lack of sustain

[sledgehammer347]

I have a 2011 60th anniversary MIM Tele. Great guitar overall, not much sustain. Is it the strings still have the same ones it came with from the factory. I took it to my techie,when I got it. I liked the way it played, so he said he just tweaked the neck a little. Is it the player? or am I missing something else.

Thanks in advance, Bob.

 

[notdave]

 

[KevinB]

Well, by all means put new strings on if the originals have been there since last year.

How is the neck to body joint? Pull the neck and make sure the pocket is clean and you're getting a good wood-to-wood fit.

Then search this forum for "luthier sustain trick".

 

[drvoodoo]

Could be the strings, could be that the PUs are to close to the strings etc. Is it dull when played unplugged? Could be the nut that is not cut correctly. First of all check the neck screws and see that they are not loose. After that check the bridge screws. Then proceed:
1: press down strings behind the nut and listen for increased sustain.
2: if that does not make any difference try
3: lower the PUs and play it unplugged and plugged.
4: now if that does not do it, maybe tweak the neck for more relif.
5: could well be that you need new strings, strings of another make or gauge

And crank the amp ;-)
Hope you sort it out

 

[drvoodoo]

And you can turn it into an Esquire;-)

 

[sledgehammer347]

Thanks to all for the input. Bob.

 

[sledgehammer347]

And you can turn it into an Esquire;-)

What is an esquire?

 

[notdave]

What is an esquire?

One of these

 

[Wally]

If all your 'tech' could do was adjust the truss rod, then you need another tech. I have never seen a Fender play well from the factory....or any other guitar, FWIW. Your guitar needs a proper set up by someone who understands what that means. Thsoe who understand what a set-up is are not as common as you might think. Ime, they don't work at 'shiny music' stores. Those 'techs' know just about as much as the ordinary gutiar player does...which is about what the normal driver of a car knows about keeping that car going down the road.
Strign life....one gig for a hard working pro. 3 weeks even if you don't play the guitar. NOthing stops metal fatigue. Strigns will not last as long as those have been on that guitar.

 

[ScottieHotrod]

Invest a few dollars on some new strings and it will sound like a completely different guitar. Strings as old as yours will likely have myriad problems.

Get some coated ones if you're not into changing them that often.

 

[Wally]

Coated strigns last no longer than any other string when one is juddging a string by the main aspect...whcih is intonation. AS I noted above, nothing stops metal fatigue. IF a guitar intonates accurately with fresh strings, a hadrd gig will cause them to be flat. Simply sitting under tension for a few weeks will also cause them to lose the ability to come to pitch accurately.
Coated strings fool some people into believing that the strings are lasting longer jsut because they don't change sound. The reason they don't change sound is that the coating 'deadens' the strings before you ever get them to pitch. That is, there is no tone to lose, so the player can perceive that he string is lasting longer...when in fact it simply sounds dead from tge get-go...adn themetal fatigue takes away accurate intonation just as quickly as it does with an uncoated string. P.T. Barnum would be proud of the fellows who dreamed up coating gutiar strings with Gore-TEx......there's one born every 15 seconds...right?
I have had disinterested parties judge the sonic qualities of guitars fitted with fresh coated strings against much less expensive gutiars with old, uncoated strings. Without fail, they always choose the inexpensive guitar with old, uncoated strings over expensive guitars with expensive new coated strings. The last test was a $695 made in Chine solid top guitar agains a $4500 TAylor with fresh Elixirs. The Taylor lost....again..... Here's what Robert Taylor said about Elixirs in a Taylor house magazine.....don't get me wrong. IT is not for the sound. IT is because they don't turn black in the showroom while people are trying the gutiars out.
I have had a $415 guitar with GHS strings gone black whip another high dollar Taylor with brand new Elixirs on it. Imho, coated strings are the biggest piece of hype ever perpetrated upon the guitar-playing public. The shiny music stores push them because they make more money for the time spent to sell the strings. I got a free set at a guitar show about 20 years ago. I put them on a guitar and immediately cut them off. They feel like rubber bands, adn they sound like rubber bands....to my ear. I have been playing toneful guitars for too long to spend big bucks on inferior sonics.

 

[ScottieHotrod]

You're clearly very informed and I won't try to argue with you.

