The Lie We All Believe About Sustain

When it comes to the never ending debate about tone wood, and its effect on a guitar's sound, sustain is almost always brought up as a sign of a great guitar. But in my mind I don't think a guitar's natural sustain is all that important, heres why.
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[@terenzo50]

There's a video interview with Stephen Stills & Neil Young from ages ago in which the interviewer expressed astonishment at their learning curve relative to their second album differing so greatly from their first. What would you say was the most important thing you had learned, he asked? They answered simultaneously with one word: "Compression!"

[@slizz_detroit]

Want to see this!

[@cnking27]

That's awesome. I love what compression and EQ alone (and reverb of course) do to a clean guitar sound, it's like it makes the guitar sound "more natural" than natural, if that's possible.

[@louderthangod]

Don’t forget volume. Playing in front of a full stack up loud, even if clean will resonate the body and add tons of sustain. Add gain and it can be like sustainer pickup. The more the body resonates, the stronger the sustain gets and the more harmonic it gets as well.

[@martin-1965]

I like it when it resonates not just the guitar body but MY whole body as well, but... now I'm older and the tinnitus is there in the background, plus stages are getting super quiet these days (except for drummers who are never quiet) I can't enjoy stupidly wonderful loud amps the way I could way back in my youth. Kinda miss that but also need my ears to keep working - sucks.

[@louderthangod]

@@martin-1965 Thankfully many clubs that have metal bands play still let you get away with a full stack. I’m 48 and thankfully I learned early on to get the largest practice space possible and never set up near the drummer those cymbals are what kill your hearing and my ears are pretty decent still.

[@martin-1965]

@@louderthangod Yeah it was the hihats and cymbals that took out the frequencies in the right ear in my case, which was the side facing the drummer. But back in the 80s and 90s we didn't know or more to the point, didn't care. Sadly my singer from back then was a maniac and he's ended up almost completely deaf so I'll consider a light whistling noise in my ears as a warning shot in comparison. Still miss playing that loud though :)

[@andrijasentic9702]

that is feedback, not sustain

[@careerminorleaguer]

Feedback is when a systems input picks up it's own out output. Ie the guitars pickup picks up the speaker. He is talking about the strings, wood, etc actually vibrating in response to the volume. That is a separate thing and a definite contributing factor to actual sustain.

[@vincentcuclair5522]

Well done Rhett! That really needed to be said 👍. There’s too much snobbery about this as is.

[@phasemod]

I actually recently had to do some work to get *less* sustain on my 335. Every note was just too bright and long lived--I wanted to get more of a woodier, thuddier sound with a faster decay and, with flatwound 11s, I got it. And I love how it sounds. I could see myself even switching to a wooden bridge, but I've got everything dialed in so tight with intonation and everything, it's pretty much perfect for me right now.

[@fundude365]

Rhett: "Sustain doesn't matter." Also Rhett: Sustains a successful career in music, a healthy and vibrant youtube community, multiple adult friendships and a loving marriage at the same time.

[@UXBen]

😁 I see what you did there.

[@joshuamichael4312]

Hahah your username rings true, and it sustains for days.

[@PulledPurk]

heckin hypnocrite

[@benjaminfowler4513]

Some sort of philosophical mathematics you just did there

[@chrispodesta9728]

Somewhere out there, Davie504 just uttered, "CHECKMATE!"

[@house-o-twang]

Rhett, I found a partscaster that blew my mind the way it vibrated and sounded. That feeling hasn't worn off & I play it as often as I can.

[@ghosttownreview1531]

"Instruments are not just tools for making sound. They are more so designed for the instrumentalist to interactive with." Fantastic way to define the purpose of an instrument. I'm primarily a bass player and my custom shop Fender P bass sounds and looks fantastic, but feels terrible. The feel is opposite of what I hear and therefore uninspiring. Meanwhile my Fender American Elite Jazz sounds amazing, but also feels great and is a match between what I feel and what I hear. Great topic of discussion!

[@mojoshopguitar6172]

watch mojo shop guitar ,and learn how to fix that bass

[@ChristopherOrth]

A thing worth mentioning is how the current aggressive use of noise gates is a sure fire sustain killer. I find this to be the case on most modelers... a majority of the stock patches have such aggressive noise gating on them that it kills off the beautiful tails of most notes. Turning those blocks off and doing nothing else will give you miles of sustain! Or at least turn down the sensitivity so you can hold a longer note. After that... every guitar has a volume knob, btw... just sayin.

[@KLBoringBand]

I was thinking for sure when that sound started, “oh, this is the plus pedal.” Was right. Very nice

[@ramrodthenigmatic5615]

Hey Rhett, your videos are the best! There's no fancy video editing, no bullshit. Relevant issues, great information for guitarists of all levels, and I can tell you are a real humble guy. You want to give back. I've learned so much from you. Thank you. Vin

[@Davepotnoodle]

Paul Reed Smith did a ted talk (at least i think it was a ted talk.... it was that sort of thing) Where he said something along the lines of "the electric guitar is a subtractive system" the point he was making is that, every part of a guitar subtracts energy from the vibrating string to a greater or lesser extent. The guitar builder's job is to use materials that subtract the least amount of energy from the string so you get out as close to what you put in.

[@kevinrobinette5006]

The resonance goes back into the strings and increases sustain making the guitar feel more alive. I think resonance and sustain go hand in hand. Love the Jr man. Single pickup guitars are in a league of their own

[@sergioserramusic]

There is only one thing I can say about sustain: when is the guitar that has a lot of sustain is better because creating it with compression and overdrive adds noise. My LP has the most sustain out of all my guitars, and I tend to play differently on it because of that feature

[@MrBurakOzel]

and this is why the anology in video is pure stupidity..

