Am I imagining this or...??

[Robert Hendrix]

This is going to go down in history as being the stupidest question ever posted on JCF but I can't help myself...

I've been thinking of ordering a brass big block, but I really didn't know which one I needed. Anyway, I stopped and had dinner with the the other guitarist in the band that I'm playing in after practice one day and the subject came up about tweaking the sustain in your guitar. He suggested that I try pulling the trem cover off of the back of mine and trying it that way. I'd never really heard of this so I just blew it off and didn't think anymore about it.

Well, the other day I took the trem cover off to see if I could tell which big block I needed to order and while it was off, I thought, "well, I'll try it and see." WOW! it definately sounds different. The mids seem to pop out more without the trem cover on the guitar and the sustain is noticably more prevalent. Am I just imagining this? I see people playing without their trem covers all the time but I just chalked it up to being too lazy to put them back on. Does this really work? If so, why?

Told you it was stupid.

[SEEGERMANY]

poop

[blitz]

poop

Poop he says :ROTF:

[Grandturk]

Am I just imagining this? I see people playing without their trem covers all the time but I just chalked it up to being too lazy to put them back on. Does this really work? If so, why?

Dear god - Yes, you are just imagining it.

Yes, I am too lazy to put the trem cover back on (except when they're recessed covers - I don't think those look right nekkid).

[Newc]

Laziness has nothing to do with it. I prefer to have them off in the event I need or want to adjust the spring claw, silence the springs, or block it if for some reason I find I have to do so, and so I can get to the springs easily to remove them and the trem if I'm swapping pickups.

And no, your sustain and tone will not be affected either way.

This is the classic example of perception being skewed by desire - dude WANTS to have better sustain, and he is convinced that he HAS better sustain, and so in his mind he DOES have better sustain.

However, if you could measure the tonal differences and compare them, you'll find there are none that are not directly related to differences in pick attack or fretting pressure or other such matters - you just can't get a pure sample because there are too many variables.

[Spivonious]

It reminds me of the time I was told that removing the valve cover from the f-attachment on a trombone would better your tone. Since the cover is a purely cosmetic piece, of course it made no difference.

[WarPig]

Well, maybe, maybe not. Is it a solid trem cover? If it's a solid cover, I could see how there might be a *slight* improvement in sound and/or sustain if it was removed.

The trem cavity is a void in the back of the guitar. A solid plate partially seals the void, basically making it into a tone chamber.

It's the same theory as replacing the tailgate of a pickup with a net to reduce air resistance.

But as whether or not it's audible to the ear? Same deal as coating the edge of a CD with green Magic Marker, perhaps.

[Robert Hendrix]

Well, maybe, maybe not. Is it a solid trem cover? If it's a solid cover, I could see how there might be a *slight* improvement in sound and/or sustain if it was removed.

The trem cavity is a void in the back of the guitar. A solid plate partially seals the void, basically making it into a tone chamber.

It's the same theory as replacing the tailgate of a pickup with a net to reduce air resistance.

But as whether or not it's audible to the ear? Same deal as coating the edge of a CD with green Magic Marker, perhaps.

Yes, It's definately a solid trem cover. It's metal too, not plastic. I figured I was imagining things and, not that I'm dissapointed in my guitars sustain, not at all. I'm just always looking for ways to tweak more out of it. I didn't believe him when he told me this in the first place. He's a good guy, and VERY knowlegable when it comes to Gibbys and Fenders. But he really has no experience with Floyded guitars.