How can I get the best sustain out of my strat?

[HMstratocaster]

I do use pretty heavy gauge strings (mainly because I press so hard sometimes it makes the guitar sound like it's out of tune) I use pretty low frets  like "Medium Jumbo" but I guess I could get used to higher frets!  :icon_biggrin:  I really don't think i could do a hard tail because of what I play I NEED VERSATILITY!!!!  :icon_biggrin: I've heard of the "Brass" and "Titanium " blocks but has anyone had any experience with those?


:rock-on:

-HM

 

[DocNrock]

I do use pretty heavy gauge strings (mainly because I press so hard sometimes it makes the guitar sound like it's out of tune) I use pretty low frets  like "Medium Jumbo" but I guess I could get used to higher frets!  :icon_biggrin:  I really don't think i could do a hard tail because of what I play I NEED VERSATILITY!!!!  :icon_biggrin: I've heard of the "Brass" and "Titanium " blocks but has anyone had any experience with those?


:rock-on:

-HM

I'm not sure how much a titanium block would help.  My understanding is that mass is what is needed for sustain.  That said, I would think brass would be the ticket.  Seeing what Kreig posted there makes me want to swap the blocks out on all my Floyds to Brass L blocks. 

 

[ildar]

I do use pretty heavy gauge strings (mainly because I press so hard sometimes it makes the guitar sound like it's out of tune) I use pretty low frets  like "Medium Jumbo" but I guess I could get used to higher frets!  :icon_biggrin:  I really don't think i could do a hard tail because of what I play I NEED VERSATILITY!!!!  :icon_biggrin: I've heard of the "Brass" and "Titanium " blocks but has anyone had any experience with those?


:rock-on:

-HM

If you squeeze that hard, you don't want higher frets. Lightening up on your left hand will help with sustain, letting air between the string and fretboard is a good thing.

 

[stratplayer1]

supposedly the treml-no when in dive only of hardtail mode adds a good bit of sustain, im going to purchase one for my strat, of similar make up, in a few weeks.

 

[kreig]

see steve vai use his "FLO" jem , it's outfitted with the fernandez sustainer (better than the sustainiac or e-bow) it's battery powered pup generates a magnetic field making the strings
sustain 'til infinity. . . if only the batteries would'nt drain !

 

[line6man]

see steve vai use his "FLO" jem , it's outfitted with the fernandez sustainer (better than the sustainiac or e-bow) it's battery powered pup generates a magnetic field making the strings
sustain 'til infinity. . . if only the batteries would'nt drain !

i dont think that thats the kind of sustain he meant....

 

[m4rk0]

How to increase sustain by changing the specs of your guitar:
- heavier body
- fatter/heavier neck
- hardtail bridge

I don't think it's a set formula.. I guess you have to be lucky to get the right woods and the right mix of hardware.
My fairly light swamp ash/wenge strat sustains for hours! and it even has a trem and roller nut!

I also have a basswood fender talon with a floyd rose, that won't stop sustaining, while I have another identical talon (I have 4 actually) that doesn't sustain all that much.

I also have an old 70's Ibanez lp with a birch body  that seems to be hollow (and very light for an LP) with bolt on neck that goes on for days! and it has a thin neck! maybe it's because of the brass nut and bridge?

long story short: I don't think a certain 'recipe' of wood and hw doesn't always make a guaranty for a certain tone and sustain..

 

[DangerousR6]

I do use pretty heavy gauge strings (mainly because I press so hard sometimes it makes the guitar sound like it's out of tune) I use pretty low frets  like "Medium Jumbo" but I guess I could get used to higher frets!  :icon_biggrin:  I really don't think i could do a hard tail because of what I play I NEED VERSATILITY!!!!  :icon_biggrin: I've heard of the "Brass" and "Titanium " blocks but has anyone had any experience with those?


:rock-on:

-HM

I'm not sure how much a titanium block would help.  My understanding is that mass is what is needed for sustain.  That said, I would think brass would be the ticket.  Seeing what Kreig posted there makes me want to swap the blocks out on all my Floyds to Brass L blocks. 

Titanium wouldn't help at all, density is nothing near brass. I've often thawt of trying a brass L block myself..

 

[stringbender]

Raise your action 32nd or so and use a compressor.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Density and sustain are somewhat related.  Stiffness is really the key.  The nerdy way to think of it is that you want something that will transfer all of the energy provided into the strings and just the strings.  With wood this is generally the heavier woods.  Ebony is very heavy, and quite stiff.  Ken Armstrong built a neck set up on a brick wall and mentioned it sustained the longest out of anything he had ever tried.  The lucite bodied guitars that Dan Armstrong built use lucite for this purpose.  They also happen to be as heavy as bricks.  You are in trouble with a Floyd because the springs are not going to serve this purpose well by the nature that they are springs.  I have heard the tremol no works well for gaining back what the springs loose, but have never tried one.  The nice option with the tremol no is that you can change back and forth between fixed and trem.  But to get to you original question, try to increase the stiffness if you want more sustain.
Patrick