What makes sustain?

IMHO there's a flaw in the testing methodology:

Materials and other possible dampers would surely affect sustain increasingly as energy levels drop. Subtle influences aren't gonna be noticeable when a string is vibrating with high energy shortly after being picked.

IOW, IMHO he should've examined effects on a much-longer envelope. Arbitrarily choosing the 4-bar benchmark was a shortcut that ignores good science IMHO.
 
Some guitars do sustain better than others and IMO, heavier guitars tend to sustain longer when played unplugged. Some hollow bodied guitars sustain too much when played through an amp. Then you also have "sustain" enhancing pick-ups, on-board preamps and pedals.

Dimebag had some songs where the sustain went on, "This Love" and "Cemetery Gates" are good examples of endless sustain.

 
You have to take into consideration the resonant peak of the instrument and the notes that are being played. Every guitar I’ve had has has a sweet spot on the fretboards we’re certain notes where more harmonically rich and natural feedback was much more significant for the note at that place on the fretboard. Then add in the pickup resonant peak will do the same.
 
historically,

playing loud enough where your power tubes are working, your speakers are making the cab resonate, and the vibration from the speaker cab interacts with the body of the guitar

will generally do the trick.
 
If You get 10 guitars of the same model, all of them will have different sustain.
I have had a Murphy 59 which had a sustain like a concrete brick.
I use to have two Les Pauls Perry Aged. One has a little more sustain than the other, but this last one have more punch.
 
For me, it’s all about how I touch and learn
how to use whatever I’m touching.
“Putting the love on it”.
A pool cue, a shovel, a paint brush, a hammer,
the tips of my drumsticks, the outer edge of the weed eater line, the guitar…
John Frusc, Hendrix, they had a way of muting all the strings and the being able to just dig in between the muted strings and put the love on the note(s).
It’s about building up this technique coupled with going through many life experiences and
getting up under the note.
No matter how much sustain a machine/device can give, when I get up under those mid-guitar neck high string notes, that’s where I can tell if I should go there or not, LTFOL!!
I learned a lot from Clapton and Gilmour
for this juggernaut.
It’s like, if I’m “mining the seam”, what’s happens when I get there?
Back to that getting up under it!!!
Volumes/instrument controls and an amps preamp interaction is where I check first, then?
Back to getting up under that note!!
 
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My experience a 335/ Byrdland or a Trussart will get you the most natural sustain. Hollowbody
 
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