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Sustain problem

L

Laserman

Jul 19, 2004
135
0
Ft Walton Beach, Fl
#1
Guys,

I'm really lacking sustain from my rig. I run a Sans amp RBI preamp into a QSC 5GX poweramp pushing an ampeg ( 600) watt 4-10 cab and a Carvin 500 Watt 1-15 cab. The QSC is pushing 700 watts into the 4 ohm Ampeg and 500 watts into the 8 ohm Carvin cab. I'm also using a wireless and a Fender rack tuner. Any ideas why I don't have the sustain I think I should have? The signal runs Wireless-tuner- Preamp- power amp. Could the wireless or Tuner be eating sustain?
 
#4
Im pretty sure it's the bass, or at least the input signal into the amp. Some guitars ring longer than others (and some are damped by setup issues). Amps usually don't attenuate a signal, they just reproduce it at some ratio to the input signal. Does it act the same way regardless of bass? What kind of bass it is?
Wes
 
#5
Laserman said:
Guys,

I'm really lacking sustain from my rig.
Click to expand...
Sustain comes from the ax, not the rig. It's mainly a product of the density of the body wood and the type of construction; neck through with a hardwood body gives the most sustain, bolt-on with a softwood body the least. My custom made bass is neck- through with a carved rosewood body, sustain is limitless. Ash, maple and walnut bodies are also very good. The downside is weight, mine is semi-hollow like a Ric to address that.
 
#6
Laserman,
Is it all the notes that don't sustain or is there a particular dead spot? Most basses have a dead spot on the G string around the 4th fret which is hard to explain when so many other notes sustain so well. Dead spots can be frustrating especially when you are soloing.
Try a different axe through your rig to see if it has the same issue?
-Wes H
 
#7
Strings dead. If rounds full of dead skin. Bridge setup. poor nut setup or strings not buried in the nut well. Bone of nut worn loose. Bridge dampener ON, yeah that would do it. Thread prolly needs to be moved to BASSES.

BOB
 
#8
Strings stay pretty new on all my basses, Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, Peavey American model Millenium. All are bolt on neck. No I don't run a compressor. I'm experimenting with the drive control on my preamp but I don't like distortion so i can only take it up so high. I'll check my pickup height and maybe check out a Bass compressor pedal.
 
#9
Laserman said:
Strings stay pretty new on all my basses, Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, Peavey American model Millenium. All are bolt on neck. No I don't run a compressor. I'm experimenting with the drive control on my preamp but I don't like distortion so i can only take it up so high. I'll check my pickup height and maybe check out a Bass compressor pedal.
Click to expand...

What brand of strings are you using that stay new? Most strings age in tone and response rather quickly.
 

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