[@ericwobschall8410]

The feedback that the instrument gives the performer definitely affects the performance. Also, if you have the choice between instrument derived sustain and electronic sustain, I prefer to start at the beginning. Of course, it depends what you're going for. But it's the same in recording. Move the mic or change the mic before you equalize.

[@Guitarjosii]

Oh I loved your explanation of "resonance". Thats exactly what I am thinking about my '68 SG Special.

[@whirekobzin]

In my opinion a good electric guitar needs to have some decent sustain. I like when I (and not the guitar) get to decide when to end a note. Adding drive or compression can be limiting, because it raises the noise floor and decreases dynamics.

[@NiallCrossley]

Rhett, this is such a good video. The guitar is a conduit for the player to get “their sound” across to the listener. This is why so many different players love so many different types of guitars, amps, pedals, pickups etc. the true value of a guitar is in how it makes the player feel. As you say, “if you think it sounds good, then it is good”.

[@darwinsaye]

Regarding resonance, I had an eye opening experience years ago with Bass. I had a cheap 70's Epiphone Newport for my first bass (the ET-288N, an entry level import, not one of the sought after 60's Newports), and I never really thought about resonance since it was my first bass. I just thought mine was typical of how basses are in general. But then I bought a modern Schecter thinking it would be a big upgrade. It arrived and one of the first things I noticed about it was if I played it unplugged, I couldn't hear anything. I literally had to stick my ear right over the strings to hear them and there was barely a whisper of sound coming off them. Then plugged in, I found it didn't have nearly the the amount of rich, deep bass and mids as my other one, even though it had an *active EQ*! That was what really got me - active EQ, and even cranking the bass knob, it couldn't compete with my old passive Epiphone. I played a couple of shows with it because it was pretty, but then sold it to a co-worker without a second thought or any regrets.

[@mderose214]

Love this video! Don't fantasize and debate about dream gear's sustain, start playing what you have and figure it out for yourself!

[@RoloTomasie]

Wow, phenomenal summation of guitar construction and how it effects the player. I really appreciate your pragmatic approach.

[@stevenpipes1555]

Oh Rhett, you were so close to making my point! Tone comes from the inspiration, and inspiration comes, largely from the way the guitar feels. A good sustain, in my opinion, is less about how long the note rings, and more about how strong and healthy the note jumps off of the guitar. A guitar with great sustain is letting the notes ring out stronger and with a more natural decay. If i play a bit on any guitar, then hand that same guitar to Stevie Ray, Chris Buck, or to you, it will sound different. Before the pickups detect anything, the strings need to vibrate. Every guitar lets the strings vibrate differently, so the tones frequency may come from the pickups and amp, but the tones charecter comes from the way the guitar feels and rings. I use the same strings on all of my guitars and, unplugged, they all sound different.if it was all a trick of strings and magnets alone, then unplugged with identical strings, they would all just be the same!

[@maxpeck4154]

How strong and healthy the note jumps off the guitar. Perfect way to put that. 👍🏻

[@mojoshopguitar6172]

Radius the pickups, puts the strings in the same part of the magnetic field, for even magnetic pull. Also all notes must play perfectly in tune, for this to happen. learn more at mojo shop guitar on youtube.

[@michael1]

You're close. Tone comes from inspiration, which comes from perspiration which comes from precipitation that derives from evaporation which comes from radiation which comes from the sun which comes from helium which comes from hydrogen which comes from the big bang. So all you need to get good tone is a big bang and that's why I use diamond picks.

[@Terry3Gs]

Well explained rhett !! Back in the "tonewood" days .. i always felt it was the sum of ALL the parts. Even today peaple will STILL argue basswood is crap ... but meanwhile for decades Ibanez has put out high end guitars with bodies totally made of basswood ... and they never sound bad or have bad sustain or resonance.

[@felonyx5123]

I see it as: wood does change tone. You can watch an A/B comparison with people swapping out the neck or body but all the same everything else, there is a difference. But it's not a big difference. If you don't have the direct comparison you'd hardly notice. But a bunch of other factors work the same way, this or that part also makes a little bit of a difference, and if you design the whole instrument so all those little differences are all pulling the tone the same way, it'll add up to a difference that matters.

[@waldemarpierzchalski]

Actually there's many types of basswood and some are expensive, not all basswoods are cheap

[@gcvrsa]

People who think basswood is crap simply don't know enough about why basswood is actually a good tonewood-because it is stiff and light, so it is resonant. It's also a nice wood for making objects, because it has very consistent, tight grain and machines smoothly. However, bassword is also relatively soft, so it is easy to damage.

[@diegogallardo8604]

Ibanez? Try John Suhr. Try EVH. Music Man. All use Basswood on expensive instruments, and have for a long time.

[@luc8254]

@@felonyx5123 there is no difference

[@jonathanwapner6262]

My favorite guitars have also been the relatively lightweight, resonant, and loud when unplugged types. My Gibson Gothic Flying V, Billy Corgan Signature Strat, and my newly acquired Squier Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster come to mind.

[@MrLegion501st]

I like what you said at the end; there is too many people bashing others for buying certain brands, because they cannot afford the big names. Others bashing people for buying branded guitars and not fully 100% hand made and buying a useless piece of plastic made by a machine, according to them. Just spreading hate instead doing what they supposedly love, that is playing the guitar. Good video as always.

