that started making the most awful rattling sound when I hit the strings. I checked all the components of the Floyd rose system, the bolts on the neck, changed the strings, checked all the frets for anything out of place and nothing solved my issue. You had mentioned something in this video about a loose truss rod and I hadn't even thought of that being the cause, but sure enough it had backed itself out somehow way further than it should be, after putting a bit of tension on it the sound completely went away. I am very grateful for you sharing your insights. Thanks so much!
Glad to help, even in a round about way.. Isn't it amazingly frustrating just how many causes of buzzing there can be in a guitar!?
I read a story once where three hepcats kicked the wolf note by hiding out in a house made of bricks. Could be worth a try if all else fails.
Well, my first port of call would be Intonation. Check it, it will move the dead spot sometimes completely out of range.
Video starts at 2:04
There is a physics answer to this question. The wolf note or dead spot is an incorrect relation between the node/anti-node of the vibrating string and the pickup.
A change in setup would more likely fix the dead spots/wolf tones. Just popping ideas out of my head here. Three things effect the string vibration: string length, string mass and tension. Check everything that could effect the scale length (check the nut and bridge), see if there is something a little off in general. Change strings. Is the pickup where it should be? It is going to be all about getting the string to vibrate where it should and having the pickup in the correct position. It would be fun to experiment with the guitar and find out what's going on.
Of course I'm talking out my arse and could be totally wrong. :-) Except about the physics part... I know that stuff. I also made an ASSumption that this was about an electric guitar. Enjoy the videos!
A little late but nonetheless ... I have noticed if you fret (not pluck) the same note, one octave lower, while playing the note that dies too soon, it suddenly gives more sustain and solves partially the problem. Try and see. (Edit: it fixes completely the problem, granted you have perfectly tuned the guitar)
Thinking about drilling a recessed hole in the back of the headstock in my historic Les Paul and putting a gold coin in there (headstock medallion?), so it doesn’t lose any value from the mod. 😮
Would lead tape work on the back or front of the head stock? My Strat Ultra's open G note is quite dead sounding. In fact, this guitar is quite dead sounding acoustically. Mind you, if you plug it in and play it, the sustain isn't as good as my Tele, but it does sound quite good when electrified. But, I do find it annoying at times. Compared to my Les Paul Standard and Tele, the Ultra is muted in the sustain category.
Hello i have a question can anybody help me,..i can not find results about this,..i have e problem with my acoustic guitar,..when i press E wherever on fretboard it gives me this loud sustain echoing sound...and on the other acoustic guitar the same problem but when i press A wherever on fretboard,...does anybody have this issue...??? And what can i do about it..???
Gave the acoustic Fender back and got the Yamaha APXT2...one month old, D and G sound dead from 9th to 13th frets.....turned the truss rod both ways....applied Baby Oil on and Inside the guitar...no luck...please advise.....
So I own a Fender Blacktop bass and I have that problem on e the E String sounds dead. I ordered a different neck made of maple instead of rosewood. How do I fix this ongoing problem.
Hey mate , I am in the process of intonation and all is good except the F and F# fret on the G string ... driving me batty ...any suggestions ??? HELP !!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Brian
I have a one piece birdseye maple neck Grosh with a crazy wolf note. Literally rings the entire body like a bell and continues after you mute the strings. Have been looking for a name for it. Thanks for the info.
I have two high end acoustics and both have "dead" B strings. A small metal shim parked right up against the nut underneath the string (a small piece of the 'leg' of certain sized cotter pin---you'll have to experiment with different pins to get the right size) will raise the string ever so slightly and may eliminate the problem by compensating for a high spot in the #1 or #2 fret, and by providing a harder spot in the nut for that string to sit on. Put a tiny piece of black construction paper under the shim to prevent scarring on the fret board under the shim, which is so small it's barely noticeable. This will also help with micro intonation problems if you're picky about that sort of thing, which I am.
I have a note on my fender jazz Bass which has a warm with neck stainless steel threads the eighth note on the a string is way quieter than every note on the base the note before and after are completely loud it doesn't do it down the other strings in that Fred or nothing very strange
what do you use those big hatchets for in the back.... not for a guitar???
I have dead string. The high e open string is dead and lacks luster and that bright ringing tone the other strings have. Also, the high e string has a tendency to fall out of the slot and wedge itself on the outside of the nut. It's a brand new, one player guitar that's only two weeks out of the box. Please someone help. Do I need a new nut? Do I need to deepen the slot?