But normal strings go dull after about 4 hours of playing and I can't afford to put new ones on week. Most of the time I'm just noodling in my bedroom so I have Elixirs on for about a month+

If I have a gig they come straight off of course.

I have no problem with the intonation and tuning going a bit wacky if I'm not recording or playing live. I recommended them to this guy cos I'm guessing he's the same since he has had the same strings for a year.

 

[Wally]

Fro my purposes, I would rather have a string that sounds good for even 4 hours than one that is dull when I put it on. AS I noted, being dull in the beginning prevents the player from perceiving that a string has changed...which all strings do upon being brought to tension.
Slight of hand and such tricks don't impress me nearly as much as reality. (;^)
Have you ever tried using GHS Fast Fret? IT protects the string from acids, oils, moisture, dirt, etc and yields that 'slick' feeling.....but doesn't kill the tone like a coating does.

 

[ScottieHotrod]

They are a bit dull but they're mostly very 'brittle'. However my classic 60s is very dark and warm so it balances out nicely.

I love fast fret and don't get me wrong, there's nothing I like more than snipping the elixirs off and busting out some fresh d'addarios. But they're kind of a luxury since I'm chronically unemployed.

 

[jefrs]

I have a 2011 60th anniversary MIM Tele. Great guitar overall, not much sustain. Is it the strings still have the same ones it came with from the factory. I took it to my techie,when I got it. I liked the way it played, so he said he just tweaked the neck a little. Is it the player? or am I missing something else.

Thanks in advance, Bob.

Those strings are over 1yo. They be dead.

Expensive hobby but you should experiment with string make and gauge to find what suits you and your tele.
Consensus gauge on a tele seems to be 10s
What suits me?
Slinkies last me a couple of days, turns fingers black then the sound goes off and they turn into creaky bed-springs. NBG
D/A are ok
Roto Pure Nickel (PN10) sound better and last me months.
Thomastik-Infeld Techno/Power-Brights can last longer, different sound.
Thomastik Swing-Jazz Flats can last 2+years, plus they are the only flatties that do sound bright. Tin-plated (for anyone with nickel problems?)
YMMV
Cleaning strings with a little isopropyl alcohol works (esp bass!)
What was said about "coated" strings is true.

Sustain -
It is possibly worth checking that the bridge plate is firmly down against the body. Over-tightening the screws at the tail can lift the front of it. Can you slip a thin pick under its front edge?
The strings hold the bridge on, the screws stop it roaming about.

If it is lifting there are a couple of fixes but which one depends on cause ...

Ye olde neck join wrinkle -
With tele at concert, loosen the neck screws a little. Now drop the tele from about 1-ft tail first onto thick carpet to seat the neck. Catch it! Firmly tighten neck screws.

 

[KevinB]

...Here's what Robert Taylor said about Elixirs in a Taylor house magazine.....don't get me wrong. IT is not for the sound. IT is because they don't turn black in the showroom while people are trying the gutiars out...

Hmmm...when did Bob Taylor say exactly that?

Here's what he currently says, posted on the Taylor guitars website



I would agree that the original Elixir "Polywebs" feel too thickly coated, but I really like the newer "Nanowebs". They sound good and last a long time. The treated Martin "Lifespan" (acoustic) strings and D'Addario EXP coated nickel-wounds are good strings too.

 

[Danno]

My CV Tele really had no sustain or punch for that matter. I loosened the neck screws a half turn each or so with the strings on at normal tension and then tightened them back. This simple trick radically changed the guitar's personality. I was blown away by the increase in snap and sustain.

 

[ScottieHotrod]

Once you've got some new strings on there it would be a good idea to do a whole setup on it.

(link removed)

This will improve just about everything, including sustain.

The measurements in the above article are just guides, experiment to find out what you like.

 

[sledgehammer347]

Once you've got some new strings on there it would be a good idea to do a whole setup on it.

(link removed)

This will improve just about everything, including sustain.

The measurements in the above article are just guides, experiment to find out what you like.

Thanks Scottie, I've installed new strings,thanks for the link.

 

[Bartholomew3]

My CV Tele really had no sustain or punch for that matter. I loosened the neck screws a half turn each or so with the strings on at normal tension and then tightened them back. This simple trick radically changed the guitar's personality. I was blown away by the increase in snap and sustain.

I read about this here...prior and thought it was a joke.

But it worked with a 68. Always had sustain anyways but can hear a definite improvement acoustically.