BASS SUSTAIN
- TIPS TO DO IT BETTER
When it comes to the musical elements of a song , bass , and bass players are pretty underrated . Even among bass players , bass sustain is not a high priority . If you ' re playing parts like the intro to " Panic Attack " or " Hammer Smashed Face ," the bass sustain isn ' t really something that matters that much , but there may be times when you have to record a ballad or something that requires sustained notes because of its sonic texture . If you play funeral doom metal , you really need sustain . We will discuss how you can improve your bass sustain here .
Alter pickup height The distance between the strings and the pickups not only affects their tonality ; it also plays an important role in the amount of sustain you will have . With your pickups too close to the strings , their magnetic effect will dampen the vibratory capacity of the strings . As you lower the pickups ( easy to do with an ordinary screwdriver ), the magnetic effect weakens and your strings will hold for longer . As you lower the pickups , you will also slightly reduce their output . It ' s really worth listening critically as you adjust your pickups , finding the best balance of output and sustain for your style .
Change strings You may find that your pickups do not provide the sustain you are looking for at any height . If you ' re using old strings , putting in new strings will help things a bit , but it ' s not economically practical to try dozens of string types in search of more sustain . There are multiple things to do with your bass before you go down the signal c hain .
Fix hardware issues Your bass strings only touch the bass at a few places , namely , the tuning machines , the nut , the bridge , and the tailpiece . If any of these components are loose , they will reduce the overall resonance , damping the vibration of the strings . Ensure that your bridge hardware is taut and rattle free . Buzz from the saddle can reduce sustain drastically . The nut is pretty much a set and forget component , but you do have a plastic nut on your bass . Remember , the correct setup is key to great bass sustain .
Use compressor pedals to sustain The compressor pedals give you control over the dynamic range of your instrument . By applying compression to your bass tone , you can effectively add sustain . A simple compressor pedal offers studioquality compression with minimal setup . Or you can go for a sustainfocused pedal . It ' s essentially a compressor too , but having a specific knob labeled Sustain can eliminate some of the confusion when it comes to dialing it in .
If you ' re not yet experienced with using compression , it may be a rabbit hole to dive into .
Get a little creative The techniques we ' ve discussed so far will definitely help add sustain to your bass , without changing its center tone . But what if you don ' t want it to sound like a typical bass ? What if you want the kind of sustained buzz you ' d get from a bowed cello ? You can hold certain devices next to a string and the string will get excited . It ' s a distinctive sound and is best suited to more adventurous styles of music . If you don ' t want to alter your playing style , there are some pedals that will create a micro-loop of whatever note you are holding , holding it until the effect is turned off .
There is no single way to sustain the bass . If your instrument is in tip-top shape and you just want more spaciousness and sustain , add a simple compressor pedal . If you are one of the highly creative and adventurous types , you should get a sustained pedal or handheld device .
The Score
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