Sustain

[Orionsic]

How can I get more sustain out of my Stingray without sacrificing tone? Are there any sustain pedals out there? I've tried the dbx 160 and apex comp, but have had no luck. I've used an 80s Dyna Comp, but it kills my low end clarity. Please advise. Thanks.

[bongomania]

Good sustain comes from a bass that inherently has good sustain, with new strings. You can use heavy compression to get more sustain, but it tends to sound crappy with most pedals, and comes with extra noise. The dbx should have worked just fine--the key would be a high ratio and low threshold. The Dynacomp is a bad choice. By "apex" did you mean Aphex, and did you mean their pedal comp? It's not a good choice for this either. A decent pedal to try is the Pigtronix Philosopher, and there are a few others to consider if you want to go that route. But again, if the bass isn't sustaining inherently, a pedal may not be enough of a solution.

Another option is the EHX Freeze, for more of a synthetic extreme sustain.

[Orionsic]

Correct, it was an Aphex.

The dbx worked fine, but in retrospect to the amount of sustain the Dyna had, it wasn't enough.. Maybe it is my faded memory or the idea that I want to stick to a pedal..

I'll check out the Pigtronix Philosopher. I saw some clips online that gave light on the amount of sustain I want. Thanks.