Weird "Dead Note" Issue

[antipodean]

Hi all,

My ruby Frankenrick has a rather interesting issue - with both pickups selected and the vintage tone circuit switched off, I lose volume and perceived sustain on the E string in the second to sixth fret range. With the vintage tone circuit engaged or with either pickup soloed, the volume and sustain are much better. The bass is set up with TI flats and a lovely flat neck with low action. I'm guessing that there is some frequency cancellation going on with both pups engaged (I can't imagine anything else). Has anyone else ever had this issue? Would a change of strings be a possible fix (as they may have different harmonic properties to the TIs)?

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

congratulations ! you've just turned your rick into a fender jazz bass ! yep that's frequency cancellation and very nasally. has interesting possibilities depending on the song you play or effect you go thru. sounds better with round wounds though. think "tempus fugit" !(not saying squire used a jazz bass, just remarking on the two pickup tone.)

[ken_j]

Are the pickups wired in phase?

[antipodean]

Thanks Ron! I like J-basses a lot - if only the phenomenon on my Rick was spread across the whole fretboard.

Ken: Thanks for the suggestion! I'm pretty sure the pickups are in phase, but I will have it checked out just to be sure!

I have noticed this also occurs on my TI strung Mosrite with both pickups engaged, but just not as pronounced... hmmmm...

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

you would like the sound if you had roundwounds as the notes are clear and springy and it would even out over the fretboard. it's especially nasally if both pickups will have the same output, thus they will cancel out the bass frequencies a bit with more mid notch to it. but as you have flats i don't think it will be even sounding. my '64 has a great jazz bass sound with both on...i'm thinkin' a "joe jackson " kinda tone from the early '80's.

[1a12]

i'm thinkin' a "joe jackson " kinda tone from the early '80's.

Graham Maby...I've shared a bill with him a few times, He's as great as he sounds too!

[cassius987]

If the pickups are in phase, this is comb filtering, not what's going on with a Jazz Bass. This shouldn't cure 60 Hz hum for instance, where a Jazz Bass RWRP setup will. In any case all stock Rics do this, it's just a subtle enough effect that not everyone hears it right away--took me a year to catch it happening actually. If you roll back either volume knob just a touch you will hear a boost in volume from the overall output. Using the cap in-line to the bridge pickup fixes this "problem" for a couple of reasons, one being that it changes the output of the pickup, and the other being that it changes the phase by 90 degrees (IIRC) when you run a signal through a capacitor.

[antipodean]

Thanks Joshua!