Bass Sustain

What kind of bass do you have?

10 secs is pretty utopic, especially with a Fender-style instrument. A neck-thru and/or composite neck may be the best weapon of choice for long sustain.

And yes, a compressor can help to increase sustain. But 10 seconds? I don't think so.

 

If I'm lucky I can get endless sustain when rehearsing with my band... it's called feedback.

 

I've been checking out the Sustainiac sustainer products. They say their magnetic sustainer that mounts near your pickups is the way to go for bass.

Unlike a pedal, they claim these produce real sustain because they vibrate the strings. Unlike the Ebow, your hand isn't tied up and supposedly they're can be controlled like effects.
According to their description, the feedback sustain it produces is much more intense than amp feedback. But one thing that really attracted me was that you get it at any volume.

Their website explains why each type of sustain effect box doesn't measure up to theirs and has a good FAQ - www.sustainiac.com

 

I'd give amp feedback a try before buying anything..

the only thing you have to lose is your hearing!

 

I actually get an even and pretty clean feedback. It won't go "SCREEECH" (like them steenkin' geetars) but rather "Hummmmm" - sustaining the note I last plucked. I don't know how it's done but it's cool! Magic amp, eh?

 

10 sec. sustain ? HA ! simple !
it does require some fast 'n fancy footwork though...

http://www.boomerangmusic.com/

 

Sustain systems are for cheaters, use faster playing to your advantage.

 

Slow delay gets that or a properly set compressor.

 

Well.. the Edge uses an Ebow for that sort of thing.

 

if your pickups are too close to the strings, the magnetic pull might be slowing down the vibrations too much. try lowerin' them pickups.

 

TRy an upright

 

When I was playing some free noise I used to play a note (or notes), then rest the bass on an edge of my cabinet.

Different from the kind of feedback you get from holding the bass in front of the speaker. Just damp whatevever strings you're not using or they will start up also.

 

I'm not sure what the deal is but...

My rig will sustain for as long as the day is long.
Literally. I could strike a note, leave for a 2 week vacation to Europe, and when I return home the note would still be there. Sustain stops only when I dampen the string.

Can play with it in a variety of ways, including angle and distance to the cab.

I don't know how it does this, probably a combination of things.

 

Thats feed-back

 

It's a perfect note, no squealing or swell.
I guess it is feedback, but it's so well controlled that the note doesn't waiver.

 

Feedback doesn't necessarily mean squealing. In fact, I would think squealing would only happen with massive amounts of trebly distortion or if the pickups were microphonic.

 

I think the feedback on magnetic pickups is different. It merely vibrates the string(s) at the same pitch therefore creating a loop from the string through the speaker back to the string. I try not to encounter this too much, but it may be what you are looking for at a low level. It can be controlled. Mic feedback doesn't seem to be too controllable.

 

I'd go witht the compressor, especially with bass. If you mess around with it, you can get it going for a long time, and they aren't real to expensive. Feedback is uncontrolable, and you can't always get the right sound out of feedback. Go for it, I think its the better choice