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John Myung Bongo 4

How do I increase sustain on my Silo?

E

edcat

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
71
I've got a spare Silo Special that I would like to experiment with and try to turn into a sustain monster. I've read where because of its mass compared to a stock bridge, a Floyd Rose would increase sustain. Any truth to this? And if I installed a Floyd would I need the 3 hex nuts behind the nut or would the exsisting Schallers suffice? Also any other ideas to increase sustain (even far out ideas like stripping the finish) I sure would appreciate. I've tried compressors but they don't do it for me. Thanks.
 
Many people believe mass increases sustain. So the floyd is exactly the opposite of what you want. Does your Silo have the stock vintage bridge with the nice brass sustain block? You can't do much better than that. You could block off the bridge so the trem does not move and that might add a little sustain due to increased body bridge contact. But maybe not too. Heavier strings would make a difference. And a compressor pedal would help.
 
GHWelles said:
Many people believe mass increases sustain. So the floyd is exactly the opposite of what you want.
Click to expand...

Hi, I hope that this doesn't come across as being rude (as written text easily can) but can you please explain why you believe this to be true. I have often found guitars with floyds to have better than average sustain (particularly those flush on the body) and if the Fat-Finger works, which to my ears it does, how can adding a floyd to the body not follow the same principle as adding a fat-finger to the headstock?

You may well be correct, but I would like you to clarify if you wouldn't mind. :)

Many thanks.
 
Good amp. My new Guytron ... with the gain granked up a wee bit my guitars sustain for days. Wowza!

"Listen, just listen to the sustain."

"I don't hear anything."

"You would, though, if it were playing."

:D
 
I was going to be smart and say turn the gain up, but I won't. A combination of all of the above will work. If you have a Floyd you could also block the trem (put wood between the trem block and body). This is what I do, but you can't pull up.

Colin
 
Dodgeball said:
Hi, I hope that this doesn't come across as being rude (as written text easily can) but can you please explain why you believe this to be true. I have often found guitars with floyds to have better than average sustain (particularly those flush on the body) and if the Fat-Finger works, which to my ears it does, how can adding a floyd to the body not follow the same principle as adding a fat-finger to the headstock?

You may well be correct, but I would like you to clarify if you wouldn't mind. :)

Many thanks.
Click to expand...

Floyds have much smaller sustain blocks. So they have less mass. Some companies even make replacement blocks that are a little bigger for Floyds. Like this:

"4.4 Big Block
--Please talk more about Big Block which you developed with Warren.
YOKOTE:Floyd Rose is a small bridge. Generally speaking, when you replace a normal bridge with Floyd Rose, the tones become weaker. It keeps the sounds in tune very well, but you tend to be unsatisfied with the tones. So, this is the finished product of Big Block. It is made of bell metal, which is a special metal.
SUGAI:Bell metal is used to make church bells. It conducts trembles very well.

bigblock1.jpg

bigblock2.jpg

(In the both photos, the left hand side is normal Floyd Rose
and the right hand side is the Big Block Floyd Rose.)
"YOKOTE:You can see when you compare them; by doubling the size and the weight, it keeps tones from losing quality. The one Warren first made was completely done by hand. Then we kept improving it and now we can manufacture them as ready-made products.
SUGAI:We attached the first one to his guitar very forcibly. The prototype was genuinly hand-made.
YOKOTE:Most of Warren's guitars with Floyd Rose have this Big Block.
--I cannot afford the same guitar as Warren's, but can I just buy it if I want to use at least the same bridge?
YOKOTE:Yes, you can. Everybody who uses Floyd Rose has the same discontent with the weakening of the tone. We recommend to such people to replace it and most of them are happy with the result."


Some pickup manufacturers make pickups voiced with more bass to try and address the thinner sound of Floyds.

Now if you have a flat to the body Floyd versues a floating recessed Floyd all this probably goes out the window becasue you have direct contact with the body, so you get more sustain.
 
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That all sounds very reasonable, and I beleive that to some extent the bigger sustain block would be beneficial, but I've owned 3 Axis, all with Floyds, and I've never been unhappy with the sustain on any of them. In fact, I would put my Axis up against any set neck/ fixed bridge guitar out there for sustain. I think it has everything to do with the Floyd on the Axis resting on the body the way it does. Better transfer of the string vibrations to the wood.

Also, although the mass of the block may be less than other trems, the mass of the bridge saddles is much greater than on a vintage trem. The contact between the bridge saddle and the bridge plate on a Floyd is also greater than on a vintage trem. Put all these factors together and what do you get?

The string vibrations transfer from the string, through the increased mass bridge saddle to the bridge plate, where the vibrations are then transferred to the wood on the top of the guitar at the bridge(on the Axis). At this point, the mass of the sustain block does not become irrelevant, but it's importance is lessened by the configuration of the Axis Floyd.

That's my theory anyway.
 
I agree with you. As I stated in my prior post:

"Now if you have a flat to the body Floyd versues a floating recessed Floyd all this probably goes out the window becasue you have direct contact with the body, so you get more sustain."

And you have a good point on the saddles.
 
I am now fascinated to find out what my Axis would sound like with the bigger sustain block. This thought will now plague me for months. Thanks GH.:D
 
nobozos said:
I am now fascinated to find out what my Axis would sound like with the bigger sustain block. This thought will now plague me for months. Thanks GH.:D
Click to expand...

No Problem. Let me know if you find out who makes them. The quote I found was from 1998. :eek:
 
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