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Author Topic:  Sustain
Eddie Freeman

 

From:
Natchez Mississippi
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2018 3:35 pm    
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What is being used out there for sustain.I am using a Hilton pedal and Boss DD2. I would like to get more sustain, any ideas? Thanks
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Jim Bob Sedgwick

 

From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2018 4:10 pm    
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turn your amp up, back off the volume pedal, As the sound starts to fade, gently add more volume with your pedal. This should help your problem immensely. hope this helps.
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Rick Abbott

 

From:
Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2018 5:11 pm    
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Bar hand pressure and well-groomed vibrato are helpful, along with the best advice given by Mr. Sedgwick.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Wakarusa 5e3 clone
1953 Stromberg-Carlson AU-35
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Kevin Fix

 

From:
Michigan, USA
Post  Posted 28 Feb 2018 5:55 pm     Sustain
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Same advice as Jim and Rick. The best way that I know.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 5:14 am    
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I concur with the above. All ya gotta do is learn to use the volume pedal and turn up the amp.
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Jim Pitman

 

From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 6:10 am    
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Might be your guitar. I've owned 5 different brand pedal steels, Two of them had noticibly less sustain than the others. My band's sound man noticed it to lend credence.
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Eddie Freeman

 

From:
Natchez Mississippi
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 8:36 am    
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Thanks guys, and yes Jim, I've thought about that being part of the problem. I cant say for sure my now Guitar( G.F.I.) has less sustain than others I've had.I think I will turn up my pre volume knob,and back off on my Volume pedal.
I have been running about 3--3.5 on my NV400, and plugged in to the low input jack, with the post about 7--8.
Any way, thanks for the come back guys...
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 8:50 am    
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Eddie Freeman wrote:
I think I will turn up my pre volume knob,and back off on my Volume pedal.
I have been running about 3--3.5 on my NV400, and plugged in to the low input jack, with the post about 7--8.

Pretty much what I would suggest. But you will get more natural sustain from both the amp and guitar if you leave the volume pedal very close to wide open. Turn the pre up to about 5. If you are still getting clean tone, go a little higher, just to where the signal starts to break up. The tone might darken up a bit, so adjust your eq if you need to. Use the volume pedal for expression, and to back off the volume when playing backup.
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Marco Schouten


From:
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 11:06 am    
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I had a Sho-Bud that had just about 10 seconds of sustain. Polishing the grooves out of the changer fingers took care of it.
_________________
----------------------------------
JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo
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Bill Ford


From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 12:42 pm    
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FWIW... Also try rolling your bar back and forth rather than sliding it.
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!!
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 1 Mar 2018 1:36 pm    
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Eddie - What kind of bar are you using?
_________________
Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande

There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.


Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat
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Eddie Freeman

 

From:
Natchez Mississippi
Post  Posted 2 Mar 2018 6:59 am     Bar
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Lee, I am using an Emmons standard bar 7/8 by 3 and3/8 solid S.S.
The bar is about 50 years old, but I don't think S.S breaks down over time ??
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Rich Upright


From:
Florida, USA
Post  Posted 3 Mar 2018 9:01 am    
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I use a heavy 1" bar. That helps, but a steel with brand new strings & aluminum necks seems to impart noticeably more sustain (& better tone) than a wooden neck guitar. Not a proven fact; just my opinion.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.
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Rick Abbott

 

From:
Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 3 Mar 2018 3:10 pm    
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The bar should be fine, but if you could have it polished it might help a tiny bit.

Volume pedal is probably the most important aspect of the use of sustain in PSG. I just got back from band rehearsal. I play an old Sho~Bud Professional, and it does have great sustain...but, we are playing Jack Straw, by the grateful Dead and I'm playing organ parts with a simulator. In the intro, which is four bars, I need to hold a single E chord. I can hit the chord, start pushing the volume pedal for sustain and play the first two chords (E and F#m) past the 4 bars without striking the strings a second time. It's mostly the volume pedal. I used NO vibrato, and strings 8-6-5.

I'd say spend more time with the volume pedal.
_________________
RICK ABBOTT
Sho~Bud D-10 Professional #7962
Remington T-8, Wakarusa 5e3 clone
1953 Stromberg-Carlson AU-35
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Georg Sørtun


From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
Post  Posted 3 Mar 2018 3:40 pm    
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Eddie Freeman wrote:
I cant say for sure my now Guitar( G.F.I.) has less sustain than others I've had.I think I will turn up my pre volume knob,and back off on my Volume pedal.
GFI steels (EXPO & Ultra) sustain well enough, but they tend to drop quite a bit early on and sustain at a lower level than most other PSGs. Give it some feedback – i.e. run the amp loud and work the Volume Pedal – and a GFI can sustain almost forever.
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