Sustain

[SpiderVenom]

That's exactly what I meant... how well a player controls his vibrato and fretting technique can and will dictate how much sustain you can squeeze out of the instrument.

Ah, well then I was thinking in terms of raw sustain, rather than, er, contributing techniques.

[shredaholic]

as long as my guitar doesnt inhibit my creativity and style, I'm happy.

[Vincent]

Parisienne Walkways wasn't actually purely sustain per se...

Gary Moore commented that he actually found a spot onstage pre-gig that allowed that particular note to feedback at the same pitch - i.e. infinite sustain. Its a pretty cool trick - I got the same effect with my 5150 running at (close to) full bore.

[JeffB]

Parisienne Walkways wasn't actually purely sustain per se...

Gary Moore commented that he actually found a spot onstage pre-gig that allowed that particular note to feedback at the same pitch - i.e. infinite sustain. Its a pretty cool trick - I got the same effect with my 5150 running at (close to) full bore.

Heh , yeah I know, i was sorta kidding ..you can find that "magic" spot at times with the right guitar and some good pups.

As for the original question...I'm with Lew. I bend and hold or vibrato/hold alot of notes...when the sustain isn't there I've gotta do more work...I feel like something is missing...I like that long sustain not only for that but also because the better a guitar sustains the easier the note takes off into controlled feedback and you can get some really righteous sounds utilizing that....(i.e. the walkways trick, but not necc at the same pitch)

I can't deal with a guitar that doesn't sustain well...my Malmsteen model was the best bolt on /strat I ever had for sustain...quite good, better than my Firebird, but not as good as my hamer or Paulas.

[JB_From_Hell]

Quite a few, actually, at least in my opinion....

We actually have a track where a muted chord rings out into feedback for a total of 31 seconds, of which at least 15 are the chord preparing to start "feeding on itself"..... Can´t do that with most cheaply built axes

When I reaised the question, I was speaking in strictly acoustic terms. I can't remember a single guitar I've encountered that couldn't be made to ring indefinitely with the right combo of volume, gain, and moving the axe to the "sweet spot".

[Davey]

my fusion sustains like there's no tomorrow. we're not talking measly seconds here. i can hold a note for half a minute (exagerating a tiny measly bit ), if i vibrato the string, for as long as i want to. if i put the floyd into play i can sustain the notes till the end of days.

so, bolt on or no, floyd or no, it doesnt matter.. if the build quality of the guitar is good, it will sustain, period! if it has a floyd you can manipulate that sustain/feedback forever.


oh and zerb.. HA HA!!! YOU LOSE! you let go a gem of a gutiar
thanks bunches bro

(and here we insert zerb saying something along the line of: if you think you got a good guitar, you should get ahold of phoenix, etc etc)

[Hot _Grits]

two words:

Parisienne Walkways

one word:

Avoid.

-Sustain was a big thing in the 70s, hence boat anchor bodies and brass hardware. And the majority of those guitars sound over-bright and terrible.

I think the trick is to get a warm sounding, musical tone with enough sustain, rather than hunt sustain as if it's an end unto itself.

-And Foamer was right, too.

[Amateur]

I actually think some of my guitars have too much sustain, especially on the wrapped strings, and I have to palm mute them at times. I'm talking about electrics, not acoustics though.

[some_dude]

I actually think some of my guitars have too much sustain, especially on the wrapped strings, and I have to palm mute them at times. I'm talking about electrics, not acoustics though.

That's one of the joys of gain.

[Davey]

That's one of the joys of gain.

yea bay-bee YEAH

[The Golden Boy]

-Sustain was a big thing in the 70s, hence boat anchor bodies and brass hardware. And the majority of those guitars sound over-bright and terrible.

I'll agree that the guitar makers in the late 70's were looking to sell guitars by shooting for that magical "sustain" by implementing things that would 'logically' improve sustain- heavy woods, brass nuts, brass sustain blocks... I'd argue that a lighter, more resonant guitar will provide the same amount of percieved sustain.

so, bolt on or no, floyd or no, it doesnt matter.. if the build quality of the guitar is good, it will sustain, period!

[JeffB]

one word:

Avoid.

-Sustain was a big thing in the 70s, hence boat anchor bodies and brass hardware. And the majority of those guitars sound over-bright and terrible.

what does this have to do with the price of tea in china? If you are saying thats how Gary got his sound, thats not true...the greeney is just a run of the mill paula. As I said my comment was basically a joke (for the reasons said earlier). Otherwise I'm not sure what you are getting at?

I think the trick is to get a warm sounding, musical tone with enough sustain, rather than hunt sustain as if it's an end unto itself.

Sustain alone is not the answer, and I'm sot sure anyone has said that...however an instrument with phenomenal sustain generally sports superior construction and wood quality. I've yet to find a guitar with great sustain that wasn't an excellent sounding instrument in it's own right, however I've had many without much sustain that lacked in other areas tonally (i.e. too bright, no low end,too midrangey, etc). My Firebird is an exception, middle of the road sustain even considering the construction, but tonally it's an excellent guitar. However it annoys me to no end when I want pull off a long sustained note and I cannot.