[@jwpranzo]

A guitar that has high resonance (that doesn’t absorb sound) will allow the strings to oscillate longer. The longer the stings vibrate, the longer the magnet field in the pickup causes induction by the strings, the longer the natural sustain. So even though the pickup only mimics the acoustic sound of the guitar. The wood’s ability to resonate or absorb sounds has a direct effect on playability and what you hear coming out of the amp.

[@EddieKingMusic]

My wife has given me several guitars over the past decade including 2 for my birthday just recently. We are lucky men! Agree totally on the "if the guitar makes you happy when you play it's a good guitar" they all have personalities as well. Some days I pick one over all the others. They are like old friends sometimes and you have to pay them a visit.

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Sustain is all about technique. And volume, too. Gary Moore is a good example. Squeeze the life out of the notes.

[@3500ton]

Squeezing it from an original 59 LP standard through cranked tube amp makes it even better. Gary was one of the best ever though

[@MontyCantsin5]

@Burnt Gerbil: Have you seen the Guitarist magazine interview with GM in which he talks about how to go about choosing a good guitar? He mentions that unplugged, a guitar should be loud and have sustain (i.e. when you hold a note and add vibrato it doesn’t die on you or wilt away too quickly). Yes, the volume that a player like him used live will certainly help with feedback, etc. but I think there is something to be said for a guitar sounding good acoustically. Having to hammer away at it with the picking hand in an attempt to get it to sing isn’t really the way to go.

[@hangaroundrecords4761]

Haha, that intro!! I love that you are always able to keep an open mind Rhett. We guitar players all need to try to do that! I think also as an audience member at a live show the appearance of a guitar makes a big difference in how you hear it.

[@SorenJohnsonGuitar]

That intro got me. Well done.

[@tejassingh4404]

Hey love your videos! I would say that a lot of folks use "lack of sustain" as a way of communicating not so well made instruments. I remember the first electric guitar I ever had. It had a dead spot at the 11th fret - no sustain. Literally like half a second. I have no clue why. It didn't matter if I put on compression or cranked the gain. To me and my fellow guitarists, that guitar had a "sustain issue".

[@kevinlocke6120]

Sounds like it had a fret sticking up slightly that was deadening the sound.

[@samueljones3682]

This is a really important point. There are so many sounds and vibrations the player is aware of that the listener is not, but that does not mean those sounds and vibrations aren’t important. They are important because they inform the player’s playing and facilitate inspiration.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Sustain is very cool for compositions I like to play and think up, so this is quite an interesting analysis as always man. Cheers!

[@druwk]

Amen! It all has an impact, but it’s the player. How you feel playing a tone will only inspire as long as you don’t start comparing yourself to others.

[@colinwallace5286]

My sister has two Larivee acoustics from the late 80’s that were built by Jean himself, and had the inlay work (it’s really art, no question) done by his wife. They’re visually stunning, but also great sounding instruments. She has said many times that she is lucky to call him a friend, and humbled that he gave her the opportunity to have guitars she only dreamed of. There is something special about playing what is essentially a tangible part of someone’s life’s work and passion.

[@migueleespinosa2632]

Larivee are some of the most vocal acoustics I have ever played. Made the mistake of not getting one in the 1990s but the impression it left on me is obliviously unforgettable.

[@lowqualityguitarvideos]

You make great points here. Cheers from another 65 sg junior owner.

[@kenzuercher7497]

Nice discussion. I have found recently that The amp is also a big factor in sustain. about 6-10 dB below the "sweet spot" the tubes begin to compress the signal, effectively evening out the notes. The 'sweet spot' can be moved lower by using a Tube Screamer or a Soul Food type pedal. The Soul Food spot is a bit further toward clipping. Another big thing is to follow the lead of the shredders and pick lighter and turn up the amp to compensate. Hard picking gives a big transient at the beginning of the note and if the amp volume is set for that transient, your notes appear disconnected and actually have less sustain. I switched (after 50 years!) from a 1.52 mm pick to a Fender thin and its extended my sustain by not allowing me to overpack the beginning of the note. You never know! Keep up the great discussions and observations, Rhett!

[@maxpeck4154]

Excellent points. I don't use pedals at all but letting the amp do they work and break up naturally while varying pick dynamics is satisfying and inspiring. You're bang on about picking too hard and killing a note. That frustrated me for years. Switched from .12s with an extra heavy pick in my teen years to .10s with a thin pick in my 40s. If only I had known back then...

[@migueleespinosa2632]

We all develop differently. I use to play exclusively light picks for about 40 years but now play a V-pick big Fattie 5mm with a lighter attack strumming and soloing with better control of expression, and yes sustain. I use more compression now because of quieter stage volume requirements, direct to PA modeler use, and because my dynamics grew immensely with the use of thick pick.

[@adehorton7287]

Thanks Rhett, you’ve made me feel better in the knowledge that my guitar is merely an extension of the music that is inside of me and with all the components needed to give the electric guitar my voice through my fingers! 🤘🏻

[@guitfinger]

Interesting topic. Two points mentioning. first of all: sustain is the opposite of resonance. The more something (the wood) resonates, the more it sucks out energy from the vibrating string. Thats why acoustic guitars are loud, but don't have that much sustain: the string has to move the resonant guitar body and translates it's energy into the wood. On the opposite: the most sustain you probably will get out of a string mounted on a big, heavy body of concrete or steel. As the body is so heavy and stiff, it wont take any energy out of the string, so the string can vibrate with the least dampening. In my opinion a great electric guitar is always a compromise between resonance and sustain. As Rhett says: we like to feel resonance and if it feels good, we will sound better. My second point: the more resonance a guitar has, the more character the wood and the construction of the guitar adds to the strings vibration. That's also something guitar players like.