My 30 yo 12 string lost its neck... Is it recoverable to hold tune?
Why a nylon guitar has no sustain sound?
On classical guitars I worked out the answer to this problem. You need to get a blob of Bluetack .Try different weights on the bridge. You will find dead notes that appear on 4 strings but they are all on a similar/same note. When you get the weight right the notes will resonate but the notes close to them will also sound richer . If you add bits of coloured tape under all the dead notes it becomes very clear what is happening . The volume of the guitar will not be reduced . When you think it has worked just remove the bluetack and you will be right back to where you started . It`s very convincing proof. Mostly it`s caused by the top and back being tuned to the same note. I carefully weighed the bluetack and substituted it with a stainless steel bar glued beneath the strings at the front of the guitar. Maybe adding weight inside the back would work instead . It`s a cheap experiment if you can afford some Bluetack .
I've got a new Telecaster and it seems that I'm getting "worbling" in some of my notes at the 11th-14th frets (mostly on the D and G strings). The guitar has been set up by a professional shop and I lowered the bridge pickup, but I don't know if that will help. Besides the pick up height, what else could be causing my fretting issues and what can I do to fix it?
Weird question but do you think it's possible to find out if a guitar will have dead spots BEFORE you build it ? Dead spots seem to be caused by the wood, and apparently they somehow both react to the pitch of the note and the location of the note on the fretboard. Maybe poking the neck laminates before building the neck might help finding locations that don't resonate or something... so if you find that you have a "bad laminate" you might just want to use another one and it might help having less dead spots. I don't know, I'm just suggesting stuff.
I really really don't think so, is not something we can quantify even when the neck is built so to predict it would take technology we don't get have.. Well, I wouldn't mind having a personal supercomputer but it's not likely for now :(
well, that's too bad. that being said, using more laminates in the neck reduces the risk of having dead spots, doesn't it ?
if weights on the strings... how about add, remove, or move the string trees. string trees change the direction of the string moment on the headstock which will move the nodes just like adding mass. Still have to experiment with placement.
Yes indeed, also changing the string break angle using string trees or shorter post tuners will change the string tension and therefore the vibrations/tone
Hi ben, are there any other materials for an alternative way to fret? like a the pro glide thing. It would be interesting to see something different or potentially better. I suppose if it ain't broke don't fix it, but it would be interesting!
The headstock clamp is called a Fender Fat Finger.
I've had good luck with it on my MIM P bass and the D'Addario strings resonate quite a bit more to my ear. Just looks kinda clunky :\ Maybe I'll drill in, glue a weight on the back of that spot on the headstock now that I know it will work!
Interesting video. I have two ukuleles with dead spots. I took one to a Luthier who took a little off one of the frets but that made no difference. As you said, it is a common problem and one I have decided just to live with.
my two guitars have a weird resonance at same frets, i need a new one
I have weird noise when I try to bend the 15th fret (G) on the high E string. When I bend it up to A, the note goes absolutely dead. It doesn't buzz, it just stops ringing completely. 15 fret or 18 or 20 In high E string i don't know what's causing this
Email this question to Rikki office@crimsonguitars.com and ask him if he would be able to have one of the luthiers to email you. DC
on the high E string around the fourteenth fret i get the same note on three different frets even tho i have changed strings several times... i have no clue to what it is or how i can fix it???
You guitar needs a level, crown and polish. One or two frets at least are lower than the rest. B
My $400 washburn acoustic has certain notes/frequencies that will ring out. I embrace it, as part of the music. I like hearing it. I'm making my guitar sing.
Fascinating and helpful. I am off to find some weights.
Save yourself 8:51 and just check your trussrod.
Seems to suggest denser wood might be less prone to these wolf notes\dead spots? Or maybe a more substantial nut/bridge?
murmles Hi! I had a Gibson SG Special back in the late 80s. All mahogany. The F# just died instantly no matter where you played it. Embarassing when playing slow twin leads! I put a brass bridge and nut on the fukka, but no change. I really had no notion of how to fix it back then, so off it went. Good riddance, I say.
