Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

J

jasperx01

New member
It happens on my Ibanez J-Custom RG with Edge-Zero bridge,mahogany body,flame maple top,maple neck with rosewood fingerboard

I couldn't say the guitar is not well-built,the craftmanship is flawless,but from the beginning i couldn't get a sound that i really like from it at all

At first,i thought it's about the pickups,so i swapped the active EMGs with Dimarzio Paf pro on neck and EVO on bridge,then switch to Suhr Aldrich set recently.

It still sounds thin and there's a problem with 1,2,3 strings especially on 15-18 frets

when a single note on those positions was played,the sound just stopped in a second,like it's muted,but i'm quite sure that it's not because of the setup of the guitar cos there's no buzz at all on those position

I know it's a floating bridge guitar and i shouldn't expect it to have the same kind of sustain i have on my Gibby LP but it's REALLY disturbing to have this problem

I'm now thinking to get a Brass block from KGC,wondering if it will solve the problem?

Thanks all!
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

My suggestion would be upgrade the brass block...if that fails then a sustainer pickup. lol But seriously, I would say upgrade to the big brass block.

Floating trems do put a damper on sustain--but shouldn't be such a huge difference. For floating bridges, I've only had good luck with Kahler and the real Floyd Roses (not the cheap knockoffs.)
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Definitely get the brass block, you'll be glad you did. They make quite a difference on Ibanez bridges.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

A floyd loaded superstrat isn't usually meant to sound like a Les Paul but that doesn't mean it's supposed to lack acoustic qualities.

Try a heavy block and see if it helps. Sell the guitar if it doesn't knock your socks off right away.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

I assume that the frets are dressed properly, as that is the only reason I can think of you having a problem on a few frets. If it was a sustain/block problem, then you'd hear it pretty much all over the neck. The EZ does have a pretty small block though to accommodate the zero point system.

Got any pics of said (presumably tasty) J-Custom?
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

I'm guessing skinny twenty four fret neck, fastened with four big screws. Last fret above the neck pocket is the nineteenth.

Check the neck for signs of an S curve beginning to develop. Magnetic pull from the pickups could be an issue but this should have vanished when you fitted low impedance active pickups.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

^^ I've been wondering about that as well over the years, whether the combination of Wizard profile and AANJ is more likely to cause dead spots on the neck, which is the other problem potential problem the J-Custom in question is exhibiting - you play a note and it dies very quickly.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

One of the reasons that PRS developed away from the 24 fret neck towards 22 is that having less neck protruding beyond the heel increases rigidity. There is some inverse square law formula theory that explains this but I cannot remember the details.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

jasperx01 said:
...from the beginning i couldn't get a sound that i really like from it at all.
Click to expand...

If that's true, I'd quit trying to polish a turd.

Stop throwing money at it.

Sell it or trade it, and get a guitar that you like.

That one sounds like it's a dog.

It happens - we've all owned a dog or two...and learned when to get rid of them.
 
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Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Ashurbanipal said:
I assume that the frets are dressed properly, as that is the only reason I can think of you having a problem on a few frets. If it was a sustain/block problem, then you'd hear it pretty much all over the neck. The EZ does have a pretty small block though to accommodate the zero point system.

Got any pics of said (presumably tasty) J-Custom?
Click to expand...

There you go...

And yes....the block on the Edge Zero are REALLY small,i saw those pictures in KGC comparing the original one and their "Big Block"...makes me wonder if i got the KGC one it will fill up all space and won't be able to dive the tremolo at all - but that's what i want actually,if the Ibanez comes with a hardtail bridge i will be MUCH HAPPIER...not into Floyd guitar anyway:naughty:









 
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Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Funkfingers said:
I'm guessing skinny twenty four fret neck, fastened with four big screws. Last fret above the neck pocket is the nineteenth.

Check the neck for signs of an S curve beginning to develop. Magnetic pull from the pickups could be an issue but this should have vanished when you fitted low impedance active pickups.
Click to expand...
that's correct!

Lowered the pickups today and it was slightly improved --- will see what a big block does to it!
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

treyhaislip said:
My suggestion would be upgrade the brass block...if that fails then a sustainer pickup. lol But seriously, I would say upgrade to the big brass block.

Floating trems do put a damper on sustain--but shouldn't be such a huge difference. For floating bridges, I've only had good luck with Kahler and the real Floyd Roses (not the cheap knockoffs.)
Click to expand...

Will get the Big Block for sure but maybe after the mailing system resume normal....

Bought a Fender Clapton Strat on 2/1 and it was stucked in the USPS Chicago center for 15 days before it was sent out!
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Lewguitar said:
If that's true, I'd quit trying to polish a turd.

Stop throwing money at it.

Sell it or trade it, and get a guitar that you like.

That one sounds like it's a dog.

It happens - we've all owned a dog or two...and learned when to get rid of them.
Click to expand...
Hopefully the Big block will solve the problem...don't really wanna sell this one ...
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Ashurbanipal said:
^^ I've been wondering about that as well over the years, whether the combination of Wizard profile and AANJ is more likely to cause dead spots on the neck, which is the other problem potential problem the J-Custom in question is exhibiting - you play a note and it dies very quickly.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking about it too,but can't think of a reason how the AANJ affect the sustain

Owned some other Ibanez like the PGM30/301,RG550/2610,SC420 but didn't notice such problem before!

Maybe i wasn't picky as now?:naughty:
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

jasperx01 said:
I'm thinking about it too,but can't think of a reason how the AANJ affect the sustain

Owned some other Ibanez like the PGM30/301,RG550/2610,SC420 but didn't notice such problem before!

Maybe i wasn't picky as now?:naughty:
Click to expand...

It's to do with the size of the contact area between the neck and the body and how much the body supports the neck, how the woods resonate together etc. Sometimes these factors can conspire against the guitar, sometimes not. I prefer the old square heels myself.

The guitar looks fab! Crying shame that such an instrument would have a problem. I sometimes dream of a J-Custom version of my #1 (Proline).

When ordering a brass block, you might have to go custom - the EZ is different from the original Edge and Edge Pro, so you'll have to specify what you've got.
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Ashurbanipal said:
It's to do with the size of the contact area between the neck and the body and how much the body supports the neck, how the woods resonate together etc. Sometimes these factors can conspire against the guitar, sometimes not. I prefer the old square heels myself.

The guitar looks fab! Crying shame that such an instrument would have a problem. I sometimes dream of a J-Custom version of my #1 (Proline).

When ordering a brass block, you might have to go custom - the EZ is different from the original Edge and Edge Pro, so you'll have to specify what you've got.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up!

I think only KGC make big block fo the edge zero and it's asking for $79.9,no other choice anyway...Cheers!
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Just setup the guitar again,made a mistake on setting the Edge Zero on it before and now the only dead spot is the 16th fret of 3rd string!:headbang:
 
Re: Problem of losing sustain on a Floating bridge guitar

Good to hear that it's fixed (normal to have one or two dead spots); what exactly did you change?
 
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