Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

[BloodRose]

I know when a guitar sustains good when compared to others and all that, but is there time measurement that would officially classify a guitar as having Great sustain?

I was comparing a couple of my guitars since I upgraded them with big trem blocks and all. My White Charvel can very boldly ring a chord or note for 15 seconds and is still going at 3o seconds but is faded out pretty well by then. Can still be barely heard (this is with a practice amp set on apartment levels, so cranked would still be audible beyond.) at 30plus to 45 seconds. IMO this thing is a beast. My red charvel is right below it. The only thing I have that will beat it timewise is my Burny Les paul

So, back to the question, is there a time frame that is considered great sustain or is it kinda just the user's discretion?

Thanks

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

There is no standard for what defines "great sustain" IMO i dont care so much about sustain any half decent guitar i can make sustain with amps and pedals if its got the right tonal balance is what im after.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

 

[trevorus]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

Unless you get strat-itis, where the pickups magnets pull the string a bunch and make that annoying warbly and dead sustain, or you just have a dead note, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

Yeah, Its amazing when I knock on the wood.. hahahahaha Matter of fact, Im so inspired by this guitar, Im writing a new song... its a cross between Mozart and Bach... a Mock if you will.. haha

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

Don't Bozart that joint.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

Some of you are downgrading sustain, it was the major issue in the 70's, with people trying to make the boat anchor guitars sustain longer.
Guitar sustain is a lot different than amp sustain. Its very important to me, and really makes the guitar sing with texture instead of the flat amp sustain, plus you can work more with the amps REq. You'll know it when you have a guitar that rings and sustains nicely!. Its different than resonance, some 'resonant' cheap / cheap wood guitars have a bright initial sound, and the body wood vibrates , and that some people think is the ultimate in guitar tone, but sustain on them dies very quickly and they won't sustain for crap. And some pickup makers even designed pickups to increase sustain, and lessen string pull.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

That's what I've found with alder-bodied guitars - lots of early and loud (acoustically) resonance, but average sustain. So many people downplay basswood as crap, and indeed there's crappy basswood, just as there's crappy mahogany, maple, or ash, but a good guitar built with good wood has good sustain, regardless of how acoustically loud/resonant it is.

My basswood-bodied Jackson Warrior mutts do have great sustain - recording clean tracks to run through vst amp sims has proven that.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Sustain time?? Prolly an odd question, but...

I hear what you are saying and agree. I had a LP that was dead as a doornail and an Ibanez that sounds great amazing. Suprizing how diff woods can sound so diff.