Is sustain such a many splendored thing?

[Lesfunk]

I’d rather have it when I don’t need it than need it when I don’t have it.
It’s not that difficult to mute a string

 

[Dincrest]

I am primarily a 5-string player, but I keep a 4-string with a Hipshot Xtender to click into drop-D because the open D ringing out sounds better in many songs than a closed D on a 5-string.

Ergo, sustain is important to me. I can mute and dampen with my hands to reduce it, but I can't make more sustain.

 

[bassGtar]

I’ve been using a lot of sustain on my rest notes lately. People tell me it sounds better. “Muffle the notes and sustain the rests”, they say. “We can still hear you!!”

 

[JazznFunk]

I prefer to have a bass that is well set-up that maximizes whatever sustain the instrument naturally has. If it doesn't sustain well, it's likely a construction/setup issue. Electric bass by its very nature has a much longer sustain than double bass, and the funny thing is that everyone wanting 'short sustain' by stuffing foam under bridges is just trying to get back to the 'limitation' of the double bass that electric bass was supposed to 'fix'. If I want 'short sustain' on an electric bass - rounds or flats - I use a palm mute technique similar to what Pino Palladino uses. Then again, my double bass has a lot of sustain as well.... with the right touch. It's all about touch.

 

[micguy]

Heck, I can't find a sustaining band.

Guitarist quit one beat in, fired the drummer on beat 2. By the end of the first measure, it was a solo bass act.

 

[DaveParker39]

Definitely important, especially when certain spots on the fingerboard have dead spots. I hate having to move a lick because a certain fingering has a dead spot and it dies out on me.

 

[KJMO]

I don't even think the "rather have it and be able to mute it" argument makes sense because every bass I've ever had sustained too long for anything I ever have played. I have to put my finger on the string next to the bridge and kill the note slowly, even at the end of songs that just ring out, or the band would start the next song before it ends. Sustain isn't even worth discussing. It's like worrying that people in the U.S. are going to get too skinny.

 

[Runlikegregg]

I like sustain.
Especially since it's easy to defeat with a bit of palm muting.

I owned a '77 Ric that had the most amazing sustain, I miss that lovely beaut sometimes.

 

[Kael]

Depends on your style. I strongly prefer an instrument that sings out with long sustaining notes. If I want thump, I can mute with the edge of my plucking hand when I pluck the strings. Most especially a fretless benefits from greater sustain IME. If you always want thump, then sure, run flats and a mute. For me, that is too limiting for how I play.

 

[JimmyM]

Wetton had surgery because of finger playing.

He would play with a pick for certain songs. Never played with a pick in King Crimson.

He started using a pick in U.K.

In his late years he’d use a thumb pick almost all the time.


String damping and muting are 2 different things.

I usually associate palm muting and using a foam mute as a tick tack type of playing rather than a damping to keep other strings from ringing out like when a finger player uses his thumb.

As a pick player I’ll also use my fretting hand to keep other strings from ringing out.

We will have to agree to disagree on why he had the surgery for now, but I used to have the BP magazine where he said his doctor said it was from using a pick like he did.

 

[Thumpin6string]

.. on open strings. What about everything else?

I use normal muting techniques.

 

[chris_b]

Not everyone wants to sound like music from 50 years ago? That would be my guess.

I was one of the guys from 50 years ago and I don't want to sound like that any more.

I want to sound like me today, even when I play the music of 50 years ago.

 

[sean_on_bass]

On a bass, I really don't need it. I actually have foam under the bridge on most of my basses right now.
I absolutely love hearing a note die out semi slowly.
If you look at Mr Jamerson, you will see what I mean.
Secondly, I know that high mass bridges contribute to sustain, from experience, I know that they change the low end profile. My unscientific experience is, sub lows are enhanced a bit. To me, sub lows are good in recordings, but on a stage, they are just not good on a number of levels unless the sound system is perfect.
Even then, the kick drum needs its
Territory.
I am greatly interested in this subject and would love to hear your thoughts

J l mattox

Like you, my play style really does not require long sustain. But i'd argue some other players really need it for what they are doing. So it just depends on your sound concept and the styles of music you tend to play.

 

[alex1fly]

Palm muting while using a pick is one of the most injurious things you can do on a bass. I do it and my hand hurts badly within seconds. Not to mention that it doesn’t sound good to play finger style and palm mute if you don’t want to play right on the bridge. And I usually don’t.

Not that I usually use foam, but occasionally I do, and it’s so not the same as doing these other methods. The goals are similar…the sounds are not.

Yeah, palm mute plus pick on a bass is tricky because the strings are so fat. It's a huge motion for your wrist. Palm muting on guitar is a lot easier - do that for days. The muting trick I'm talking about is like... you keep your pinky lightly on the string right next to the bridge and use pressure to control sustain. Then you can go between a thuddy type sound that decays quickly and full on sustain without having to put a mute in there.

 

[pglaser01]

*Latin: sus-, meaning "up," plus tenēre, meaning "to hold"

 

[conttador]

On a bass, I really don't need it. I actually have foam under the bridge on most of my basses right now.
I absolutely love hearing a note die out semi slowly.
If you look at Mr Jamerson, you will see what I mean.
Secondly, I know that high mass bridges contribute to sustain, from experience, I know that they change the low end profile. My unscientific experience is, sub lows are enhanced a bit. To me, sub lows are good in recordings, but on a stage, they are just not good on a number of levels unless the sound system is perfect.
Even then, the kick drum needs its
Territory.
I am greatly interested in this subject and would love to hear your thoughts

J l mattox

You’re going to get about 100 different answers here. It all depends on the music. If I’m trying to emulate an upright I’m going to want a quick decay and the way I achieve that is by raising the action and digging in.

If I’m playing blues behind the beat I’m looking for a longer sustain so the other instruments can sit on my notes.

These are all tools of the trade and different specialists beed different tools.

 

[ElectricBass72]

All of my basses have super low action and infinite sustain without a compressor.

 

[Dave Leighton]

Yes

 

[majbass]

I feel like you need a certain amount of sustain and beyond that it's just pleasing to the player. But I also don't want to have notes decaying at all in a four count... it's one of those things that might be overrated but it's still important.

 

[mikewalker]

Very interesting discussion here!
I'm in the "want to hear the sustain" camp: I prefer aluminum and graphite necked instruments for general purpose rocking out.
It's more than just 'plain old sustained note', what I really treasure is when the harmonic signature really rings out long and strong.
I do have a couple of wood necked instruments set aside for different decay styles (flatwounds, tapewounds) but my roundwound-equipped basses need to ring. I got hooked on that around 1977 when I first played a Kramer 450B...