How to get great sustain on guitar at low volumes

I am having trouble with sustain on guitar at low and even medium volumes. I am using many methods with not very good results.Fender guitars,Strat and Telecaster,Pod Pro,Mesa studio Pre,Mesa MKII,Mesa MKIV,Direct,2x12 Cabs 4x12 cabs...The only way I have done it with way too loud volumes. The pod almost works,but the tone is not the real deal. Do the Boss sustainer/compressor pedals work ? Maybe a Gibson wiih Humbuckers ? Thanks Ray

> Fender guitars,Strat and Telecaster There's your problem, most likely. Sounds like you're trying to coax soaring humbucker/tube-stack sustain from single-coil pickups, which is a physical impossibility. In my studio we usually record small tube amps, like Mesa/Boogie .22's, an old Gibson Ranger 30, a Sovtek MIG-50, and recently a M/B Single Rectifier 50--with no effects of any kind used in the tracking stage. Never had a problem getting sustain. Choosing the right guitar for the job is the key. Good luck - Don Z.

Re: How to get great sustain on guitar at low volu 

With guitars, a lot of things affect sustain including the material used to make the nut, the wood used tomake the guiitar, how many pieces of wood were used, if the body is solid or hollow, whether the neck is set or bolted on, if it has a tremolo or not, the type of pickups, etc. I have 2 Strats -- one custom built from aftermarket parts (mostly Warmoth), and one that's a bit of a FankenStrat with parts from 3 different Strats. The FrankenStrat has graphite saddles on the tremolo bridge, and a Tremsetter replacing the middle spring. Those 2 things alone have greatly increased the sustain of that guitar. I used to have some vintage noiseless pickups in it which helped increase sustain too, but they sounded a bit thin, so I swaped them out for some old Jap Strat pickups I had-- still does pretty good for a Strat. Brass saddles will increase sustain too. You can get higher output pickups as well that will maintain the stock look of a Strat (or Tele). Good sustain definitely starts with the guitar. Strats and Tele's are generally not known for sustain. --- c

Re: How to get great sustain on guitar at low volu 

Jackson makes guitars with an actual sustainer switch built in. The thing will evens sustain when you don't have it plugged in! When you plug it in and activate the switch it will sustain until you stop it.

Re: How to get great sustain on guitar at low volu 

Thanks for all the great input, I figured the guitar was the problem. I had not even heard of the sustainer,I am going to try and track one down for a demo,the Jackson too.Going to Ebay right now to investigate the Roland unit. Ray