Gazoo Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Hi All, I looked around for info on this but couldn't really find anything in the forum or the FAQ. I've a Epi Sheraton II that I bought a few years ago. I have had the electronics removed and replaced with a Dr.Vintage early Spec control kit and replace the standard pickups with Gibson P94 which HONK like crazy. I am however running into a problem with sustain. I don't have any. When I hold a note I can hear it quickly bleeding away to nothing instead of hanging which is especially annoying if your bending. I have taken the guitar for setups twice with mixed results both times. I assume I either need a new nut or a fret job or possibly both. I was wondering if anyone else has run into this before with this type of guitar so maybe they can point me in the right direction and save me from making a mistake or wasting my time and cash. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 A new nut or a fret job is not really going to help improve sustain. Certain guitars have more sustain than others. Have you tried a new amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 +1 with what Fox said. Some guitars have more sustain than others. My Sherry is okay, but not as good a my Les Pauls. As a rule set neck guitars will have better sustain than bolt on necks. Also, there are certain notes that will sustain longer than others because of the harmonic overtone frequencies. That said, a lot can be in the amp. I would also recommend a good compressor. I use a Keeley and I really love it, not cheap though. I also use a modified Boss GE-7 which also helps with sustain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Holding the strings down at the last fret, how close are the PU's to the strings? Too close and the magnets will pull and reduce sustain, too far and you lose output and sustain. It should be around 1/16 to 1/8". Frets aren't an issue unless the strings buzz on them. How high is your action? Too low and you don't get good string vibration. The nut isn't a likely culprit. Make sure everything is screwed on tight on the guitar: tuners, PU's, etc. And of course, the wood is a factor. Every piece is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 As a rule set neck guitars will have better sustain than bolt on necks. LOL, tell that to David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, SRV and a myriad of others who find that a bolt on sustains just fine. Holding the strings down at the last fret, how close are the PU's to the strings? Too close and the magnets will pull and reduce sustain, too far and you lose output and sustain. It should be around 1/16 to 1/8". And of course, the wood is a factor. Every piece is different. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Holding the strings down at the last fret, how close are the PU's to the strings? Too close and the magnets will pull and reduce sustain, too far and you lose output and sustain. I'm with Blueman on this one. Although every guitar is different, one of the biggest sustain killers is having the PU heights improperly adjusted. I use the same method as Blueman does. I start with 3/32" from top of pole piece to bottom of string on the neck PU. (Bass and treble sides) and 1/16' from top of pole piece to bottom of string on the bridge PU. (bass and treble sides) I use this as a reference point and adjust by ear from there. As you have P-94s I will say that P-90 style pickups sometimes end up about 1/32" lower. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Since the quality advice has already been given.................. [thumbup] ..... I give my Sheraton II "Cialis For Daily Use."....... .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueman335 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Another thing too, is how much gain you're using. The cleaner you play, and the less compression, the less sustain you're going to get. You may have to up the gain a bit for this guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 As a rule set neck guitars will have better sustain than bolt on necks. I think an obvious point being missed here is the fact that semi's and hollow bodies will never sustain like a solid body. That said, I would first check the pickup height as has already been recommended. The magnetic field generated by pickups that are too close to the strings can do terrible things to string vibration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNick Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Holding the strings down at the last fret, how close are the PU's to the strings? Too close and the magnets will pull and reduce sustain, too far and you lose output and sustain. It should be around 1/16 to 1/8". Frets aren't an issue unless the strings buzz on them. How high is your action? Too low and you don't get good string vibration. The nut isn't a likely culprit. Make sure everything is screwed on tight on the guitar: tuners, PU's, etc. And of course, the wood is a factor. Every piece is different. +1 If you hold a string at the 3rd fret or any fret and let it ring out. and it does not sustain, that would eliminate the nut. Saddles may be suspect, but not all of them at the same time. Strings, possible got a bad set or are old. Find a Luther, not a guitar tech, and ask his opinion. I have s semi-hollow that has a lot of sustain. Not all-day sustain, but it will hang with my Fenders and Epi's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazoo Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks all. If I'm honest I'm not using an amp, I have two of them unfortunately I also have 2 children who are both under 4 yrs old. So playing on the amps is not really an option because when I have time to do it the kids and often the wife are all asleep. So I play on a Line 6 Pod UX1 and my sustain flat out sucks although it was better with the default P/U's then it is with the P94's. So I am guessing it is a spacing issue between the strings and the pickups. I also believe my nut needs to be replace because its hanging up when tuning certain strings. Any chance replacing the bridge might help with sustain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Thanks all. I also believe my nut needs to be replace because its hanging up when tuning certain strings. Any chance replacing the bridge might help with sustain? A Graphtech Tusq XL will help greatly............Replacing your bridge and/or tail piece with true ALL aluminum will also help.... Some say that all aluminum tail pieces don't help..... .....I believe that they do help, and quite a bit.......... ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I will also point out the obvious things. 1. Strings must be changed fairly often if your guitar is getting a lot of use. This also depends on personal chemistry. When I play my guitar a lot, and sweat a lot, I have to change strings every week. More often sometimes. Dead strings absolutely kill sustain. I find that a lighter guage set of strings will not sustain as well as a heavier set. 2. String bending can kill sustain too. If your neck is slightly out and the string just barely grazes the fret above the bend, that will kill it. 3. Bridge saddles poorly filed will also kill sustain. 4. Loose hardware, or wobbly bridge or tailpiece inserts will also kill sustain. My advice is to take your guitar in to a GOOD tech and let him have a look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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