How do I get less sustain & retain high volume?

[fezz parka]

This is all about technique, not gizmos.

 

[jefrs]

This is all about technique, not gizmos.

+1

There are many ways to mask the sustain.
One is to pop the string which gives a high level attack, the sustain is not so significant (noticeable).
Another is the palm mute.

Heavier strings have a stronger attack, one of the reasons they are used on a jazzbox (big hollow archtop ;-) is this gives an apparently short sustain. However if you pick a jazz guitar quite gently, the sustain can go seemingly on for ever. A tele with its long sustain makes for an excellent jazz guitar despite the usual need for short sustain notes.

 

[ickylick]

This is all about technique, not gizmos.

+2

Your hands & fingers is the best compressor

 

[dsutton24]

get a crappy guitar.

See, that comment implies that sustain is inherently a good thing.

Not necessarily. Maybe you aren't old enough to remember the crappy guitars of the '60s and '70s. There's nothing like a plywood body, trapeze tailpiece, basswood bridge to not sustain. Add to that a set of Black Diamond strings, and a pickup that wouldn't so much as click if it was put on an anvil and bashed with a lump hammer, and you've got the musical equivelent of a chain link fence.

By those standards, even the cheapest guitars today are sustain monsters. Add effects and (in general) you add sustain.

Lower your pickups, go to bigger strings, pick harder, palm and heel mute, less gain in front of the amp. Or, if you've got an ashtray on your bridge, stuff a napkin in there. I guarantee it won't ring then.

 

[TxTeleMan]

See, that comment implies that sustain is inherently a good thing. Is it always? I mean, half a century ago most people thought distortion was a bad thing while others embraced it. I don't want my guitar notes to sing for days. I want it to sound like every note is a struggle; a fight to the end between my hands and this wretched, wooden old tool. I don't want perfect every time. but yeah, I agree... I want my guitar to sound "crappy," I guess. Just like so many people are foaming for guitars that look crappy these days. I guess it's style over substance for some. Bark without the bite.

Maybe you aren't old enough to remember the crappy guitars of the '60s and '70s. There's nothing like a plywood body, trapeze tailpiece, basswood bridge to not sustain. Add to that a set of Black Diamond strings, and a pickup that wouldn't so much as click if it was put on an anvil and bashed with a lump hammer, and you've got the musical equivelent of a chain link fence.

I remember those guitars. I had one.

Scantron, Leo Fender built a solid body guitar in part because on an acoustic guitar, the "diaphram" top (as he called it) responded unevenly to guitar frequencies and this contributed to various problems, including notes decaying too fast. A well designed and built solid body electric guitar will have sustain, unless it's been designed out.

A combination of amp settings, guitar volume and tone settings, guitar setup, and playing technique can influence sustain, or lack thereof. Vibrato techniques add sustain, and palm muting takes away sustain.

While "Crappy guitar" was somewhat facetious, since solid body guitars are built for sustain, one that doesn't sustain isn't fulfilling that requirement. Danelectros were not solid body guitars and they aren't know for their "singing sustain.

To get less sustain at high volumes, some kind of muting technique or device will help. I have a Godin bass that sustains for days (so to speak). I use a foam mute under the strings and also a palm muting technique when I don't want that sustain. On my Tele's is palm and finger muting techniques.

Amp settings can influence sustain. Play with your Bass/Mid/Treble controls. Roll one off and notice what it does to your sound.

My $0.02... get a hollow or semi-hollow body guitar, or a solid body with less density, use muting techniques, and play with your amp settings. Mute, mute, mute.

 

[fezz parka]

This is the only thing I can think of besides using your hands:

 

[Mekhem]

This is the only thing I can think of besides using your hands:

WTH is that?

 

[fezz parka]

Van Epps String Damper. Designed by the man who played a 7 string guitar before Steve Vai was born.

 

[Mekhem]

Ahhhhh.....

 

[elicross]

Steve Vai would probably just use a scrunchie.

 

[spauldingrules]

This is all about technique, not gizmos.

I love ya fezz, but with all due respect, you can't believe that gear has nothing to do with it. You're telling me the Ventures would sound the same with EMG pickups and Randall amps?

 

[fezz parka]

I love ya fezz, but with all due respect, you can't believe that gear has nothing to do with it. You're telling me the Ventures would sound the same with EMG pickups and Randall amps?

Yes, they would sound like the Ventures. Nokie sounds like Nokie. Bob (RIP) would sound like Bob. Don sounds like Don. The player makes the sound. The greater the player the greater the sound, even through "inferior" equipment.

 

[ojaverde]

What about a set of flatwound strings?

 

[tele salivas]

dont think, feel.

 

[jefrs]

What about a set of flatwound strings?

Flatwound are usually heavier with a wound 3rd.

Heavier means the sustain is the same or greater, but the attack of the note is greater still, especially if you dig-in. This can give the impression of less sustain, e.g. jazz or rockabilly. Mainly down to playing technique on heavy "jazz" strings - if you attack less brusquely, you can get long sustained singing notes.

Thomastik Swing Jazz flatwound are softer and sweeter than many heavy round wound "jazz" string sets. They can sustain very nicely, or produce short choppy notes - try releasing the fretting hand just before the "written" note duration.

 

[guitarzan13]

Mute an open string.... Lift your finger off of a fretted note...Stops the ringing every time...Palm mute and they all stop ringing. Simple.

 

[spauldingrules]

Yes, they would sound like the Ventures. Nokie sounds like Nokie. Bob (RIP) would sound like Bob. Don sounds like Don. The player makes the sound. The greater the player the greater the sound, even through "inferior" equipment.

I LOVE the Ventures, but come on! LOL besides the humor of the novelty of it, they would be unlistenable with that EMG/Randall tone.

 

[losergeek]

What about putting something between the saddles on the strings? On another thread someone suggested using plastic wire casing under the strings to help with breakage, and my immediate thought was that it would affect sustain.

 

[ickylick]

I don't know if it would work, but I remember there were individual string dampers for classical string instruments (i.e. Violin, cello). It was a small rubber like material that "clipped" onto the strings around the bridge.

 

[AlanC]

I kinda feel its like a baseball player sayin--" I dont want the ball to go so far when I hit it." Dont hit it so hard!!. Fezz is right- use technique , palm muting, pick attack, ect.