SLSMG sustain problems

[RobRR]

Same problem on the JRR-94 based guitar I just built... only the strings were ALSO hitting the adjustment screws! I turned the bridge around so the screws face the pickups and all clear well... not exactly what I wanted to do bit its ok.

[charvel750]

Wait a minute, did you say you got EMG's in there?! That's your loss of sustain! Doh!

[emperor_black]

I just took the bridge out and its supposed to be a JT390, but it says BH-1993 at the bottom. Is that ok?

[sakeido]

Wait a minute, did you say you got EMG's in there?! That's your loss of sustain! Doh!

Umm my SLSMG with EMG actives sustains for a LONG time...

[Bengal65]

As said before, those saddles are way too deep and I bet that is the culprit right there. The strings should not be down into a saddle that deep as it "mutes" the string vibrations. Just for the hell of it, try moving the strings to the sides (uncut area) of the cut slots and see if it still has the same problem. Obviously you can't play it like that as the strings will just pop back into the slots but it might be the problem and then you'll know. Also, badly cut/deep nuts (ouch!) will mute string vibration as well.

+1 Those saddles are cut too deep. Yeah, they do that on those bridges. It's a universal groove for all string sizes. A set of Graphtech's may cure the problem.

[toejam]

I have the same thing on my 6 string COW but it doesn't affect the sustain as you had problems with. Sounds and plays really good but I don't like that the strings (all of them) are pushing against the back of the bridge, never seen that on any other guitar with fixed bridge of this type. Seems as the neck is way too much angled and would need to be shimmed to get it at a better straighter angle. Adjusting the trussrod will not make such a big different that the bridge could be lowered enough to avoid the problem, neither would new saddles at least not in my case.

This problem affects Les Pauls as well.... you'll find different neck angles on them, and that's why some people have to raise the tailpiece up, so the strings don't hit the back of the bridge.

[kelly user]

i'd like to see a pic of the nut, saddles are WAY WAY to deep, the saddle aren't allowing the string to resonate through out the body, because the vibrations are stopped at the bridge.

[emperor_black]

today I had a little trip to guitar center. I saw many different guitars with a hardtail and all of them had the high E, B and some of them the G string touching the back of the bridge. The saddles in some had grooves as deep as mine and some had grooves barely there. So, looks like the loss of sustain is something else I might just have to live with.

Kelly, here are the pics of the nut.

[kelly user]

you need a new nut, the treble side of the nut( the 3 skinny strings) are cut way to deep. the saddles that are barely cut at all are more than likely the expensive guitars, because they are left that way so you can set up the guitar to your liking.