Sustain block

[mike1762]

I've learned a ton about the technicalities of guitar building since I became a member of this forum (thanks for that!!!).  However, I'm still a little sketchy on the sustain block.  I'm looking at my Alembics and I see that the bridges on my SI and SC sit on top of a block of brass(?), but there is no such block on my Spoiler.  Is that chunk of metal a sustain block?  I'm not sure that I understand it's purpose on a fixed bridge instrument.  Does the block reduce body resonance (thus increase sustain)?

[FC Bass]

I've made several Spoilerbars A stainless steel cylinder with 4 holes (to put the strings through), for Gibson style bridges:
 

(Hardly visible, strings first go through the bar and then the bar hooks behind the bridge)
 
According to the users (I've never tried one myself) there's a dramatic increase of sustain with the bar installed.
 
I guess the more Metal is directly in contact with the strings, the more sustain you'll get.
I think the tailpieces on Alembics also have the same effect.
No experience with bridge blocks here, but I assume that they'll have the same effect.
 
Btw: Are we a tiny bit off topic here? :-)
 
(Message edited by fc_spoiler on November 20, 2008)

[elwoodblue]

(even more off topic)-
 There is  guy on ebay selling the same sort of thing, he also points out that this brings the fiber wrapping at the string end past the break point at the saddle so the string intonates better.

[mike1762]

Yea, I just realized I posted my question in the wrong place.  Can Moderator Dave move this thread to Miscellaneous???
 
 
[moderator's note: thread moved to Miscellaneous section]
 
(Message edited by davehouck on November 19, 2008)

[FC Bass]

On a Dutch bass forum some users discussed the bars on ebay, I jumped in and offered to make some for my forum fellas. (since I thought those on ebay were much to $$$)  
 
Maybe the Alembic Basses & Guitars part is more appropriate for this topic?

[hieronymous]

(WAY off topic) Hey, I need a couple of those for my Gibsons - I was going to buy one a long time ago but couldn't find them again. Could you post the link?

[elwoodblue]

this is the one I saw.
 
FC's right IMO, a bit pricy.

[David Houck]

To address the original question; yes.
 
From a post by Bob Novy in a prior thread listed in the Must Reads section:
 
the purpose of the brass block is to increase the wave impedance of the bridge by making it more massive, thereby *reducing* the transfer function - so that most of the energy is reflected directly back into the string, instead of being transferred through the bridge to the body ... As long as the two height adjustment screws allow a sufficient coupling to the block, it's effectively the same as if the bridge itself were one big piece of metal.

[mike1762]

Thanks Dave, that was an all around interesting thread.  I have been thinking a lot about the effect of body woods lately as I am currently having a 6 string built (not an Alembic...yet!!!).  I went with an alder body with the idea that it would eat the lows and increase the ratio of mids in the output.  I THINK the discussion in the prior thread supports my thought process.  Regarding the sustain block... I like a lot of punch in my sound.  Do you think sustain is the opposite of punch?  This is probably not a good question since I am not even sure what I mean by punch, but I know it when I hear it.  I don't know if the other vendor offers a sustain block, but I think I would probably forgo it if increased sustain is detracting from my ability to get that sound.
 
(Message edited by mike1762 on November 19, 2008)

[David Houck]

Do your non-Alembic basses have more punch than your Alembics?  If so, then it may be because none of them are neck-throughs.  Set-neck Alembics like the Excel, Epic and Orion are considered to have more punch than neck-throughs; and the Ash bodied Excels are probably the punchiest.  I don't think punch is necessarily the opposite of sustain; I think punch has more to do with emphasizing mid-range than it does lack of sustain.  Thus choosing a set-neck over a neck-through along with choice of body woods would be important if punch is what you are after.  And with a set-neck, the body woods play a more important role than they do on a neck-through; thus the Ash on an Excel or in your case Alder.  You may find this previous thread to be of interest as well.

[terryc]

I guess that is why the BadAss bridge was developed, large metallic mass to increase sustain. I have noticed that a lot of new basses are featuring the individual bridges - one for each string, it is supposed to eliminate vibration crossover which occurrs on one piece bridges..does anyone in the forum have any experience of these??

[mike1762]

I always played Music Man basses before getting my Alembics and they are of course bolt-ons.  I always EQed them with a little cut in the lows, a boost in the midrange, and the treble pretty much flat.  That gave a punchy in your face tone that cut through everything.  I spent a lot of time and effort trying to get my Alembics to sound like that, but I now realize that they are not designed to produce that type of tone.  I'm starting to appreciate how the construction techniques and materials translates into very different sounding instruments.  If I want silky smooth, I reach for an Alembic.  If I want punch, I've got my MMs and Fenders.  The 6 string will be an interesting mix: neck-through construction, but body woods that will emphasize midrange.
 
(Message edited by mike1762 on November 20, 2008)