Can someone help me? Whenever I press my finger on the 5th string on the high E it sounds the same as the 6th. How do I fix that? i'm a newbie :(
I think you meant to say the 5th fret on the high e, and the 6th fret etc. If this is the case, your 6th fret is too high , or your 5th fret is too low, or has a groove in it. You can either learn to do fret work for your self (lots of videos on the subject) or take it to a luthier for repair. It is not a big deal for any competent repair person or luthier. good Luck!
Thanks for the videos. I have a dead high e string when played open. Raising the bridge adjustment doesn't help. Could it be the nut - the string is pulled down well with the string trees. Or could it likewise be the neck adjustment? It looks very flat. Its a newer Charvel electric with a roasted maple neck.
Try the truss rod first you need a little relief for sure. But it mat be the nut slot was miscut and needs some tweaking. Thanks for watching! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Thanks!
Great piece of advice. Many Thanks!
Why does my guitar's strings is on tune but when I pluck the 12th fret of it, it sounds different or out of tune
Your intonation is out, you need to adjust your saddles. B
Every Telecaster I own has a short sustain fretted F4 note. Doesn't matter what string I play it on. I only noticed because I was working on a tune that called for a really long sustain on that note. Figured it was fretting out but no. Tried a different string on same guitar, then other guitars. Has about half the sustain of the adjacent E or F# notes. Wierd.
This video gives me mad anxiety....
Hej ben.
I'm about to build.Mt first guitar and I'm considering making a fanned fret guitar.
But is there a difference in dressing a fanned fret guitar versus a regular fretted fretboard?
Not really. You still have to crown it from the fret's centerline. If the land you leave is on the wide side, because the fret is slanted, it may cause problems. Go for the slimest top possible.
Yep i agree with "Steven Irons" "MD",, Not a guitar in sight, And the bloke just yabbered on
My first strings notes doesn't play well how can I make
Well, it is science. Wood is just so complicated that you can't make exact calculations. But adding weight to the headstock makes the resonant frequency of the neck lower, as does making the neck more flexible.That much can be said.
Hi Ben. I have a question about the neck on my Les Paul. I have noticed that where the neck joins the body the frets are sitting slightly higher! I was wondering what the options are to remedy the problem? is this a problem that is likely to happen again/worsen in the future? as I understand that wood can be tempermental and evil! :P Thanks for the great videos :D
It just needs a Fret level and it should be good, neck joints sometimes create a 'hump' in the board during production. Check out our tools at www.crimsonguitars.com/shop of you fancy giving it a go yourself if not find a good luthier or local repairman to help.
Cool ! Thanks for your help and the link :D
3/4 of the way through and still waffling about nothing !
Are you still called the UK?
...interesting... I have an acoustic whose A notes are dead... all across the board. damnedest thing. was hoping for a fix here, but not sure we have one...
That could very well be an issue with the saddle then, it sounds like the saddle isn't connecting the body properly or maybe the string doesn't have enough tension over the saddle..
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars ... sorry, may not have been sufficiently clear in the description... it's not the A string, in fact, that is the only A that sounds okay... it is all the other, fretted As that are dead, even the 'chime' A... thanks for taking the time to respond, however. Just not thinking there really is a 'fix' for this. Kind of a drag, frankly.
My acoustic has four frets on the high E (11 12 13 14) that all play the kote of the 15th fret. So basically I cant userhose frets at all. I can't figure out why they are like this at all. The 11th fret is totally dead sounding. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
+Ben Johnson There is a problem with the frets, this could be a too high fret (15) or low frets (11-14) but most likely its because a hump in the wood of the fretboard. So the solution would be either a fret level, or a full refret with fretboard leveling to remove the hump.
+infectionsman i figured that is what it is. thanks for replying.
Fender jazz basses are pretty notorious for their 5th fret G string dead spot.
I have one of those clamp on weights of which you speak (Fender Fatfinger) and I'm not really certain it helps a ton.
Andy Prokopyk Chuck on some of those heavy vintage fender style tuners, that helps a fair bit.
If you're already playing a vintage, welp
My instrument in question is a 75 reissue with humongous tuners on it already. It's not nearly as bad as some of the others I've encountered. I think the issue has been around since they've been made.
Warmoth and Moses claim they don't get dead spots, but I tend to stay stock and just work with the instrument I've got.
Unless it's super uneven, there probably won't be too much of a difference out front.
I agree, more often than not the issue is pretty superficial.
