Bowed instruments get around the attack/sustain tradeoff by having continuous energy input, so the attack strength can be sustained for the duration of a note.

Bowed instruments get around the attack/sustain tradeoff by having continuous energy input, so the attack strength can be sustained for the duration of a note. My cello is particularly resonant, and in hindsight (is this confirmation bias talking?) has very little sustain on pizzicato (plucking) compared to my cheap, less-resonant student cello.