There are a number of reasons why you might want to reduce sustain on your electric guitar. For example, you may want a shorter, staccato sound for certain genres of music, or you may want to reduce unwanted feedback when playing with distortion. There are a number of ways to reduce sustain, including adjusting your amp settings, changing your guitar setup, and using different playing techniques.
Adjusting your amp settings
One of the easiest ways to reduce sustain is to adjust your amp settings. Here are a few tips:
- Reduce the gain. Gain is what gives your guitar a distorted sound, but it also increases sustain. Try reducing the gain on your amp to see if that helps.
- Increase the treble. Treble frequencies decay more quickly than bass frequencies, so increasing the treble on your amp can help to shorten the sustain of your notes.
- Use a compressor pedal. A compressor pedal can help to even out the volume of your notes, which can make them sound less sustained.
Changing your guitar setup
There are also a few things you can do to your guitar setup to reduce sustain:
- Lower your pickups. Pickups closer to the strings will produce more sustain. Try lowering your pickups to see if that helps.
- Use thicker strings. Thicker strings have more mass, which makes them vibrate more slowly and decay more quickly. This results in less sustain.
- Adjust your bridge saddles. The bridge saddles on your guitar can also affect sustain. If you have a floating bridge, try raising the bridge saddles slightly. This will increase the break angle of the strings over the bridge, which can help to reduce sustain.
Using different playing techniques
There are a few different playing techniques you can use to reduce sustain:
- Palm muting. Palm muting is a technique where you rest the palm of your picking hand on the strings near the bridge while you play. This dampens the strings and reduces sustain.
- Staccato playing. Staccato playing involves playing notes in a short, detached manner. This naturally reduces sustain.
- Use a pick with no grip. A pick with no grip will give you less control over the strings, which can make it easier to play staccato and reduce sustain.
Experimentation is key
The best way to find out how to reduce sustain on your electric guitar is to experiment. Try different combinations of amp settings, guitar setup, and playing techniques until you find the sound that you’re looking for.
Here are some additional tips for reducing sustain on your electric guitar:
- Use a shorter scale length guitar. Guitars with shorter scale lengths, such as Gibson SGs and Fender Mustangs, have less sustain than guitars with longer scale lengths, such as Fender Stratocasters and Gibson Les Pauls.
- Use a wood with less sustain. Some woods, such as mahogany, have more sustain than others, such as maple. If you’re looking for a guitar with less sustain, consider choosing a model with a maple body.
- Use a fixed bridge. Floating bridges, such as the Fender Stratocaster bridge, can increase sustain. If you’re looking for a guitar with less sustain, consider choosing a model with a fixed bridge.
By following these tips, you can learn how to reduce sustain on your electric guitar and achieve the sound that you’re looking for.
