Six Secrets Of Sustain For Electric Guitar [And Quite A Bit On Feedback Too] – That Pedal Show
118,263
Published 2021-04-16
Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.
Welcome to the show! What about sustain then? Why are we so obsessed with it when it comes to electric guitars? Let’s be honest – most of us are so eager to play the next note that any actual, meaningful sustain is largely pointless isn’t it?
Well, not really. As we discuss and demonstrate, there’s more to sustain than meets the ear. Maybe it’s not just about the length of the sustain. Maybe it’s more about the envelope of the note dynamic; the EQ; the harmonic feedback; the interaction with the speaker… and lots of other cool stuff. We get into all that and more, offering tips and advice on how you might improve your own sustain. Well, your guitar’s sustain anyway.
Enjoy the show!
Gear in this episode
• TheGigRig Three2One
www.thegigrig.com/three2one
• TC Electronic Poly Tune 3 Mini Noir
UK & Europe: bit.ly/30GVcUn
USA: imp.i114863.net/zaNkA6
Australia: bit.ly/348bMOY
• Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII
UK & Europe: bit.ly/311MdP7
Australia: bit.ly/2oxRdJ3
USA: bit.ly/3nQ0ECl
• Empress Compressor MkII
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3atbpUn
Australia: bit.ly/3uVpqSl
• Hamstead Zenith Amplitude Booster:
UK & Europe: bit.ly/3wXTG0B
Australia: bit.ly/2RuvUJl
• ProCo RAT 2
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2Tmovw3
Australia: bit.ly/2Vj4ntr
USA: bit.ly/3FTItSB
• Providence Chrono Delay
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2RMtpjU
• Meris Mercury7 Reverb
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2Jb6RVq
USA: imp.i114863.net/NKkV12
Australia: bit.ly/2VHxcBo
• TheGigRig G3
www.thegigrig.com/g3
• Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature & 212 cab with TR1265B speakers
• Victory VC35 The Copper & 212 cab with one Celestion G12M Greenback and one G12 Anniversary
UK & Europe: bit.ly/2NpF31i
USA That Pedal Shop: bit.ly/3SkS5fJ
Interesting bits and go-to sections
- Sustaaaaiiiinnnn!: 00:00
- You would though, if it were playing: 01:43
- What are we doing today?: 02:56
- What is sustain: 04:30
- More sustain – Strat or Les Paul?: 05:22
- Transients and decay: 09:05
- But nobody needs sustain…: 10:35
- …yes we do – it’s about dynamics! 12:05
- Thing 1 – Volume: 14:15
- Things 2 & 3 – Gain/Overdrive & Feedback: 19:40
- Inducing feedback: 23:35
- Thing 4 – EQ: 28:21
- Thing 5 – Compression: 36:30
- Thing 6 – Tricks! 57:16
We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel.
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UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/2cRvIvt
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USA: That Pedal Shop www.thatpedalshop.com/
All Comments (21)
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I was studying but this seemed More Important.
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When Robert Fripp & Brian Eno recorded the droning guitar part on Heroes, they marked points on the floor which gave the optimum feedback for each note. Brings a whole new meaning to tap dancing!
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Anytime I hear the word sustain, I immediately think of Gary Moore. What a player and used sustain and feedback to musical perfection! Awesome video guys!
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For the last six weeks , I’ve been out on medical leave from work due to knee replacement surgery ,, the upside is I get to watch TPS on my 75 inch tv an my surround sound system in my living room , instead of my cell phone at work. Major diffearance ,, luv you guys !
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I'm genuinely saddened that Mick didn't come back with a cup of tea after putting the Les Paul on the chair and leaving shot at the beginning.
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I have never thought "I wish this guitar had more sustain" it always baffled me when people said it. However, I have always felt that note "bloom" was a better word for it. I never cared for the length of the decay, but its vocal quality (where that low level feedback that you demonstrate here gives it the mojo). Great episode guys, really cool.
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Trey Anastasio is a master of sustain and writes songs based on sustain and feedback. He's using a hollowbody guitar into a compressor and two modified TS-9's, which help him mightily. As always, thanks for the show, gentlemen! I'm glad you're back, together, in the room! :)
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New challenge idea: get the decades in a jar (50s - 2020s) and sort it out between you two, each one needs to play the guitar sounds of that decade using 3 pedals + an amp and a guitar
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For a really natural mod to the note envelope, try turning your pick round - play with one of the 'blunt' points and you'll get a really natural compression effect. Works really well with clean tones.
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I have a cheap Tele which had an issue with the neck pocket. It was just a hair wider that the neck. I decided to remove the neck, fill the gap with wood glue and screw it back on. The next day I tried it and I was astounded by the results. Essentially I had a bolt-on + glued-on neck. Not only it sustained much longer, but the frequency responce was broader, with more low mids and more punch. I liked it so much that I did it to my Fender guitars as well, with similar results.
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Why do I love this show so much? It's so great to see the two of you back in the room
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When I last saw soundgarden they did the same thing of just leaving the guitars and bass sustaining for 10-15 minutes before the encore... it was the loudest sound I’ve ever heard, completely amazing
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I really enjoy how you guys start at the most basic level and build upon the foundation. A lot of people would either gloss over the basic concept of sustain or fail to get very far past the basic concept. It's great than when you are demoing effects pedals that you get into what the effect actually is and use the pedals to show that instead of just showcasing the pedal.
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Not sure if it has been mentioned, but I feel honor-bound to point out that this video is conspicuously devoid of any Stonehenge monument--either life-size, or in danger of being crushed by a resident of Khazad-dûm... [Edit: SO good to see you guys back in the room.]
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32:25 - Had a similar experience in a stringed instrument shop in North London in '97. Playing one of the cheapest cellos in a room containing comfortably £1m+ worth of instruments, I felt like an absolute hero. Remains one of the most transcendent hours of my life even after the birth of the children. Utterly transformative.
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Glad you guys cleared that up. So many videos look at 'sustain' 30 seconds out and determine things like strat necks sustain longer or steel girders sustain longer (Jason Seaborn), or heavy blocks sustain more. But few realize what you want is a loud 'decay' - or the sustain of the first millisecond or second or maybe two. And the more compression, reverb, delay and natural sustain you have, the less overdrive/distortion you need, and the less fizzy your tone.
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OMG i have been wanting to ask for THIS exact show for 3 years! You guys are the best! Thank you! 🤘🙏🙏🙏🙏
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Masterpiece! Such a great episode with a special atmosphere too. Thank you very much!
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Ok, work day is over and I’ve adequately digested the episode. ‘Twas a fantastic jaunt through the realities of sustain. It’s such an integral part of getting the life outta the notes that I just always feel when a setup is giving it. Hope you’re both doing well, all my love ❤️.
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You guys are awesome. That intro was just what I needed today. I literally went and rewatched Spinal Tap and then cam back and finished this video. Thank you, again!
