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Post subject: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 7:27 pm
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Can anyone recommend a good sustain pedal that will allow the guitarist to hold a note in sustain for a long period of time with the ability to stop the sustain at any point?


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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 9:14 pm
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUXR8UnYhzc

Most any compression pedal will work, but they still require a certain level from the pickup to be able to sustain... they won't go endless.
Beyond compression pedals, you would need something like the Fernandes Sustainer pickup like Fender uses on the EOB Artist model, or you could try the "E-Bow" which is a hand-held sustainer... but it replaces your pick so it is more of a special effect type product. You wouldn't be able to use it to play the lead from Comfortably Numb.

But with a conventional compression pedal, there is a lot of technique to holding extended sustain. A VERY slight vibrato will drag the string across the fret just enough to have a violin-bow type action... you can do this to increase sustain even without a pedal.

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:42 pm
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CB91710 wrote:
But with a conventional compression pedal, there is a lot of technique to holding extended sustain. A VERY slight vibrato will drag the string across the fret just enough to have a violin-bow type action... you can do this to increase sustain even without a pedal.

+1

Using your neck pickup with the tone control roll back is helpful for this technique. It's Clapton's secret to the "woman tone" and Carlos also uses it often.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 5:44 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
CB91710 wrote:
But with a conventional compression pedal, there is a lot of technique to holding extended sustain. A VERY slight vibrato will drag the string across the fret just enough to have a violin-bow type action... you can do this to increase sustain even without a pedal.

+1

Using your neck pickup with the tone control roll back is helpful for this technique. It's Clapton's secret to the "woman tone" and Carlos also uses it often.

Arjay


Could you explain what you mean by the tone control roll back?


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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:22 am
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martycanaday wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
CB91710 wrote:
But with a conventional compression pedal, there is a lot of technique to holding extended sustain. A VERY slight vibrato will drag the string across the fret just enough to have a violin-bow type action... you can do this to increase sustain even without a pedal.

+1

Using your neck pickup with the tone control roll back is helpful for this technique. It's Clapton's secret to the "woman tone" and Carlos also uses it often.

Arjay


Could you explain what you mean by the tone control roll back?


Roll the treble off.

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 7:29 am
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So many factors:-

If you consider Gary Moore's famous Parisienne Walkways sustained E note; there are just as many examples on YouTube where he didn't hit the sweet spot as when he did.

Volume can effect sustain - high volumes can effect the strings and get them to resonate in sympathy so it becomes controlled feedback. But it doesn't always work the way you think/hope it will - see Parisienne Walkways above.

The note - strings will sustain more in certain positions on the neck. You need to find the sweet spot.

Technique - as noted above, using vibrato can encourage the string to ring as you are, to a degree, bowing the string with the fret.

Tone - as as noted above.

Any compressor will give the impression of increased sustain (as will a driven tube amp) because the louder part of the sound is clipped giving the impression that the note is going on longer because it doesn't seem to get quieter as quickly.

You can mimic a compressor to a point by playing a note with the volume knob turned down initially and then turn it up as the note diminishes chasing the reduction in volume.

So many tricks that come with practice, circumstance and luck.

To get full on guaranteed controlled continuous sustain you really need an E-bow or similar.

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:37 am
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John Sims wrote:
If you consider Gary Moore's famous Parisienne Walkways sustained E note; there are just as many examples on YouTube where he didn't hit the sweet spot as when he did.

Let's not start badmouthing Mr. Moore, please. YouTube is ABSOLUTELY WRONG on this. I heard from a very reliable source that the famous 1959 Les Paul Standard is still ringing that high note... 8)

(Sorry, but I'm a big fan and it's Saturday night...)


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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 12:32 pm
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jmattis wrote:
John Sims wrote:
If you consider Gary Moore's famous Parisienne Walkways sustained E note; there are just as many examples on YouTube where he didn't hit the sweet spot as when he did.

Let's not start badmouthing Mr. Moore, please. YouTube is ABSOLUTELY WRONG on this. I heard from a very reliable source that the famous 1959 Les Paul Standard is still ringing that high note... 8)

(Sorry, but I'm a big fan and it's Saturday night...)


Can you hear the sustain? Don't touch it! :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:46 pm
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jmattis wrote:
John Sims wrote:
If you consider Gary Moore's famous Parisienne Walkways sustained E note; there are just as many examples on YouTube where he didn't hit the sweet spot as when he did.

Let's not start badmouthing Mr. Moore, please. YouTube is ABSOLUTELY WRONG on this. I heard from a very reliable source that the famous 1959 Les Paul Standard is still ringing that high note... 8)

If Clapton was God, Moore was Moses ;)

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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2019 4:08 pm
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Clapton was God only until Derek & The Dominos; Moore was God's guvnor until he sadly called it a day. Saw him several times - what a show! And with any guitar he happened to fancy using on the night, it seemed!

But to be fair, they didn't really play the same type of music, did they...?

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:32 pm
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martycanaday wrote:
Can anyone recommend a good sustain pedal that will allow the guitarist to hold a note in sustain for a long period of time with the ability to stop the sustain at any point?


Thanks for all of the responses, folks! I learned stuff I didn't know from your posts. However, that being said, the Electro-Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer Pedal is what I had in mind. You can check it out at:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... gJ4MPD_BwE


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Post subject: Re: Need a Good Sustain Pedal
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 1:44 am
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Cool pedal. Not what I had anticipated but, now I have seen it, I want one. Thanks for the share.

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