[@Lantertronics]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!

[@E.T.musics]

Everytime you re making your point very well. You can use the words very well and giving lots of good information as well. Thats why im clicking on your videos even if the topic is not always what i search for . Congrats

[@piersuntersander]

Fantastic video. The subject matter is one thing, but how you were able to rip through the majority of it without a prompter or a million takes speaks volumes on how far you've come in this YT game. Intelligent, well-articulated content motivates the viewer's intellect and , I believe, has longer lasting beneficial impact on the channel than regurgitating trending content ad nuseaum. Wurdz is hard. Well done, Rhett, loved this one!

[@Lantertronics]

Rhett has tremendous on-camera presence and a radio DJ voice.

[@JonahKrullMusic]

Well said 👏 I’m shopping for a new main guitar now that I’m playing out every weekend, and the guitar I was gonna get had a huge price hike recently (heritage H535). But this video has inspired me to just go out and try a bunch of different ones, maybe even styles I never considered and just go with whatever feels right

[@cnking27]

Take your amp to play through and make a lot of noise

[@john564holloway]

@@cnking27 Agreed, totally. When buying an electric guitar, hopefully your amp is small enough to go with you unless they have an exact Marshall stack there (lol)...If your hunting for an amp, ALWAYS use your guitar, not one from the store.

[@mojacarflamenco6314]

Don't buy a guitar. Buy your guitar.

[@john564holloway]

@@mojacarflamenco6314 Dat's rite!

[@cnking27]

​@@john564holloway I'm kind of going backwards with it, I've been playing through a crappy practice amp with a crappy Squier from 1998 for almost a year. I live in a super rural area so I'm planning to get a Katana delivered, without playing through it first, because I figure I can't go wrong with that and I get to mess around with a ton of tones that way...and then I'll drag it with me to find the right guitar. I can't imagine getting a guitar without playing it first.

[@VAWOZNIAK]

After watching this video, Rhett, I understand now what ‘sustain’ really means. The original note on the guitar is no different, but it’s VOLUME can be SUSTAINED for a longer duration of the held note (or notes in the case of a held chord)..

[@shortstack7365]

One of the pitfalls of lots of criticisms/videos is crapping all over an idea and leaving it at that. I love that most of your videos present an alternative concept to latch onto versus the misconception you're discussing. It reminds me of the "consider the following" segment from the Bill Nye videos I watched in school as a kid. Thanks for keeping up with the great content.

[@andrewbecker3700]

Best video yet on this ongoing debate about what actually matters most when searching for tone. If the guitar doesn't inspire you create and enjoy music, however that may be. Mechanically or astetically, then move on. To tell anyone that "hey, this is the best, and screw the rest". Is non sensical. The best is where your at in the moment. Enjoy what you have and practice more.

[@Lantertronics]

I recall a well-known producer saying something like "the best microphone is the one that's closest/already hooked up when you're feeling inspired."

[@palindronenoise]

Interesting listening to this with the thought of Les Paul not wanting the wood to contribute to the sound at all. The man put strings and pickups on a railroad track.

[@MrLiftr]

I love your sneaky sense of humor man I cracked up in the first 10 seconds of this vid🤣

[@judewessel5713]

Honestly that guitar is so cool man, first time I saw you playing it in a vid I went right to their website but couldn’t find it :,( lol love the vids man

[@bwest2010]

Great video Rhett. Your point about resonance is spot on. Some guitars, for lack of a better term, actually feel alive when they are played. The same model sitting next to may not. The same goes for tube amplifiers. The comfortability factor is also huge and an element people often overlook and should be the primary consideration for new guitarists. A $3000.00 Les Paul that hangs on the wall because it's 12 lbs of back ache is not a great guitar. It's wall art. These factors often manifest subliminally. I have a collection of guitars to pick off the wall to play including Strats, Jaguar, Surfcasters, Les Paul copy, Schecter, Jacksons etc but one day I noticed that the guitar I always picked off the wall to play, especially during free time creative noodling, was a custom 3/4 size semi acoustic Surfcaster. When I analyzed why it became clear it was because it was the most comfortable to play in any position. It also sang under the fingers, but so did most of the rest also.

[@micahjonesmusic]

Just throwing this out there, but sustain does have an important relationship with noise. You can totally add sustain with compression, but you also bring up the noise floor of the signal overall. I have a Gretsch that, when I first got it, required a lot more compression to achieve the same sustain as my other guitars, and it resulted in a higher noise floor. Part of that is the pickups, the Bigsby, etc. All I know is when I changed the pickups out and got a Tru-Arc brass bridge on it, it was like a whole new instrument. Now it rings a good deal longer, which means I don't need as much compression, which means less noise.

[@fullbeans983]

I 100% agree. My second acoustic was so resonant I felt my voice in it when I first held it, I played for about 30 seconds and knew I was taking it home. The whole feeling good equals sounding good upwards spiral that starts from feeling that resonance aswell as hearing it is on point, exactly how that instrument effects me. My current acoustic doesn't have that same connection to me.

[@Lantertronics]

Oh, yeah, acoustic and electric guitars are entirely different things. An acoustic guitar *must* resonate according to its principle of operation.

[@BanBanChi]

My acoustic guitar is so resonant that when I cough I can hear it vibrate! First time that happened in the middle of the night I thought we had a ghost

[@Lantertronics]

@@BanBanChi That's the sign of a good acoustic. It wants to couple with the air around it.

[@BanBanChi]

@@Lantertronics good to know. It's a 30 year old Takamine student model that I got at a second hand shop in Japan for less than $50!

