Please Help me! V7 Sustain Problem

[lightninz]

Hi TBers,

Recently I have been struggling getting a strong solid note that sustains for ballads and slow numbers on my Sire V7 4 string alder.

Bass Sustain.mp3

Above are the sound track i recorded from my V7 into a Scarlett 2i2 into Cubase and its sound wave. The Settings on the knobs are full volume, half tone, half blend, Active, neutral on all EQs.
Below are the picture of my string height, Pickup Height, Pickup Condition.


Please, I need advise on how to make my V7 more solid and have stronger sustains. I hear that my note deviates abit and have a huge drop in volume when plucked as seen on the wave form. I do not know if its the pickup condition (as it is very rusty), or the string height (Very high action) or Pick up height (extremely low). The string is also pretty aged about 3 months or could it be related to left or right hand techniques. Would changing new strings, new battery, new pickups or alteration to left or right hand technique help? Please do advise me on whats should be the problem and what possible ways to solve them.

Thank you very much!

 

[puff father]

New strings should help, maybe even help a lot. Your pickups are way down. Just loosen the screws evenly and about a quarter turn at a time.

I hope this helps. I have a V7 alder and it has good sustain so I think you can get it where you want it to be.

Best of luck.

 

[Reedt2000]

New strings might help, what set are you playing now? You might try a thicker string. You can bring your PUs up a bit but not too close so the magnetism pull at the string, that can negatively affect sustain. I might try playing with the active boosts. See if You can boost a frequency ranger that your bass produces well. It may have the effect of sustaining that frequency longer. All stringed instruments that are picked or plucked (not bowed) will have that loud attack and decay curve you're seeing. There are also things like the "fat finger" that claim to increase sustain.

 

[bholder]

New strings might help, what set are you playing now? You might try a thicker string. You can bring your PUs up a bit but not too close so the magnetism pull at the string, that can negatively affect sustain. I might try playing with the active boosts. See if You can boost a frequency ranger that your bass produces well. It may have the effect of sustaining that frequency longer. All stringed instruments that are picked or plucked (not bowed) will have that loud attack and decay curve you're seeing. There are also things like the "fat finger" that claim to increase sustain.

I typically raise my pickups until they start to distort when I'm playing hard, and then back them down a full turn or two to give myself some "headroom". Roughly as close as possible without distorting.

 

[lightninz]

Hi Guys,

I am currently using Rotosound Billy Sheehan signature set, gauges are 110-43, But the next set of string i'll change to will probably be Marcus Miller Super Brings, which are 105-45 if i am not wrong. So thicker string the more sustains and fresh string will probably increase sustains?

Previously the pickup were very high, i find that although there is no distortion, the strings are seemly choked, there vibration were quickly killed. Then i found that if i lower the pickup that low, the vibration seems less choked (the strings vibrate more). Although i love the tone when the pickup is higher, but can i ask if the higher pickup shouldn't affect the sustain? I really love the tone of the pickups but, would changing pickups affect sustains?

To counter this issue i've also tried a few ways to work my way around, with very low threshold light ratio compression and low mids boost of ard 200hz. But i find that these method killed my tone and dynamics.

Once again, Thank you very mufch

 

[Reedt2000]

Hi Guys,

I am currently using Rotosound Billy Sheehan signature set, gauges are 110-43, But the next set of string i'll change to will probably be Marcus Miller Super Brings, which are 105-45 if i am not wrong. So thicker string the more sustains and fresh string will probably increase sustains?

Previously the pickup were very high, i find that although there is no distortion, the strings are seemly choked, there vibration were quickly killed. Then i found that if i lower the pickup that low, the vibration seems less choked (the strings vibrate more). Although i love the tone when the pickup is higher, but can i ask if the higher pickup shouldn't affect the sustain? I really love the tone of the pickups but, would changing pickups affect sustains?

To counter this issue i've also tried a few ways to work my way around, with very low threshold light ratio compression and low mids boost of ard 200hz. But i find that these method killed my tone and dynamics.

Once again, Thank you very mufch

If the PUs are too close the magnetism pulls at the strings and gives you less sustain
As you've seen you can get a better tone by having them raised up. The trick is to find a happy medium.

You might want to check out the "Fat finger" it's a device that clamps on the headstock and adds a bit of weight. If you think of the neck as sort of a pendulum by putting extra weight on the end it "swings" more keeping more energy in the neck, therefore body, therefore strings, therefore more sustain. I've never used one but people swear they work. You can get em used for $20 or so, worth a shot.