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  #1  
Old 12-03-2021, 05:58 PM
standup standup is offline
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Default How does sustain affect your playing?

I’ve had a 70 Gibson for decades, I’m very used to it.

I bought a Breedlove concertina recently as a contrast.

The Gibson has a big sound, lots of low end. Breedlove has a quieter, sweeter sound, with not much low end.

I was recording some bits on both guitars, trying out different microphones.

But listening back, I noticed is that the Breedlove (strung with Thomastik Plectrums) sustains for literally a couple seconds longer than the Gibson. Interesting. Gibson is strung with EJ16s at the moment.

I think this will work fine for me, the Gibson does the big ringing chords, the Breedlove can do a sweet melody over top.

Just interesting to notice. I may swap strings around next time I change them, and do a more apples-to-apples comparison. Lots to learn, always.
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Old 12-03-2021, 06:23 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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Gibson is known for its quick decay. That contributes to the "thumpy" sound that so many enjoy.

Me, I'm looking for something in the Goldilocks zone between long sustain and a quick decay because I think that makes better for a folk sound--something better to sing with.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:06 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I like sustain, in general, and when I don't need it, I know how to damp the strings to stop unwanted sound.

I have a Gibson Advanced Jumbo Luthier's Choice with excellent sustain, unlike many larger Gibsons.

I am not attracted to guitars without sustain.

- Glenn
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:08 PM
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For being a J-45, my 45 has a decent amount of sustain. I'd rather have too much sustain and mute it, than have a guitar without it and wish it had more.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:08 PM
fregly fregly is offline
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I equate the thumpy thing as an aspect of responsiveness in guitars. I wouldn't trade it for sustain, anyway.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:13 PM
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Mark Stone Mark Stone is offline
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Default How does sustain affect your playing?

I love sustain when I'm fingerpicking, and decay when I strumming to drive a song. So, a Dread and a GA are in stands onstage. I want the notes to go on and on when I'm flesh-on-string
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:20 PM
birkenweg42 birkenweg42 is offline
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I want sustain for my style of playing. When I first started fingerpicking I was into the fast and furious kind of pieces...Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, etc. After that phase, I got into Leo Kottke with a lot of 12 string playing.
Now that I am learning more melodic pieces in open tunings by artists like Will Ackerman and Masaaki Kishibe I want notes that sustain and bloom.
Both of my steel string guitars give me that sound.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:32 PM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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Of my two main guitars, the rosewood one has the most sustain and the mahogany less so. I agree that I would rather have it and control it then not have it available to me.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:35 PM
AcousticDreams AcousticDreams is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TBman View Post
For being a J-45, my 45 has a decent amount of sustain. I'd rather have too much sustain and mute it, than have a guitar without it and wish it had more.
Really enjoyed your version of Wild Mountain Thyme and the terrific slide show. So soothing, so healing.
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Old 12-03-2021, 07:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars View Post
Really enjoyed your version of Wild Mountain Thyme and the terrific slide show. So soothing, so healing.
Thank you, very kind of you.
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Old 12-03-2021, 08:28 PM
Mandobart Mandobart is offline
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I'm in the more sustain group. As others have said, if you don't have it and want it, there's just so much you can do in the way of strings and technique.

If you have too much sustain there are several ways to reduce it.
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Old 12-03-2021, 08:37 PM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
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Enough is fine. too much and it doesn't get out of the way when a note follows it quickly. Not enough and the beauty of a held note is diminished. I have noticed that after 16 seconds in a quiet room and I cannot longer hear the note at all, on most all my guitars. That does not seem to vary much between them. Of course what the listener hears is far shorter.
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Old 12-03-2021, 09:06 PM
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I like a good sustain, which my Yamaha has plenty of, and my Guild is also adequate with. I really like Gibson, and I can appreciate a thumpy J45 for sure, but it doesn't really suit my style of play if I'm not cording. My Guild is where it's at for me.
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Old 12-03-2021, 09:18 PM
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I love that Gibson, and you can play melodies all over the fingerboard and they sound good.

Just interesting to note the difference in sustain. Breedlove has it, Gibson kinda doesn't. But both are useful in a lot of ways.

Now I know to use the little Breedlove for single-note parts that need to hang a little longerr.
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  #15  
Old 12-03-2021, 09:32 PM
Jim Comeaux Jim Comeaux is offline
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Much will depend on your style of play. I’m a flatpicker and I play a lot of bluegrass. The nature of the music that I play begs for short quick staccato notes, so sustain isn’t a quality that we look for.
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