You could try different (lighter/heavier) tuners as well.
i have what I call dead strings ( D&G 12th thru the 18th frets).They make an annoying flat "Tink" noise when picked. I tried using finger pads rather than tips and get the same result.....ohhhh this is gonna be a thing!
the truss rod in my guitar its frozen, it cant move... maybe that cause my deadspots?
3 minutes till the actual question is talked about -_-
Can u please do a flyode rose build white zombie the one that Kirk Hammett uses plsss
When I play my guitar, i play frets 7 and 8 on the e string and they sound the same, there’s no note change, it’s the same for other strings on different frets. help?
It sounds like when you fret e.g. your high E string at the 7th fret, it's touching fret 8. You need your frets levelled.
As suggested, high/low frets. Otherwise, action very low?
They say those modern hotrod trusrods don't have any dead spots , but that might be just a sales pitch , i dont know.
I have found a contradiction that in the case of dead spots on certain fretted notes that have reduced sustain if you play those same notes with a bottleneck glass slide then you get the full sustain.
Intresting. That sounds to me more like it would be an issue with a fret not being leveled correctly than a sympathetic or resonant frequency issue.
this guys a champ :) love his buzz carry on fine sir
Here's a question i've yet to have answered by a luthier... How in the heck would you crown/profile true temperement frets??
-Ted
when i play on my g string on my basses its only one spot on it who made mute sound. when i play tone D on G string its make mute sound but rest of the tone on the g string are fine
thats weird, when I play with my G String I get kicked out of mcdonalds.
thats weird, when I play with my G String I get kicked out of mcdonalds.
Ben, You forgot one thing. Ask the player where they are playing. Is the room they are in acoustically bad? I found out that when I move to my garage in the summer months to escape the central air, I have all kinds of dead spots. When I go back into my family room in the fall, I am fine.
This is to do with humidity. Air con removes moisture and reduces the relative humidity of the instrument. The opposite is true for your garage
Ben thank you
6:45 Your math is wrong: 40 cubic millimetres = 0.04 cubic centimetres.
HEY BEN I've asked this one a couple times an never got an answer so I thought I'd ask again since you always say ask me any questions you have , So what is the status on the WOODEN PICS YOU GUYS WERE MAKING an are yall ever gonna tell us the winners of the 30,000 subscribers Contests or did yall ever mail any out??........
shon m I got some as part of the contest, as well as a mail in response to my (required) suggestion. Maybe mail them again, forwarding your original mail?
Hey, sorry I hadn't seen this before. We sent out packs to the first 250 or so people who entered, 100 more than planned and even people who didn't give meet the criteria (address, idea for the business etc) should have had an email saying they didn't make it.. It did take a while to get organised though. If you send me an email with your address I will pop some in the post to you anyway. Thanks for watching!
I received my wooden picks quite a while back.
***** hey I was just wondering what was the email address that you sent your reply to. I ask them but that don't reply much . thanks
Hey Shon, I'm pretty sure I've answered this already but no worries. We sent out several hundred more than promised but ran out of time and money for the project.. We had 2 guys working for several weeks making them and posted out inside a month.. However, if you drop talitha an email at office at crimsonguitars.com she'll make sure to get some out to you. Thank you for your support!
At least 20 years ago, there was a product advertised in Guitar Player magazine (here in the U,S) that was machined brass. I'm guessing cymbals that didn't pass Q.C. that were shaped to fit the back of popular headstock (Strat, Tele and Gibson)designs. They were supposed to add massive amounts of sustain.
I asume carbon fiber guitars don't have this problem... Am I right??
I have a very slight deadspot on carbon fiber necked bass
You look like Bill Bailey going through a metal phase. .... Big fan :)
My 3rd 4th 5th and 6th string plays the same note on low e string any1 know how to fix
Audranov Fernaldy u should probably change the action a bit higher
put some tape/putty/stuff on the neck, any change in local mass, strength will change the local resonant frequency
or (if you are rich as shit) go to some automotive NVH developer, let him measure the resonances and all related stuff and he will give you detailed instructions where to start with your changes
This is a common problem with ukuleles. Don’t care how expensive they are, or how good the stings. Ther will always be a dead note oN AT LEAST TWO STRINGS.
Yea ai got tha bcp 335 and its frettin out past the 12th on most the treble strings
Im goin to the truss next
Interesting way to deal with male pattern baldness:))
+Brian Panza yep and 8 years in I don't regret the decision one bit.
I was just kiddin around, it looks cool, tribal. Your work is outstanding as well!