I have my tremolo locked down. Other than that, it is stock. Please advise if you have suggestions.

Raise the trem maybe? I believe the whole flush to body = better sustain is a myth. I've never noticed any difference and have 1 guitar set flush and one set float.

Realistically it could be that when you flattened the trem the string height lowered too, it is quite common. Set the string action back to the recommended specs in the manual.

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No no and no

Put a Callaham Bridge block in 60.00

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

1. Boss Compression/Sustainer=CS3
2. High Gain preamp or distortion pedal
3. high output active pickups
4. Highten action
5. Better amp???
6. Adjust pickup height closer to the strings

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

I have a MIM that was lacking sustain. I also had a stripped saddle, and a bad tuner. I got Graphtec saddles, adjusted pickup height, got locking tuners, trem is flush and has 5 springs (why? because there is a place for five... and 3 looked lonely.. o.k. not really, I did it just for the heck of it)

The result? super sustain! I do think sitting the trem flush or blocking makes a huge difference. I'm not saying all the above is necessary, but it worked for me.

The word is coupling. Try to improve it wherever you can on the guitar. It is critical to sustain and tone. Tighten everything up(all screws) and make sure all rough edges are smooth and free of burrs. Proper nut set up and neck relief allow the string to vibrate more cleanly. High quality components lends themselves to better sustain and tone thru closer tolerences and better materials. Pickup height can affect sustain, so adjust to Fender specs, or your own personal preference. It is part of the fun to see what happens when you do this or that.

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A bunch of guitars, a few amps, some pedals and some other stuff that makes noise.