WhiteRaven Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 My two SGs have this exact same problem (one gibson, one epiphone), almost in the exact same place; my dead spot is on F, most prominent at the 10th fret of the G string. Several SGs I've tried at various stores and such have had the same issue, too. It drove me crazy at first but eventually I learned to play around it (the guitars are too nice to neglect just because of one dead note). It seems to come and go with humidity and weather changes, too. I also managed to eliminate it by using a "Fat Finger", basically, a C Clamp which you attach to your headstock and which adds mass to the guitar. The fat finger sits in the closet, though, I've gotten over the dead spot more or less now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max2343 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 It just needs more Forward Bow. Simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston004681 Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Zero Dead Spots on Mine. Hopefully none is the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 It's interesting how people are noticing this on SGs with one piece necks. With one piece construction, you get the tonality of that particular wood. But with 3 piece construction, slightly different strips (with respect to grain orientation) are glued together which spreads out the tonal characteristics. It tends to smooth out the peaks and troughs, balancing out the frequency response. These ideas have been used for many years by boutique guitar / bass makers. Laminated construction also produces stronger necks, but there is a degree of customer resistance to the idea - one piece can look very attractive, but in the case of a guitar with an opaque finish, who cares ? My SG with 3 piece neck doesn't have any dead spots at all (1970s Gibsons typically had 3 piece). But there are other factors also - walnut body / neck with ebony fretboard means different resonant frequencies - but there's still plenty of warm SG character ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzin Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 My two SGs have this exact same problem (one gibson' date=' one epiphone), almost in the exact same place; my dead spot is on F, most prominent at the 10th fret of the G string. Several SGs I've tried at various stores and such have had the same issue, too. It drove me crazy at first but eventually I learned to play around it (the guitars are too nice to neglect just because of one dead note). It seems to come and go with humidity and weather changes, too. I also managed to eliminate it by using a "Fat Finger", basically, a C Clamp which you attach to your headstock and which adds mass to the guitar. The fat finger sits in the closet, though, I've gotten over the dead spot more or less now.[/quote'] I´ve also tried those fat fingers. It mostly seemed to move the spot to a different note. Although the dead note might have been sliightly less dead. Yeah, mine drove me crazy at first to but now I´ve gotten over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzin Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 It's interesting how people are noticing this on SGs with one piece necks. With one piece construction' date=' you get the tonality of that particular wood. But with 3 piece construction, slightly different strips (with respect to grain orientation) are glued together which spreads out the tonal characteristics. It tends to smooth out the peaks and troughs, balancing out the frequency response. These ideas have been used for many years by boutique guitar / bass makers. Laminated construction also produces stronger necks, but there is a degree of customer resistance to the idea - one piece can look very attractive, but in the case of a guitar with an opaque finish, who cares ? My SG with 3 piece neck doesn't have any dead spots at all (1970s Gibsons typically had 3 piece). But there are other factors also - walnut body / neck with ebony fretboard means different resonant frequencies - but there's still plenty of warm SG character ! [/quote'] Thanks for the info on one piece vs three piece necks, very intresseting read. Maybe thats why the sg gothic and special faded I tried didn´t have any dead spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geff Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I didnt think the gothic or faded had three piece necks. In fact Im sure they dont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kzin Posted May 29, 2009 Author Share Posted May 29, 2009 I didnt think the gothic or faded had three piece necks. In fact Im sure they dont. I´m sure you´re right. I was only speculating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 It's interesting how people are noticing this on SGs with one piece necks. With one piece construction' date=' you get the tonality of that particular wood. But with 3 piece construction, slightly different strips (with respect to grain orientation) are glued together which spreads out the tonal characteristics. It tends to smooth out the peaks and troughs, balancing out the frequency response. These ideas have been used for many years by boutique guitar / bass makers. Laminated construction also produces stronger necks, but there is a degree of customer resistance to the idea - one piece can look very attractive, but in the case of a guitar with an opaque finish, who cares ? My SG with 3 piece neck doesn't have any dead spots at all (1970s Gibsons typically had 3 piece). But there are other factors also - walnut body / neck with ebony fretboard means different resonant frequencies - but there's still plenty of warm SG character ! [/quote'] Very interesting.I'll get out the saw. Only kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzlake Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 I have an SG Special. The dead spot (F#) is the worst I have ever experienced. - really awful. Anybody try a "Fat Finger" ? A device made by Fender you stick on the headstock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWH Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Have the Guitar Pleked. It's worth it. a Plek machine will correct any dead spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, JWH said: Have the Guitar Pleked. It's worth it. a Plek machine will correct any dead spots. Nope. Not resonance dead spots. Pleking is still awesome, though. Edited September 24, 2020 by Pinch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGgypsyboy Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 (edited) I have a 2011 SG Standard Ltd. (right) and a 2012 SG Standard '60 GC (left). Neither have any dead spots anywhere. After reading about all the others with that issue I am thankful I got lucky with these. Edited September 24, 2020 by SGgypsyboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted September 26, 2020 Share Posted September 26, 2020 I sometimes wish I could go back to when I didn't even know know what sympathetic resonance was... I just played the damn things 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 I am not the expert on such things, but when I have had dead spots previously (never had one on my Gibsons, btw), it was due to an issue with the fret height in the vicinity of the dead spot. You need to address that along with possibly tweaking the overall string height -- I don't think a proper intonation would affect it (although it is obviously super important for playability). These things can be fixed -- check out Google and Youtube. I am surprised that a new Plek'd Gibson has a dead spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted September 28, 2020 Share Posted September 28, 2020 On 9/27/2020 at 5:31 PM, 01GT eibach said: I am not the expert on such things, but when I have had dead spots previously (never had one on my Gibsons, btw), it was due to an issue with the fret height in the vicinity of the dead spot. You need to address that along with possibly tweaking the overall string height -- I don't think a proper intonation would affect it (although it is obviously super important for playability). These things can be fixed -- check out Google and Youtube. I am surprised that a new Plek'd Gibson has a dead spot. That's because a true dead spot has nothing to do with frets. When a note resonates at the same frequency as the neck, the energy of the string is sucked up by the neck's vibration. The note doesn't sustain. If you detune or tune up a guitar with a true dead spot, it moves with the tuning. It can be severe or less severe (and bother you to varying degrees). Plek-ing won't do a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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