Sustain Pedal

jacohead · #1 03-06-2010, 11:59 AM

Are there Sustain Pedals made for Bass? Some songs i here on records have some really good bass sustain and i cant replicate it very well... anybody have any suggestions besides getting a better bass ? thanks guys

Swimming Bird · #2 03-06-2010, 12:17 PM

There are two easy ways to do this. First, try turning up the volume on your amp and playing lighter. Second, do a search on compressors. There is a wealth of knowledge around here, particularly in bongomania's compressor reviews.

Edit: could you post a clip of you holding some notes and/or a song featuring the sustain you're going for?

bigchiefbc · #3 03-06-2010, 12:38 PM

Your sustain will only be marginally better without using a compressor IME. I'm currently using a Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone. It has tremendous amounts of sustain, but it will squash your signal, so beware.

walker rosewood · #4 03-06-2010, 05:06 PM

There are also some effects units that have an 'infinite sustain' thing going on. The Boss ME-50B and the EHX HOG are two I've owned that had that feature.

bigchiefbc · #5 03-06-2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walker rosewood

There are also some effects units that have an 'infinite sustain' thing going on. The Boss ME-50B and the EHX HOG are two I've owned that had that feature.

Generally those are only with synthesized notes, though. The only way that I know of to get your clean signal to sustain like that is with heavy compression.

bongomania · #6 03-06-2010, 11:57 PM

Even though compression can improve sustain, IME the real way to get better sustain is to get a bass that naturally sustains better, and give it a professional setup. A really resonant bass will often have "too much sustain"; of the last ten or so basses I've owned, not one of them needed any help sustaining for many many seconds on most notes.

Chrisk-K · #7 03-07-2010, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Some songs i here on records have some really good bass sustain and i cant replicate it very well...

What songs are they? I can't imagine needing to hold one note on a bass guitar for more than 15 seconds. When I need an infinite sustain, I use a Midi pedal to trigger a Taurus bass patch a la Geddy and Rutherford.

Eric! · #8 04-05-2010, 10:53 PM

bongomania · #9 04-06-2010, 12:57 AM

Ooh, I'm not familiar with that one. More info please?

Psybass · #10 04-06-2010, 01:15 AM

I know it's not a pedal, but what about the sustainiac sustainer?

http://www.sustainiac.com/st-pro.htm#bass

Personally I would like to try this with a fretless...Other options I can think of is a good comp, for just a little extra.

Taylor Livingston · #11 04-06-2010, 01:24 AM

I have a sustainiac in my bass, and while it's a lot of fun, it doesn't work that well on the lowest octave of a standard-tuned bass.

Psybass · #12 04-06-2010, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by conical johnson

I have a sustainiac in my bass, and while it's a lot of fun, it doesn't work that well on the lowest octave of a standard-tuned bass.

Do you mean it does'nt sustain or you don't get harmonics?

Eric! · #13 04-06-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Ooh, I'm not familiar with that one. More info please?

All of the info I've got is from here. Getting it secondhand from HC.

I've really wanted to try one of those Sustainiacs, but there's very little bass info on them readily available.

Taylor Livingston · #14 04-06-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psybass

Do you mean it does'nt sustain or you don't get harmonics?

It mostly doesn't sustain at all, but if you can get it to, it's only harmonics, even in fundamental mode.

Bassmike62 · #15 04-06-2010, 03:49 PM

Here's a funny one: I had a Boss CS-3 which I sold to get an EBS Multicomp. But then, I lost the sustain I had with the Boss unit. So ended up selling the EBS to a colleague and bought back a used CS-3. For compression: my Hartke 5500 amp head a compression knob which does the job.

Well, what can I say... this kept me busy part of last winter

Rickett Customs · #16 04-06-2010, 03:56 PM

How about a jam man? I figure it's a looper, so it'll hold a note as long as you want it to.

Example:

In the beginning, Tony is using a jam man here to hold the "A" note:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVLOJDX-fM

FromTheBassMent · #17 04-06-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ebennetts

As soon as my tax refund comes in I am ordering one of these for my guitar rig! That is SICK!

**Captain Bob** · #18 04-06-2010, 04:32 PM

Tax refund ? .....

That's one of my dreams! I must find a new tax attorney......mo gear.

Eric! · #19 04-10-2010, 12:22 AM

I have myself one ZCat Hold-Delay-Chorus pedal.
After a couple minutes, I figured out what it really is: a tiny looper (kinda reminds me of a Hazarai). Any noise that's going through it (note, buzz) with the hold button NOT pushed, you then stomp on it, hold it, and the loop is small enough so that a note will sound consistently sustained. The "hold effect" is also kinda neat, makes it organ-y sounding. To boot, it's got some chorus it can mix in to the hold, and its third setting is a simple digital delay with time, repeats, delay level, and tap tempo to boot. Extremely well-built pedal, does exactly what you expect, and it's pretty neat. Kinda made me miss my Hazarai. No low-end loss, completely noiseless, no volume drop problems (it has independent dry and hold level knobs), a great pedal! Tiny too, with jacks on the far ends, which is my favorite for pedalboard arrangement.