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Post subject: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:34 pm
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I love the action, look, and general tone of my deluxe players strat, and the noiseless pickups are great, but I have trouble with sustain at times, especially on the high E.

I'm looking for a way to improve that sustain. I know pedals can help, but I would love to find a way to improve the guitar itself. I was thinking maybe a new saddles?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 2:52 am
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The first thing that comes to mind is pickup height. Too high or too low, both will kill sustain.
Also try different strings (brand & gauge).
And make sure your guitar is properly set up - from screw tightnesses to relief to action etc...

And then, very much IMHO:

You might want to try increasing the neck angle - getting more "downforce" on the saddles may help with sustain.
One small trick while you have the neck off: check the neck joint screw holes in the body, the screw should go smoothly (almost "freefall") through the body holes and thus guarantee best possible pull & contact to the neck.
If you don't use your trem, "Clapton block" it.

Oh, almost forgot: turn the amp to max volume, control the overall sound loudness with the guitar vol. You gotta be loud to have tremendous sustain :wink:

If you want to mod your guitar, the logical approach is to start at the string contact points; the nut and the saddles. Start with the nut.

After that, it's all really a choice on who do you trust - there are a million gidgets for improving sustain, from Fender's own Fatfinger to "tuned sustain blocks" like EKT Syvanen Steel Baron


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:49 am
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Try a Brass Tremolo Block - for starters I ordered 3 from Guitarfetish ...this is the most noticeable upgrade I've done.

Then stick in a set of chrome plated Brass or Stainless Steel bridge saddles. The Block Saddles, not the vintage bent saddles like you have. That usual alloy is really no help.
When dealing with sound resonance and transference, we need quality woods and solid real metals.
.....But your Deluxe Player is Goldy plated hardware right... so try to track down some pure brass saddles, then use some metal polish so nice and bright...looks like gold, that'll fool em :D

Use new CLEAN strings, or Elixir stay great for years...well a while.

Nothing wrong with your Vintage Noiseless pickups, they're great. But like jmattis says, try backing them off a bit.
I sold a set of Hot Noiseless while temporarily insane, listening to recordings I did with them, they sound awesome. So I'm after another set :lol:

Then maybe get yourself a Fender Mustang amp, amazing box of magic....all the huge sustain in the world, at lower apartment volume :twisted:

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 6:14 am
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Callaham bridge block. :idea:

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:27 pm
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I second the Steel Callaham bridge block upgrade. Plus sometimes a capacitor change can help too.

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:47 pm
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stratohawk wrote:
I second the Steel Callaham bridge block upgrade. Plus sometimes a capacitor change can help too.


A capacitor change to help sustain? Tell me how that helps sustain.


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 6:57 pm
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91Stratplayer wrote:
stratohawk wrote:
I second the Steel Callaham bridge block upgrade. Plus sometimes a capacitor change can help too.


A capacitor change to help sustain? Tell me how that helps sustain.

I've tried 100's of capacitors in my strats ( I have a way of testing many caps in a short time) and there are some low quality caps out there including some in stock guitars that'll choke sound/signal more than others taking away total output of the pickups, weaker signal = less sustain.

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:41 am
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Thanks for the help everybody!

Looks like i'm going to be shopping bridge blocks (Callaham), nuts, and hoping I can find some pure brass block saddles.


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:00 am
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before you sink in too much $$, try decking the bridge. you can also block the trem block w/just a piece of wood. it will drastically increase the sustain. Personally I didn't particularly like blocking, but I decked the bridge seeing that I don't use the wammy, & I also use a compressor. I get all the sustain I need.


Last edited by mojjett on Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:32 am
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PrattParker wrote:
Thanks for the help everybody!

Looks like i'm going to be shopping bridge blocks (Callaham), nuts, and hoping I can find some pure brass block saddles.


None of that is really going to help much, if at all.


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:42 am
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I'm intrigued by all the answers.
All the OP has to do is get his guitar properly set up!
The other stuff will make things different, but whether or not it's going to improve things is debatable.
If the sustain isn't there in the instrument when you listen acoustically then the guitar isn't set up properly 8)


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:28 am
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stratmangler wrote:
I'm intrigued by all the answers.
All the OP has to do is get his guitar properly set up!
The other stuff will make things different, but whether or not it's going to improve things is debatable.
If the sustain isn't there in the instrument when you listen acoustically then the guitar isn't set up properly 8)

I agree, first things first. The worst thing to do is to start throwing your hard earned cash around when there are things you can try that don't cost anything, that is if you DIY. Even if you have to pay for a setup, it's not a waste of money. Then take it from there. I would still recommend at least decking the bridge while doing a setup.


Last edited by mojjett on Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 6:52 am
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No one gets a whole lot of sustain from a high E string, it just does not have the mass that is needed. Improveing it slightly would mean using 11's or even 12's. Decking will get a bit more sustain and change the overall tone some. Heavier strings and a real good setup, as mentioned, will bring out as much as you can get without a pedal.

If you want more "sustain" dial the volume on the guitar down to 5. Turn the amp's volume up to compensate. Then learn how to ride the guitar's volume knob with your pinky finger to turn it up gradually as the strings volume decreases. Simple "fix" and all it cost you was a bit of time in learning how to controll the volume knob. Watch a few Jeff Beck video's he is a master of controlling the volume knob. Pay attention because he always rides the volume knob and at times it is hard to tell when he moves it.


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Post subject: Re: How to improve sustain on Deluxe Players Strat??
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 10:30 pm
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Also, some guitars just sustain better than others ... I have an 04 MIM SSS Standard that sustains for days. It had such great sustain, I was actually worried about removing the stock pups and replacing them with Tex Mex. The pup change actualy slightly improved the already great sustain (and definitely improved the tone). I also changed to a bigger trem block and better saddles, but their difference was not really noticeable.

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