Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

[BloodRose]

I hope this isnt a stupid question, but Im gonna ask anyhow.. I am trying to figure out what guits to keep vs sell. Ive compared neck feel and some other things. today, Im comparing sustain. Is there a rule of thumb, or a goal thats desirable? Since Im comparing guitars that have upgraded pups vs stock, Im thinking that a good (desirable) guitar should sustain longer.?? Is there any point of reference or something that I should strive/look for? For example, my Dean Soltero, which has the best neck, sustains a note for about 15 seconds before it goes out.. To me, part of the "charm/desirability" of single cuts is the beef of the sustain. I know that when a guitar chokes out quick, its now so good. At least to me. But is there any kind of guide/guage that I can compare to?

Next, is there anything you guys go with when deciding keepers? Im sure playability, tone (hard to guage when the guitars have diff pickup sets.) My Dean Soltero has my fave neck vs Burny and LP.. And, it sounds pretty darn good, tho Ive never upgraded pups. (I think they are upgraded Dean pups and NOT just oem stuff, but not sure.

Any other tips on what to keep would be apprec. Im sure its mostly a matter of playability and such.. thanks

Looks like they all are about the same in regards to sustain.. The Burny being maybe a tiny bit longer, the Soltero in the mid and the Gibby running out of gas just a wee bit less..

 

[Mincer]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Well, I'd sell the guitar where the note dies almost immediately. But most guitars have a good amount of sustain these days- more, when you add the compression from distortion.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Not sure I'd care all that much about sustain to be honest. I've rarely played a guitar that didn't sustain as long as necessary . . . and can probably count on one hand the number of times I've needed to hold a note for 15 seconds while playing.

Be aware that sustain will also change with action, how the nut is cut, if there's a floating bridge (and how the floating bridge is setup) and the string gauge you're running.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

For me the benchmark is high sustain (>=7 secs) on most fretted notes and at least 4-5 secs on 24th fret. On open notes it should ring for many secs. (for instance 15 secs as you say)

 

[Demanic]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

For me the benchmark is high sustain (>=7 secs) on most fretted notes and at least 4-5 secs on 24th fret. On open notes it should ring for many secs. (for instance 15 secs as you say)

Are you talking pure clean? Or with gain and/or compression?

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[Lovegun]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

If the guitars are sustaining the same, then I would go by looks and feel of the guitar which I would keep. It seems you want to keep the Soltero because it sustains the best and has a neck that you like.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Keep the ones that make you want to play them.

 

[The_Junior]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Sustain and play ability would put a guitar at the top tier in my collection. I can setup any guitar to play well. The resonation factor does play into a decision to unload it. Practicality of the instrument is a bigger factor. In the past i've unloaded some high-end instruments because I felt they were 'too nice' for me to own :").

In my experience when I would buy or build a guitar, one out of every five would have some impressive sustain. so it comes down to the aesthetics and play ability most of the time.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Not sure I'd care all that much about sustain to be honest. I've rarely played a guitar that didn't sustain as long as necessary . . . and can probably count on one hand the number of times I've needed to hold a note for 15 seconds while playing.

Be aware that sustain will also change with action, how the nut is cut, if there's a floating bridge (and how the floating bridge is setup) and the string gauge you're running.

I used to have trouble with that tremolo sweep in Black Night. Shows if your guitar is not well set

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Keep the ones that make you want to play them.

Exactly! Whichever one you enjoy playing the most, keep. If you like them all roughly the same, then go for the one that looks the best or that feels the best in your hands.
I don't think there is ANY objective criterion you can use to choose; if the "keeper" isn't jumping out at you then maybe list them all for sale and keep the one that you still have after the others have sold. Seriously. It's not a life-or-death decision and the guys who spend years or decades wishing they had a "great" guitar back would probably be disappointed if they actually had it back. (I have got back two in my lifetime and both were good guitars but neither was as great as I "remembered" it being.)

 

[dystrust]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Keep the ones that make you want to play them.

This.

From reading your posts on the subject it sounds like the Burny is too heavy, so that one should probably go. If I were in your place I'd swap something less expensive for the BKPs and sell them separately as they're pretty expensive in the US and won't add to the Burny's resale value. You've also mentioned that you'd get the most for your LP, so I'd sell that one too. That leaves your Dean which you seem to prefer anyway. Maybe try both the BKP and WLH sets in the Dean before you sell them in case you like them more than the Dean's current pickups.

 

[Francois]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Not sure I'd care all that much about sustain to be honest. I've rarely played a guitar that didn't sustain as long as necessary

Same for me.

I am attached to my guitars. So most are keepers. But if I had to sell some I would not evaluate them on just sustain.
Feeling while playing is the most important thing : guitars that make you create something nice.
And tone of course.

BTW Amongst my guitars the one that seems to sustain the most (a Gibson) is far to have the best tone.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

FWIW I too agree with the consensus here, I too think you're going about it in a mostly clinical way to avoid emotion, but in the process you also disregard the "enjoyment" factor.

Think of it this way, when you get the itch to play, which one you see yourself picking up?
Conversely, which guitar makes you wanna pick it up and play when you see it?

Unfortunately, health is also a factor. If weight is an issue then a wonderful but heavy guitar will only limit you to playing it while sitting.
Is that a compromise you're willing to make?

I, for instance, LOVE my Stinnett to this day, but the worse my neck gets, the more often / easier I find it to be "tweaked" after a longer session, whereas the much thinner and lighter ESP Horizon I got last doesn't aggravate it at all.
For that reason I more recently tend to pick the ESP up when I want to play standing but will still pick the Stinnett if I'll play sitting down.
I am thankful not to be needing the funds or space to get rid of either one but if I ever did, that would be one reason to go with the Stinnett and keep the ESP (but, realistically, I'd hate it if it ever came to pass).

After you choose which one(s) to keep, THEN you can be clinical about it and decide what to do with the rest.

Hope that helped some!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Thanks Guys! Youve basically confirmed what I know in my heart. I just hate to part with any, but I have to.. The Burny is a beast, but yes, the weight limits me so much.. The Gibson is great too. I picked this particular one as it had the mojo that most were lacking. The Dean is one of their limited runs, (the made like 15 of them) so it is special too. I do find that the lighter weight, slimmer neck does make it more appealing to play. So prolly with a pup swap, it'll be amazing. Im just at a point where all the guitars I have are indeed keepers and very special to me. However, I have to be realistic and let them go. Im not gigging, Im not progressing to a point that I need multi guitars, I need to clear them out. So, its very hard to choose. Im really going have have a hard time parting with my Kramer

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

Is there something you’ve always wanted but never had? I recently flipped all of mine and got the PRS I’d always wanted. No regerts

 

[Mincer]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

While I don't know if I'd consider sustain in selecting which guitar to keep, weight would certainly be a factor. I won't play a guitar that is too heavy or unbalanced.

 

[AxRookie]

Re: Sustain? Deciding Keepers?

The term "sustain" can be somewhat subjectable, Really sustain is all about the vibrating strings "decay rate" the longer a guitar "sustains" the slower it's decay rate of a given vibrating string...

weight can def help make the decay rate slower but it matters where that weight is placed but the important thing to keep in mind is the more immovable the two anchor points of the strings are the longer the string will vibrate or the slower that strings decay rate will be...

The kind of amp you use, what kind of pickup (other than how strong the magnets are and how close to the strings) or even your playing technique won't have any effect on a strings decay rate. Remember feedback is not sustain as it relates to guitars in the way most people think of it, Most people think of sustain as being how long a note will last before dying out...