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45 second sustain "good guitar" test

3252 Views 76 Replies 31 Participants Last post by  xevek90490
In a recent article I came across, Paul Reed Smith says:

"A great electric guitar is harmonically rich and bright on the low strings, thick-sounding on the high strings, and rings about 45 seconds," Smith told Guitarist. "A very poor electric guitar is bassy on the low strings, tinny on the high strings, and rings for about 16 seconds. No pickup is going to fix that!"

I'm guessing he means unplugged? A casual test of a few of my guitars revealed about 16 seconds of sustain when I strum a chord (not an open chord). Open string, sure a bit longer, but not 45 seconds.

I guess my guitars have shitty unamplified sustain. Oh well. It's a good thing I have amps, then. 😁
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I haven't measured but sustain is not a problem.

I can't remember a guitar I have had in my almost 50 years of playing that caused me concern due to a lack of sustain.

It would have had to be a serious pig and I guess I wouldn't have bought it. Certainly none of the ones I have built had a problem with sustain.

It's a big old nothing burger IMO.
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These days I can barely pay attention for 45 seconds, let alone worry about a note still ringing.
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I bet there’s a few Les Pauls out there that I couldn’t sustain standing with for 45 seconds. 😃
Likely most of them.
PRS = Perfidious Resonant Sustain. I thought everybody knew that.
Good word use.

I had to google it.

per·fid·i·ous
/pərˈfidēəs/

adjective
LITERARY

  1. deceitful and untrustworthy.
    "a perfidious lover"
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I hit a note this morning and it’s still ringing……

oh wait, nah, it’s just my tinnitus.

nevermind
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