[@fullbeans983]

@Lantertronics - Aaron Lanterman I never tried saying electric or acoustic are the same. That still doesn't change the fact some acoustics are more resonant than others but thanks for the information I suppose.

[@stevenjefferies9415]

Very happy to see this video Rhett. Its about what plays good and feels good in the hand. The wood does that for sure. It has almost zero bearing about what comes out the amp, but you combine good pickups/setup with a guitar that feels great in the hand, you've got a winner. It could be that $5,000 Gibson, or that $500 Epiphone with upgraded Gibson pickups. The tone out the amp will be the same, but it also needs to pair with how well it feels to play and vibrates with you. To the point of all this, the term "tone-wood" in this case is really false nomenclature. It should really be called "feel-wood" or "connection-wood" (I know those are stupid though) because the wood is simply the connective tissue between the player and the guitar, not the tone. And that connectivity is big, but is not a tone driver. Again, very happy to see this video. Good stuff Rhett.

[@Lantertronics]

I like the term "feel-wood" -- and love the phrase "the wood is simply the connective tissue between the player and the guitar"

[@atan-11]

This is fresh breath of honesty and reality-oriented statements. But how did you go from this to claiming that maple necks sound snappier than rosewood? I understand it's important to get views and to feed the algorithm, but that is quite the step down in caring about reality and honesty.

[@MrMd5555]

When this video first started who else was ready to cancel their subscription to this channel when he was trying to claim that was natural sustain!! Lol then he showed that pedal & i thought thank god, Rhett hasn't lost his mind!

[@TheJayblue1]

Man... you Nailed it... what a video... your take on this conondrum syndrom where nothing really is important about how we feel about what we play... man... spot on... thanks for keeping the inspiration coming... 😎😎👏👏🔊🔊🎸🎸🎸🤟🤟😃😃🙏🙏

[@KakavashaForever]

You make a great point about the way a guitar vibrates and feels while playing being important, I had a guitar that really resonated and I found it so distracting I had to get rid of it even though I loved the way it sounded. I took it back down to the shop I got it from and traded it back in for another identical guitar that didn't resonate the same way while being played. Both guitars were 1997 BC rich Warlocks, both were brand new, and both were set up by the same man to my specifications, Both sounded identical, but one had a tactile resonance that I found distracting and the other didn't.

[@m1kr0kosmos]

If the volume of the guitar is on 10, most of the sound is coming from the pickup. If the pickup is lowered to match more the volume of the body, like on 1 or 2 on the potentiometer controlling volume, and turn the amp up, the guitar will behave a bit more like an acoustic. Most modern pickups are hotter, so this effect is really more found on older pickup designs and some modern single coils. We were taught this in by John Marshall in Luthier School, so since we are talking about where sound comes from, I thought I would share his two cents. Thanks for an awesome video, as always.

[@epadif]

As someone who was classically trained, I really agree on how our perception of the instrument influences the way we play. I have experience how a piano would sound and feel totally different when moved to a different room and how that would make it feel easier or more difficult to play (therefore having a huge impact on my performance). Even when it was just tuned, the feeling of the keyboard would change. I realized that our perception of an instrument is a combination of tactile and auditory input when I experience how the keyboard on my digital piano would feel as a different instrument regarding key weight, depth and response depending on if I was listening through a wedge monitor, built in speakers or headphones, even though mechanically it was the exact same thing.

[@mileswatkinson8135]

I spend some time on the guitar forums and am always annoyed by the vast generalizations made about woods and the vintage vs modern debate. I agree with the professor that the majority of a guitars tone comes from the electronics and hardware, and of course the player and the signal chain. I also agree with your opinion that the textile reaction of the guitar in your hands can greatly influence how well you play it, and therefore how good it sounds. I don't believe that there are "tone woods" because the variations in two pieces of wood are too great, even from the same tree, to generalize what kind of tone you will get out of them, and most of these things will be altered by the signal chain to the point they are fairly inconsequential. I respect the love of vintage guitars for their history and the staples of design that have made them timeless, but I also believe there are good and bad representatives from any era, nobody sprinkled magic fairy dust on the guitars of the sixties to impart some kind of "mojo" into those instruments. You have gotten yourself a really great vintage SG there, and I would love to play a guitar like that, but I have no doubt there are guitars made in the last few years that would have equally as great a tone and playability. In short, the guitar that works best for the player is the best guitar and everything else is just the mythology we weave around these beautiful constructs.

[@Lantertronics]

Indeed, the folks at Fender and Gibson in the 60s -- particularly Fender, I suspect -- were using whatever materials they could source inexpensively at scale, not so much thinking along the lines of "this wood or this finish has such great tone." They may have lucked into some good combinations.

[@Lantertronics]

So much of music making is the psychology of the musician. You can get piano libraries of $250K+ pianos recorded by the best engineers in the world with $30K sets of microphones in the best concert halls in the world, and sure you can play that on your MIDI controller, but it's not going to put you in the same headspace as sitting down in front of your own (possibly junky but full of personality) real acoustic piano.

[@TheLeandroSOliveira]

Thank you, Rhett! I've been a believer that the whole sustain thing doesn't matter for years now, but somehow guitar players are still debating this very thing. I've never played a single guitar in my life, cheap or expensive, that didn't sustain enough for me to do my thing while playing it.

[@mojoshopguitar6172]

(READ THIS) Harmonious tuning is the key to vibrating resonance , and acoustic volume. Getting all notes playing in tune,all up and down the fretboard . But, one thing makes this all come together, you must radius the pickup poles, this creates a even magnetic pull, that does not effect the vibrating string, thus you get a guitar that just feels special. I can do this to any guitar. I would love to send you a sample guitar. It could be the key to making every guitar special

[@mojoshopguitar6172]

Works best on single pickup guitars!!!

