Telecasters And Sustain

[JBryantfan]

For me, one of the main things that makes the Telecaster better than other guitars including Fender
is the sustain, open string riffs especially benefit. It sustains similar to a Jazzmaster i have as well.
I have 3 other Telecasters that have that ring to it.
Recently purchased an AO Custom and notice that while is sounds amazing, especially through a
Tweed amp it doesn't have the same sustain. Does anyone notice that or is it just me? I'm wondering
if maybe the strings are too low or is it the design of the CuNIFe pickups. Perhaps someone who owns
or did own a 1970's one (or a deluxe) could shed some light on it. Love the guitar overall but had that
question. I've tried it through both Blackface and Tweed amps, as I said maybe the action needs to be
higher. I do have an American Professional 2 Deluxe that does have that sustain despite it also having HB pickups.

 

[Trenchant63]

I find the bridge type impacts sustain more than any pickup type. Fixed bridges don’t necessarily sustain longer, but quality of the sustain to me is deeper, more solid sounding. Yes - having pickups too close and/or with more powerful magnets can affect sustain so judgement is required to adjust their height properly.

 

[cousinpaul]

Some tele's ring differently than others. Other than a pro set-up, it might come down to accepting that the guitar sounds a little different. I would definitely not recommend modding it. Those 70's Customs have their own thing.

 

[Peegoo]

This is an old thread.

It totally depends on the individual guitar; every one has its own unique personality.

Aside from hardware, wood is a non-consistent material, and the setup (string type and gauge, action, how close the pickups are to the strings, etc.) can really make a difference in sustain.

 

[Brent Hutto]

All I know is this...when I played acoustic guitars, I had to shop a long time to find one that had as much sustain as I wanted.

Then I switched to electric, got a Telecaster, and now I'm undergoing the slow process of learning to mute strings with either my picking-hand palm or with the edges of my fretting-hand fingers.

That's a set of skills I never needed on my acoustic!

 

[Swirling Snow]

How do the weights of the guitars compare? Of my guitars, the one with the most sustain weighs 11.5 lbs.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I find cheaper bridge materials sound different than cold-rolled steel with high-quality brass or steel saddles.

 

[Killing Floor]

A guitar is a spring-damper system. On an acoustic the tone you hear is the tone you get and the density and lattices and crystallization of esters matter a lot. On an electric they matter in that the wood is the part that decays the string vibration. The bridge and (open notes) the nut and the fret is where that vibration enters the body. Tone wood is the part that holds the paint on unless you have a piezoelectric pickup.

But because you can’t control the constraints of the pieces of wood every electric guitar will be a little different. You’ll notice it more unplugged than amplified. Remember that we all listen with our eyes too.

 

[JBryantfan]

One thing I have noticed on the Tele Custom 70's is that you have to play it hard to get a good sound.
On the Ladies And Gentleman concert film, Keith does just that with his and it sounds great of course.
Through a tweed the sound is there. its not handed to you like most HB Tele's . Digging in makes it
respond to your hands and playing dynamics. Anyone else find this, maybe its the CUNife pickups.

 

[Randy07ACV6]

One of my T-types is a G&L ASAT Special with Leo's Saddle Lock bridge (his best and final version). He was proud of the design, it is a fairly heavy casting and has a protrusion underneath that fits in a slot routed into the body (to transfer more vibration to the wood).
And there is a screw on one side that pushes the saddles together and locks them into what is effectively one piece.
Compared to the standard Tele tailpiece that is flat steel with only screws going into the wood.

The sustain is improved but not twice as good, it is hard to quantify. I know that mine has great sustain, as good as my LPs and is lively and vibrant even unplugged.

They sell them separately if interested: https://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/products/g-l-saddle-lock-guitar-bridge

Pic of the bottom showing the part that fits into a routed channel.

 

[boris bubbanov]

That's interesting, that the "foot" on that saddle lock is hollowed out. Best I can remember, that area was solid metal and why? Because G + L thought it might sustain better that way.