I can't make strat's sing!

[The Kernel]

For some reason, Strats never have any sustain when I play them. I know that they are not known for their sustain, but if you listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan or John Mayer's strat tone, they sustain for days! Are there any tricks that I am missing?

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

turn up your amp

 

[loudriver23]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

What gauge strings are you using? I find a heavier string sustains better. I know SRV used quite heavy strings, I don't know about Mayer.
Upgrading your trem block might help as well as upgrading your nut and saddles. Also, if your pickups are too close to your strings the magnets can rub you of a bit of sustain as well.
Good luck to you.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

OK.....there could be two different things going on here, and maybe an overlap of these things.

1) You say 'StratS'....plural.....do you mean that literally? Because if you actually mean perhaps just one that you own, maybe it has an inferior nut, bridge saddles or needs a better set-up.

2) I don't want to make any assumptions here about how you play guitar, and you may already know and do what i am about to mention. Playing Gibson style guitars can be a smooth and easier experience to start getting a good version of the sound you expect from those styles of guitars. But Fender-style instruments are a whole other thing.....played 'plainly', they sound plain, not characterisitc. There is an 'attitude' you have to take to the guitar to wrench out the classic Strat sounds....'digging in' with your pick attack, gripping hard with the fretting hand and really working those notes and chords. Strat playing is hard work generally, and the more work you do, the more of the classic Strat tones will emerge.....including things like quack, jangle, fatness and sustain. Strats tend not to simply 'give' you their sounds, rather they seem to challenge you to extract them. It is almost a lifetime's work, a never-ending thing.


You don't mention the exact guitar you have, whether it's stock or has modified hardware etc., what woods it has and what it's condition is, how you normally hear it (acoustically, through an amp, headphones, amp modeller etc.etc.....).....more information would probably help people here to understand whether your instrument is in need of attention, or, if it is the case that you have played a bunch of Strats and always have this problem, maybe others here can help with suggestions in how to 'attack' the issue, literally.

Give us a bit more info if you can, plenty of Strat players here who'll be able to offer you something......

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

turn up your amp

What he said.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

...Stop.

Lower the pickups. Even if you're not getting "stratitis", the magnet pull contributes to lessened sustain. Some like this effect and call it twang, but if you want a flatter, smoother sound, lower the pups.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

That's one appeal of single coil guitars....particularly Fender. You need to work harder for your tone, and it brings out your musical personality more, because you're having to attack it differently to make it sing.

I always have to lighten my touch when I move over to Gibsons from Fenders, to account for shorter string length and sustaining humbuckers.

 

[sosomething]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

In summary, lower your pickups, raise your volume, and play that thing like a man.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

In summary, lower your pickups, raise your volume, and play that thing like a man.

What he said, plus graphtec saddles and nut.

 

[Bludave]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

I can get as much sustain out of my Strats as I do with my HB guitars, they are not as thick, but plenty of sustain. It may be in part to your amps volume, how your pickups are set and the pickups in general. These all can be contributing to some of your issues. String gauge and action will also play a part. I use 11's across the board on all my guitars, but I also play with higher action and that allows the strings to ring which will also contribute to sustain.

 

[uOpt]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

Just listen to an Gilmour Solo to see a Strat sustain.

Anyway:

• unscrew neck
• remove any kind of stickers from neck and neck pocket
• scrape paint off the body side of neck pocket
• if there's any kind of tilting device in there (strip of plastic or wood), remove it at least long enough to see whether it fixes the problem
• possibly level the body side of the pocket

Also:

• make sure you have at least a Fender Japan quality tremolo

From my experience, pickups lower only appear to have more sustain because you lose treble and high frequencies decay fast. Worth a try since it's quick.

That should carry you some way.

 

[jeremy]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

What he said, plus graphtec saddles and nut.

actually i prefer bone and steel or brass, not sure there is a huge difference in sustain either way. a good trem block can make a big difference. a little higher action will also help sustain if your action is too low. 10's or higher gauge strings

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

For some reason, Strats never have any sustain when I play them. I know that they are not known for their sustain, but if you listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan or John Mayer's strat tone, they sustain for days! Are there any tricks that I am missing?

I can make a Strat sustain even when it's not plugged into an amp - just sitting around the house noodling. But I've been playing Strats since the 1960's.

It's all in the hands and touch. You have to hear the sound you want in your head and then shape it with your picking hand and your fretting hand together.

Go slow and soulful. Play fewer notes and develop a nice, mature, and even touch and finger vibrato to coax the sustain out of the guitar.

Think of a beautiful tone and then learn to coax it out of the guitar.

It isn't really the amp or the strings or the pickups or any of that stuff...not really.

It's the player.

 

[guitarded]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

+1.... I've been playing them for the last 18 years and I get beautiful tones just playing them acoustically. They don't sustain quite the same as most Gibsons do, but if you learn how to apply vibrato in a certain way you will find you can stretch it out a lot more. Fenders are very expressive guitars so you kinda get out what you put in.

I can make a Strat sustain even when it's not plugged into an amp - just sitting around the house noodling. But I've been playing Strats since the 1960's.

 

[sosomething]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

^^ I was just going to say that Telecasters tend to be the same way. The thickness of the tone and sustain of the notes depends entirely on how you "work it," essentially... I don't have much experience with the other Fenders like Jags and Mustangs, though.

 

[thespricket]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

possibly work on your vibrato, you have to give it more attention when playing a fender.

 

[JeffB]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

"singing" and "sustain" in my opinion are two different things.

As for a "singing" tone- In my recent experience I'd say unlike what common wisdom might tell you, i.e. go with humbuckers for more gain, thats not the way to go. Lower output pups, and then bump the volume and gain if need be. the CS69s sing pretty well-much more-so than the buckers. Wood is key. Find a strat that will "octave up" and you better buy it.

That said, strats really aren't noted for long sustain, and there are much better designs for that. Your typical gibsonish or PRS type design has a very even sounding longer lasting type sustain (especially a Les Paul), and a strat has sort of a initial increase in volume (a small swell ) that then dies off pretty rapidly, even after it "octaves up"- if you want to keep it going your gonna need to manipulate it with volume /vibrato and find a sweet spot in front of your amp. All the work is on you and the amp.

I prefer the sustain you get with a Les Paul or other Gibson type- cause I can spend more time actually going for the tones and notes I want to hear instead of just trying to keep the **** note going long enough so I even have a chance to do something with it :lmao:

Apples and oranges.

 

[threechordcharlie]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

.......I always have to lighten my touch when I move over to Gibsons from Fenders, to account for shorter string length and sustaining humbuckers.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only heavy handed one here. I have to do the same thing. I played Strats for a few years and then switched to Teles I find that I am even more heavy handed with the Tele. All the while I have had an LP as well.

 

[sosomething]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

I can relate.

Recently I purchased a USA Tele and USA PRS at the same time. I've bonded with the Tele more and play it a lot more often. I was already heavy-handed, but I've become even more so when playing the Tele, and this is validated by it paying off (tonally) so whenever I pull out the PRS and play it I find myself just really beating the **** out of the thing... until I realize "oh yeah, this almost plays itself. Relax, Adam."

 

[JeffB]

Re: I can't make strat's sing!

Yeah- Strats and Teles in general require you to work alot harder, and more importantly alot "smarter". When it works, it's great, when you are "off"-- ugh it's horrid.

I'd also throw in fret size being a big key that most people don't touch on or realize. An old Les Paul or MIJ or whatever with vintage style frets def requires some wrestling with it to get it to do whatcha want, and a strat or super strat with jumbos really requires a light touch.