[@rondelio8562]

Great points made, Rhett!! Since I build electrics, I would say that all the elements that go into a guitar make the guitar what it is. I also agree with the points you made and the use of true science to back up your points. Thank you for this!!

[@cderosa1185]

Rhett great video and I totally get what your saying about the vintage guitar being reflective. I recently had that same experience. Picked up a 335 Jim James and was a little upset that it didn’t give me that reflective feeling. It was almost too compressed. However a pickup height adjustment fixed that for me. Not I feel like it’s giving me back what I put in it

[@bobbyfields7359]

Great analysis! The “how it feels in your hand” is a real thing! Though it may have nothing to do with what’s coming out of the amp. I was talking with a professional mechanical re: hand tools and why someone would spend $350 on a simple set of wrenches that could be purchased for about $20. He explained that the premium tools just felt so much better in your hands. He then went on to explain that he was being paid by the bench rate, how many hours of labor a customer is paying for the job. With superior designed tools this meant he’s less likely to drop them and his hands were not as fatigued so he could conceivably get paid a 20 hour bench rate inside an 8 hour day. A great mechanic and great tools makes for a great performance!

[@ganjafarmer1572]

Thanks for this video. I ran one of your SG videos thru my sound system, that thing SINGS. I am sure youtube compresses the signal , even so .....magic. Big up.

[@pd-kx4qw]

Love that you use the SG for this video. They have that ring to them like no other guitar. At least any that I’ve played. If you want to see a crazy level of ‘the ring’ on a SG try using the elixir nanoweb extra long life strings in 10-46. They are pricey but whatever it’s the cost of a few cups of coffee and the difference is 👍. I started using them a few months back on a Std 61 and they just sound fantastic. I play that guitar a lot and they still look brand new. Same strings too.

[@thebenefactor6744]

I've had a few pickups wound for me recently that inadvertently had greater sustain than any previous ones. That part was an extra happy surprise that i didn't expect. They stand out as far as the finger vibrato aspect is concerned, but I enjoy the other pickups that I own just as much because I choose pickups that impart a distinct tone that sets them apart from the others; tones that change my day and expand my tone arsenal, giving me a variety of choice from the wide palate of guitar sounds that we all know and love. I like the extra aspect of sustain, but I chose all my pickups first and foremost because of their tone. Tone is king. Make well researched choices and you'll enjoy your guitars and amps every day for years.

[@DavidMorales008]

Excellent wisdom is growing through new thought experience

[@figueiredomarcelobe]

Rhett, this is a very good video and I share the same thoughts. As a player I can say the link I have with each gear makes me feel and play different and this have a huge impact on the music we are playing. There is no need to anyone keep experimenting to prove that only strings and pickups matter, because it is subjective to each player and music and art are subjective. I am eletronic engineer and I love messup with my rig but I never forget the final motive is music, art and everthing is subjective.

[@dominicijavier1575]

love this explanation about a player's affinity to the instrument. it's human. a lot of people saying that video proves tone is only on the pickups don't understand.

[@maxpeck4154]

Your description of that Custom Shop SG feeling like a sponge is exactly how I feel about my 2020 Standard 61. USA Standard model, a beautiful guitar, no quality or playability issues whatsoever, but it feels like I have to fight to get sound out of it. My 2014 Firebird I just bought, a model that is not noteworthy at all aside from it's a "120th Anniversary" model is EXTREMELY resonant and every note practically plays itself, just effortless. Completely different guitars, granted. I wanted THAT SG since I was 13 and love the feel of it, plays like butter, but I've tried 4 sets of pickups (the original BB 61s, Bare Knuckle HB sized P90s, Lollartrons, Lollar Gold Foils) and didn't love the sound of any of them. Then I got that Firebird with Lollar Firebird pickups already in it and from the first minute I played it it became my #1. There's nothing it won't do, super underrated and versatile, but the resonance and ease at which the notes just pour out of it makes me even more frustrated with the SG. I lucked out with the Firebird. I'm a little bummed about the SG...

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Placebo effect works in medicine, food, and obviously music. It’s amazing what we think leads to what we perceive.

[@rodmorgan7041]

You said that so well. Oh, and that jnr looks fantastic !

[@tymeryder7264]

I agree with your thoughts. To me an important part of why I pick a guitar is the kinesthetic experience when striking the strings. My favorite is a Fender Mahogany Blacktop Stratocaster HHH. The body resonates when I play it and I feel the Mahogany vibrate against me. As you say that feedback loop. I always enjoy your thoughtful dialogue.

[@Tonskiislegit]

This is exactly what people need to hear! Great job.

[@theelectricvoyage]

Rhett, you ain't preaching...this is like zen and the art of electric guitar, anyone who is lucky enough to explore this instrument as a music making tool has to get you. So the start of the video had me freaking out......great stuff even though you were probably thinking oh just making the point of what wa to come, please tell me what that pedal was? Keep preaching! Thanks for this...........really.

[@manupbritain5232]

I thought the important part of the sustain chase is the natural sustain that a given guitar has. You're 100% right that it's not important. Especially when most styles require some form of muting. But when a guitar has true natural sustain and resonance it's something that you can feel. A lot of that is all about the set up and intonation. If your guitar is ringing true then it is in complete harmony.

[@jowensoderlund]

This is a great video/overall point. I would have mentioned a 4th type of sustain - when the guitar amp/speaker sound is reintroduced to the guitar's pickup(s).

