Digital sustain on a lap?

Dwayne Martineau · Post by **Dwayne Martineau** » 8 Sep 2005 9:51 am

I interested in the Hilton Digital Sustain box, which seems ubiquitous among peddlers.

Who uses this on their non-pedal?

Does anyone have a pair of MP3 clips from a steel playing with/without the sustain?

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 8 Sep 2005 11:16 am

Hi Dwayne,

I just replaced my old Hilton sustain with the new model which features a tone control
now. I got it through Al Brisco and Steel
Guitars of Canada.
Al sent me a well known competator unit so I could test them side by side and for my liking there was no comparison. The Hilton won hands down. It gives a nice clear signal
with the sustain feature and I love it.
I use it on my pedal as well as non pedal
recordings.

RT

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 9 Sep 2005 9:12 am

I'm curious about the Hilton Digital Sustain too. Does anyone else have any experience using it? I noticed that forum member Rick Alexander had one clamped to the leg of one of his console steels.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 9 Sep 2005 9:56 am

I use one for my console steels, and it does a real nice job of increasing sustain without distorting, degrading the tone, or causing unwanted noise.

I think it would be a good unit for any steel guitar.

RA

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 9 Sep 2005 4:37 pm

Do you think the Hilton is some type of compressor or is it something else? Is the effect subtle or quite noticable when it is engaged?

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 9 Sep 2005 6:58 pm

It's definitely subtle. It adds a little sustain without coloring the tone. When you're talking about sustain, a little is a lot.

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 15 Sep 2005 11:52 am

Hello Dwayne,

Ditto Rick's comments...I purchased mine through Bobbe Seymour's store....the Hilton Digital Sustain sends a very, very, clean digitized signal (as opposed to analog) through your volume pedal & then to your Amp. NOTE: It works best with a volumme pedal...There are two controls, tone & intensity. The tone control is great to fine tune your sound. With the intensity control (not a volume control), you will need experiment to get the "sweet spot" through the range provided.

I can't help you with the Lap, but it attaches very easily to the guitar leg.

With a lap, I imagine you could rig it to your Amp. Say, like take the Leg Spring attachment off the box, put velcro on the box & Amp, then attach it on top of Amp.

I have a Fender stringmaster D8. It can't sound any better. It's quite similar to a P/S.

My experience with Hilton Digital Sutain allows me to highly recommend the unit. Hope this helps...TX
rgds,
Ron

------------------
JCFSC member since 2005 "Be of Good Cheer"
"55" Stringmaster D8,"59" Stringmaster D6
"67" Telecaster,
"60"Fender Concert Amp 4-10's

[This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 15 September 2005 at 12:52 PM.][This message was edited by Ron Brennan on 15 September 2005 at 12:56 PM.]

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 15 Sep 2005 9:38 pm

Just a QUESTION; NOT an indictment..........

Can anyone simply sit down and play a steel guitar ANY MORE without having to have it plugged into one or more little electronic gizmo's? Does the guitar you have lack sufficient "sustain" or is it merely, "MORE is BETTER?".

JUST CURIOUS in my never ending quest for detailed knowledge about the complexities of steel guitar and those who play them and/or allege to do so.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 16 Sep 2005 7:36 am

Sure we can, but where's the fun in that?

I'm playing my National tricone almost exclusively now, and it's been a ton of fun. I'm going to a party this weekend and bringing a lap steel, some cords and a steel bar (the amp will be provided).

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 16 Sep 2005 9:26 am

Ray, to answer your question.....

I sometimes sit in with an acoustic guitarist/vocalist at a beach venue. I use my Beard Road-O-Phonic for ease of set up, travel, and no feedback. Since it's a travel guitar it's not big on sustain.

For certain tunes, it's fine. I can get an acoustic sound and feel to a song that requires just that.

For other tunes that require a more electric & "dirtier" sound, I need that digital sustain.

Now please tell me, how would Jerry Byrd handle The Allman Bros. version of "Statesboro Blues - Live From The Fillmore East"......? Just a question, not an indictment...

[This message was edited by HowardR on 16 September 2005 at 10:29 AM.]

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 17 Sep 2005 11:53 am

Howard -- what type of amp do you play though on that gig? Depending on your amp, or amp setting if you have a modeling amp like a Microcube, wouldn't a higher gain overdrive setting give you that sustain? I suppose if you need clean sustain though, that'd be another matter.

BTW, I've been curious about those Beard Road-O-Phonics. I'll bet they sound really good for that plugged-in dobro tone, but I haven't been able to hear one yet. They look pretty cool.

TJW

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 17 Sep 2005 12:26 pm

Todd, being that it's a very informal gig and I sit in whatever time I happen to show up, (I've have problems with commitment) I just plug right into the PA.

The Road O Phonic has a sound all of it's own and I don't think that it would be fair to compare it to a full size reso or lap. It doesn't have that kind of tone, or sustain. But for a convenient, casual guitar, plugged or unplugged, it serves its purpose well.

Oooops, I just realized I made an error....I use compression sustain.

"Wake up mama, turn your lights down low"...

[This message was edited by HowardR on 17 September 2005 at 01:41 PM.]