Sustain measurement

[Stereo_Monkey]

Sustain check

My Big Al 4 Single H arrived last weekend. Welcoming the first Big Al with mahogany body to the family it was time for a sustain comparision*:

White Big Al, SSS, DOB: 5/29/09, Body: Alder, 4.3 kg/9.46 lbs. --> 46 seconds

Black Big Al, SSS, DOB: 12/3/2009, Body: Alder, 4.1 kg/9.02 lbs. --> 62 seconds

CAR Big Al, H, DOB: 2010, Body: Mahogany, less than 3.9 kg/8.58 lbs. --> 72 seconds

*Q: How did you compare the sustain?
A: Hit the E-String and count with a stop watch how long the tone can be heard having the ear connected to the body (acoustically, no amplification). Repeat the test three times. Sum the results and divide by three.

 

[MadMatt]

Great comparison!

I find it amazing that the lighter instruments have more sustain.

This makes me recall a priceless moment during the first practice session after I got my 25th 4HH. I forget what song it was but we end it on E major and the lead guitar lets the chord stand with all these effects quite a while until it fades. Well this time, with the the 25th, the sustain on the open E string was still going strong after all his effects, feedback and whatever had faded... I held it for another 5 seconds, then looked at him grinning and quietly said "I win". The whole band fell apart laughing... it was a priceless.

-Matt

 

[five7]

Mahogany and single H do the trick? Madmatt, that is a great story!

 

[RocketRalf]

The difference might also be down to having less pickup magnets to pull the string into place.

 

[Jim C]

Nice flock of Al's there mate.
Interesting that the lighter instrument with the same pup sustained longer and, that the longest was also the lightest.
Do the two SSS sound similar and how do all three sound overall?

 

[Stereo_Monkey]

Nice flock of Al's there mate.
Interesting that the lighter instrument with the same pup sustained longer and, that the longest was also the lightest.
Do the two SSS sound similar and how do all three sound overall?

The two SSS Als sound different. The black one sounds like most other Big Als that I had under my fingers.

The white one is very special and actually it is my NUMERO UNO, playing it almost exclusively in passive mode (here the white BigAl is much more different from the active mode than the black Big Al is!)

Compared without a band I would always choose the black one. It has full and rich tone while the white one has more mids and heights and is more woody/vintage/grumpy/whatever. But with my band the white one is perfect.

The Single H arrived the last weekend. To less time (and totally an other concept) to be compared with the two SSSs...

 

[Rick Auricchio]

Perhaps you should install brand-new strings on all the basses and repeat the test. Or at least try sustain on all four strings.

A weak string could make a huge difference.

 

[ivbenaplayin]

I like the CY description of EBMM sustain... go out for lunch, come back & it's still ringin'!

 

[Stereo_Monkey]

Perhaps you should install brand-new strings on all the basses and repeat the test. Or at least try sustain on all four strings.

A weak string could make a huge difference.

Thats for sure but what you do not know: I am playing EB Super Slinkys and actually there has never ever been a single weak string. I swear

But what really makes a huge difference when it comes to sustain are the body and the neck wood...

 

[syciprider]

Wow, someone likes Big ALs.

 

[Kristopher]

Red basses always win!

 

[five7]

My Big Al 4 Single H arrived last weekend. Welcoming the first Big Al with mahogany body to the family it was time for a sustain comparision*:

White Big Al, SSS, DOB: 5/29/09, Body: Alder, 4.3 kg/9.46 lbs. --> 46 seconds

Black Big Al, SSS, DOB: 12/3/2009, Body: Alder, 4.1 kg/9.02 lbs. --> 62 seconds

CAR Big Al, H, DOB: 2010, Body: Mahogany, less than 3.9 kg/8.58 lbs. --> 72 seconds

The older you are the less sustain. Youth wins!

 

[syciprider]

Haha

 

[drTStingray]

White Big Al, SSS, DOB: 5/29/09, Body: Alder, 4.3 kg/9.46 lbs. --> 46 seconds

Black Big Al, SSS, DOB: 12/3/2009, Body: Alder, 4.1 kg/9.02 lbs. --> 62 seconds

CAR Big Al, H, DOB: 2010, Body: Mahogany, less than 3.9 kg/8.58 lbs. --> 72 seconds

*Q: How did you compare the sustain?
A: Hit the E-String and count with a stop watch how long the tone can be heard having the ear connected to the body (acoustically, no amplification). Repeat the test three times. Sum the results and divide by three.

My goodness - how did you manage to keep your ear to the bass body for 72 seconds

These are indeed surprising amounts of sustain - string muting must be quite difficult - I find this the biggest challenge on basses with big sustain - do you find this an issue with your Als?

I guess the message here is that mahogany must be more resonant, lb for lb than alder - no doubt the reason EBMM changed the Big Al body wood spec

 

[Stereo_Monkey]

My goodness - how did you manage to keep your ear to the bass body for 72 seconds

haha, if I would press my ear on the body from the beginning of such a test I would be deaf after the third bass on that ear...

These are indeed surprising amounts of sustain - string muting must be quite difficult - I find this the biggest challenge on basses with big sustain - do you find this an issue with your Als?

Actually I did not try any string muting with the fresh arrived sustain-monster-big-al. But one of my other basses is a T-Bird. Mahogany-neck-thru-body... Even with this bass I never noticed any problems while palm muting...

I guess the message here is that mahogany must be more resonant, lb for lb than alder - no doubt the reason EBMM changed the Big Al body wood spec

One of the reasons for the change that I have read was the weight... and this seems to come true. The Single H is a real lightweight!

 

[Moondog]

So when did EBMM ditch the alder for mahogany? (Can't find any info)
Early this year?

I have a 9.0lb BA-H born 2/26/10 and was told it was "likely" mahogany . . .

 

[five7]

likely? Measure the sustain.