[@Lantertronics]

I think Rhett should do a whole video on feedback through speakers. That Hendrix-style feedback is kind of its own instrument.

[@mathiasplihal1242]

But isn’t that sustain having to do with the feedback of the speaker too?

[@sohosteveuk]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 No. It's the result of utilising an effect pedal

[@mathiasplihal1242]

I know but you can make that with the feed back of the speaker, I’ve done it before with loud volume with minimal gain

[@American-Dragon]

If you are not using it for leads that call for sustain it don't matter. I have the analogman rangemaster clone, beano boost, it will make any guitar sustain forever and it's a lot cheaper than a novo but a novo is very nice

[@jakestewartmusic]

100%, I feel like pleasing feedback is actually what most guitarists think of when they think of great examples of 'sustain' in music

[@mathiasplihal1242]

@@jakestewartmusic yea it’s a more “harmonious” feedback since it’s actually feedbacking a higher interval than the “open” strings if you just leave it feedback, they harmonize i think that’s what makes it different

[@bechela1]

I completely agree that it comes to feel. I have a strat that is extremely resonant, has a great feeling neck, with a nitro finish. My buddy has a strat that has a poly finish and is not nearly as resonant. Listen to both blindly and you would be hard pressed to hear a difference, but play the two and the experience, and how you play on each, is worlds apart. I struggle to play his guitar and think I sound like crap on it, while he feels the same about mine (he doesn’t like my neck shape and fretboard radius). The buzzwords matter, but more so to the player since the listener will not be able to hear much, or any, difference, at least for electrics

[@carverpartin6604]

This was a great video Rhett. Definitely one of my favorites

[@mikaashton2152]

I'm with you in the sense of just play it and if you like it well that's that.. Simple... We live unfortunately in a world where it's more about consuming...

[@garyslash7552]

Thank you so much, Rhett, for demystifying some of guitarists' beloved beliefs. As far as I am concerned, something similar holds true for notions like 'Plexi' or 'PAF'. The abuse of these terms for commercial reasons has made them more or less meaningless. Tone, as you say, is the result of many components, which makes the chase for THE ultimate sound frustrating at times.

[@joeurbanowski321]

Brett..! I’m working on a jobsite only 6 minutes from a Guitar Center.. Not my fave music store.. but now ya got me drooling for some gear… HAHAHA..! And it’s payday..!!!

[@thecroft6070]

Love the look of your SG Junior, especially its perfectly formed pickguard

[@lloydster9000]

For electric instruments, the sound and tone is mostly coming from the speaker(s) used. That’s where the signal is converted into actual sound.

[@UXBen]

I don’t disagree that’s important, but it’s just one more variable. Ultimately we could argue that you or your mic position to the speaker is even more important. Proximity effect and phasing can completely change how sound is translated. And are we talking recordings or live? Because in recording, what mic I choose or going DI will have a huge impact. And there’s a big difference between how we interface with a PA and how we interface with earbuds or car speakers. If it’s going through a soundboard or a DAW, has it been EQed? Just as important, how’s the listeners hearing? A crowd of 65+ are going to hear a very different tone than a crowd of teenagers. These rabbit holes go DEEP, which I why I appreciate when Rhett always brings it back to “if it sounds good, then it is good.”

[@lloydster9000]

@@UXBen microphone position is indeed important, right up there with the speakers. You’ve made a few great points.

[@Lantertronics]

@@UXBen Indeed, it's more than the sum of its parts. (Microphone choice is huge too. And then you can play games of using multiple microphones... the possibilities are endless).

[@mojacarflamenco6314]

Rhett's point towards the end, when he talks about reflectivity, hits the nail on the head. I call it responsiveness, but it's the same thing. When I do a thing, does the thing I'm doing it on respond? This is true whether it's a guitar, a fly rod, or a car. It's also something that varies from person to person. I've played some great guitars that did nothing in my hands and guitars from unknown builders that were perfect for me. I'm a flamenco and classical guitarist, but the underlying truth about reflectivity/responsiveness holds true.

[@Saurondor]

Well it should be noted that the pickups don't sense the movement of "the strings", but rather the movement of the "neck, nut, body, bridge & string" system. To explain it simply, the neck and strings act like a suspension bridge. Any movement on the strings affects the neck and any movement of the neck affects the strings. They're not separate, they're a system. A simple way to prove this is screaming at the guitar's body. I did the following test anybody can reproduce. I connected a Fender Mustang Micro to my guitar, connected the Mustang to my cellphone via a USB cable and opened the voice note app and started recording. With the amp sim setting set on the Micro to a pretty high gain amp and at max volume I could successfully record my voice on the cellphone. Why? Well I was producing an "earthquake" on the guitar body (if you'll allow me the expression). My voice made the body vibrate. These vibrations spread through the body and neck like a mini earthquake and made the string vibrate. Very much like how an earthquake can make a suspension bridge move. These string vibrations were in turn picked up by the pickups and converted into an electric signal. Proving that pickups do indeed detect movement of the body and neck. Not directly, but by the effect the neck and body has on the strings. Now, to be thorough I had to discard the possibility that my voice was actually moving the strings. This is simple to test as well. The strings themselves have too small a cross section to be affected by the sound waves of one's voice. But interweaving a piece of aluminum foil that we can get from our kitchens greatly increases the cross section. The foil is now greatly affected by our voice and in turn moves strings. This is what the pickups detect. Because aluminum is not ferromagnetic and it's movement can't be picked up by the pickups, only the movement it imparts on the strings. This second test proved that my voice was not actually moving the strings, only affecting the body.

[@Lantertronics]

There's clearly mechanical coupling between the body/neck and strings in any *practical* electric electrical guitar. In an "ideal" electrical guitar, the endpoints of the string would remain perfectly fixed to keep the energy in the string. Although "ideal" things tend to be boring. ;)

[@marcofioravanti4176]

Three thoughts: 1.) You can see it kinda "backwards". How much does the construction of the guitar "take away" from the possible optimum string vibration? 2.) More pickups, more - or stronger - magnets, less distance to the strings etc. reduce sustain! 3.) Pure volume, coming out of speakers, stimulating string vibration, is one of the biggest influences on sustain! This adds to natural or artificial compression, sag and distortion. Great stage-experienced guitarists ride on the "knife edge" and play the fine line between endless sustain and controlled - or even chaotic - string feedback by tweaking tone and volume control of the guitar as well as changing the guitars distance and position to the speakers. The more a bedroom guitar player or even headphone guitar player you are, the more you are in need for artificial support by various pedals.

[@arsethehorse]

Really good vid Rhett and early P90 SGs are brilliant at bringing out the best in the player in my experience for the reasons you explain.

[@kapstersmusic]

Interesting. I have always been happy with the resonance of the neck of my 70's lp custom, even though the heavy pancake body sits like a brick. And its sustain has always been beyond amazing, even playing though headphones so no feedback was involved. I watched the Jim Lill video also, and in some ways that pancake body is like a workbench with two motors holding it down. The thin neck on the other hand does add resonance and haptic feedback, which is satisfying. I am really curious about hollow body electrics, because kinetic energy is transferred from the strings to the hollow body, which has to change the tone (attack, decay, sustain) and probably lowers the total output from the electronics. With amplification of course that output can be replaced. Hollow body guitars have always sounded more "jangly" to me, kind of naturally compressed as well.

[@alanturingandthetapes5575]

i lol'd at the "sustain demo", great video video idea: would love to see you take your pick of a fender player series or similar and see if you are able to get it to play in a way you're happy with after a few mods i did that recently with the player p90 mustang and it was a fun challenge

[@nick16754]

the tree outside to the left of Rhett's head is glitching during this video but still a good video as always :)

[@ovash1]

When I graduated High School in 83, all I could afford was a Maya electric guitar, strat copy, but I couldn't afford an amplifier. Cheap guitars were not good in the early 80s, but i loved that guitar. I played it without an amplifier, at first, because I couldn't afford an amp, but later, because I became accustomed to the sound of the guitar itself. To this day, I still enjoy the sound of a resonant electric guitar without an amplifier to get in the way. I do use amplifiers when necessary, but otherwise, I just love the sound of a good un-amplified electric guitar. I hope that makes sense.

[@ScottfromBaltimore]

Nice exploration on the question of what makes a guitar good.

[@harrys.5550]

I agree with your points of view in this video and would add the following- One of the original ways to create sustain in an electric guitar is finger vibrato. Get good at it and you'll have sustain and tone for days. Also, the workbench guitar "experiment" was just a revisit to the century old Southern Diddley Bow- 2 nails on the side of a barn with wire pulled tight between them and a bottle or knife to create sounds.

[@FarmKid1715]

My go to test on a new guitar it to hold the body up to my ear and play an big open E chord and let it ring out. That’s a quick test that gives a pretty good sign of whether I will like it or not.

[@victorcampos6865]

Amazing video as always!

[@mknow1]

Great video. I am not sure if the professor addressed dampening and resonance. String vibration will be dampened by the body and neck (some frequencies more than others). The body and neck can also feed vibrations back into the strings. The resonant frequencies of the body and neck will add overtones and other vibrations back into the strings. So although it is the strings vibrating in the pickup's magnetic field that produces the signal - it is definite that the body and neck do take away and add to that signal - no question. That's why the other SG felt like a sponge - it had high vibration absorbtion (like a shock absorber on a car) and quickly took the music away.

[@Lantertronics]

I get into it a little bit. You can find my video here (this was my response to Rhett's original video) by searching "Refining Rhett Shull's Resonance Reasoning: Vibrations in Electric Guitars and the Sustain Paradox"

[@Lantertronics]

Considering how thick an electric guitar body compared with the thicknesses used in an acoustic guitar, I expect that the effect is mostly damping, with little if any coupled resonance going back into the strings in a constructive way. So to the extent that the body/neck effects tone on electric instruments, I suspect it's primarily a *subtractive* effect.

[@kevingreen3365]

Good stuff, brother… very well done 👍🏻

[@edwinstovall3334]

Rhett, I am no luthier, but I'm learning things like setting up guitars and doing fret jobs. My two cents on sustain is that many factors affect sustain, such as the materials used in the guitar's neck, body, bridge, tailpiece, etc., but for me the main factor is the condition of the frets. I have yet to do a fret job on a guitar and not have a good increase in sustain. I'm a pretty broke guy, so I don't have premium instruments - but several of my guitars could give many expensive axes a run for their money. I have a $200 Jackson that has such good fretwork that it sustains better than any other axe I've bought brand new! Dan Thompson of the KZbin channel "Guns and Guitars" has said that his opinion about the differences between cheap and expensive instruments is the amount of work done on the neck and fretboard. I agree. My experience has been to get cheap axes and improve them, giving me better guitars and more knowledge in the bargain. A fret job is always going to be a part of my upgrade package - because it always works!

[@TiagoMorbusSa]

Being able to feel the resonance of the guitar is super pleasurable for me. I do think sustain matters but only on the higher notes. And that's down to fret design and setup more than anything.