Sustainiac Rocks! Infinite Guitar Sustain

[juanlash]

normally, my guitar (fender american special telecaster) doesn't have sustain when it is in clean sound, is it good? does sustain normally happens on distortion?, also, this thing looks pretty awesome, where did you buy it?

[Jackhayes123]

but doesn't using the sustainiac drain your battery like crazy? :S

[Rnexen]

youve got soul dude

[PhysicalGraffiti10]

Will this effect tone as well? I would love to put this in possibly both pickups but I don't it to mess with the tone I already have.

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@PhysicalGraffiti10 When you have just one Sustainiac pickup installed (neck) position, it sustains your bridge pickup and doesn't affect that tone which is great. Now when system is off and you are playing through both or neck, you get the tone of the supplied pickup (which sounds good to me). To answer you, you can't run 2 Sustainiac pickups in the same guitar to date. Even if you could, you would have the tone of the supplied pickups and not longer be able to have your original pickup tone

[bitchniggerization]

is that a wolfgang?

[mussefele]

@bitchniggerization Yup

[dotsunmoon]

You have had this for a year. Are you still satisfied with this? Is he Sustainiac pickup in "regular" (non-sustain) mode a good pick up? How long does a 9 volt last? Dos the pickup draw on the 9volt when in non-sustain mode? Thanks

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@dotsunmoon yes i am still satisfied with the Sustainiac. Please watch my video for a demo of the regular tone of the neck pickup/driver: "Sustainiac Rocks: Tone of the stock pickup (driver)"

The 9 volt will last 5-9 hours of play time from my experience and yes the battery is used anytime the neck pickup is used when it's not in sustain mode. That's because the neck pickup is an active pickup and requires power. When the neck pickup starts to sound "grungy", you need to change the battery.

[dotsunmoon]

@HappyOrangeTheBand I am so close to sending in my PRS SE - Sustainiac has been top notch going over my concerns via email and I even have a JB Bridge HB picked out - but I am leery of the battery. If the battery does start going and say I am in the middle of a gig - does switching o the bridge pick up remedy the situation until a new battery is put in? Thank you.

[ksmithdc]

Did you have to have the back of your guitar routed out for the sustainer circuit board and a second route for the battery access? If not, where did they put this stuff?

[scarred2112]

Very nice demo! (and very nice guitar as well) As a bassist and jealous of you guys I've had a plan for several years to create an "Effects Bass" with a Kahler Bass Tremolo & Sustainiac Bass Sustainer (yes, they make them for bass) that would give me a bowed cello tone when used clean and crazy Billy Sheenan-type "Lead Bass" when used with effects. I've finally finished up my last "project" (custom pups and preamps in 4 of my main basses) so the EFX Bass is next in line.

[Sagnak91]

Im sold.



[PANICBLADE]

You shouldve gotten a bite to eat then came back to show us how long it would hold a note.

[qraCz]

Nice review also fun to watch and good playing :D you seem to enjoy a lot the music and that makes this review even better.

[Sciesch]

nice tool

[MitchRulzWorld]

how would it work in the bridge? I really really want to get the styx sound. They always use a sustainer, but it has so much crunch and bite I think they use it in the bridge. To they make pickups for the bridge? Could I get that sound with the pickup in the neck?

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@MitchRulzWorld Go to Sustainiac website. However i think the driver can be in the bridge, but then you are reading the tone of your neck pickup during sustain, so that won't give you the crunch. If you want crunch, stick with the standard setup.

[stratguy123456]

Thanks for the demo. My question is how does it sound as a pickup. I considering putting one in my Ibanez JEM, and am all for it except I'm worried it will change my neck tone too much.

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@stratguy123456 Please see my dedicated video for this exact request. I'm having trouble with the link here so please try to find it in my video list. It's called "Sustainiac Rocks: Tone of the stock pickup (driver)"

[MaxMulisHa]

Hello. Im about to order it soon, but i want to ask you some questions. 1) Who drill your guitar, to put new toggle switch? 2)Using what drill? ok thats all. pls reply bck. TQ

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@MaxMulisHa There were no holes added to my guitar, only replacement potentiometers. If you are adding holes, you should go to the Sustainiac website to find out that information or contact Alan Hoover.

[MaxMulisHa]

@HappyOrangeTheBand ok tanx.

[alexmetal]

what's the difference between the sustaniac ande the fernandes, wich s better?

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@alexmetal I researched both. The Fernandez is very limited in what guitars it can be installed into. Also i think the support and design is inferior. The Sustainiac just has so many more options and seamlessly can be installed. Go to the massive Sustainiac website to see how awesome it is. Also, it just sounds more natural.

[tmblacktrack]

nice, but i have a question

did you install it or did the company install it?

if you installed it, how hard was it

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@tmblacktrack I sent my guitar to my local shop and they installed the unit. This was before I was experienced in soldering and working on guitar electronics. Also they did some routing for the battery compartment (optional) and my pickup cavities had to be lowered (Wolfgang style guitar). So if any of this sounds beyond your personal capability, please send it to Alan Hoover or a guitar shop.

[PilferMusic]

I've got to decide between toggles or the push pull... are you happy with the pots being push pull or do you think now that you have it... toggles for one or both of the controls would have been better?

Cheers

Steve

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@PilferMusic Push pull is ok but my volume knob is closer to the surface and sometimes it takes me an extra second to lift it. That's not ideal for being fast. I might say add toggle for on off.

For the tone knob, I really like the in between settings, like mild then later in a solo full on sustain. So I would keep push pull on tone. I think losing the fine tune ability might make the effect more artificial (not terribly however).



[PilferMusic]

@HappyOrangeTheBand Thanks I was watching you play here and I was thinking that exactly... toggle for on/off but I really like the graduation effect of the Tone - I'm assuming by this you mean its your tone control then you pull to get the Harmonic Mode control and the sweep you can get between the harmonics

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@PilferMusic Yep you got it. You have made me explore installing a toggle for on/off now:) Look pretty simple according to Alan Hoovers diagram on his website. One more thing: you don't have a standard tone contol anymore unless you end up having 3 potentiometers on your guitar. I'm considering adding back my original tone pot as well because sometimes I miss that ability. I hate having to drill into my baby.

[stormchasers25]

can anyone tell me a product either a rack unit or a pedal that will give me very long/thick sustain .ive got a hollow body guitar and ive been told i cant have a sustainer fitted plus i sorta think its cheatin ide prefer 2 control it a seprate unit anyone ? thanks

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@stormchasers25 If you don't want to cheat then you have to rely on other measures. If you can use actual feedback then it depends on you volume, position, and guitar acoustic properties. The more hollow body, the better. If you are purely going for a pedal, it's all about the compressor or overdrive or distortion which squeezes your signal. The more you squeeze (ratio or gain) the more your output will ring at that perceived volume.

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@stormchasers25 You know that it will eventually decay because your guitar will dampen the vibrations. There is no magic pedal. Energy can not be created or destroyed. Also when squeezing, you are amplifying all the noise and hum in you chain.

Try for a nice compressor like a Ross clone. Many good types out there. Try cmatmods.

[pearloid01]

Nice video and guitar.Im just installing mine now,got a bit stuck!!!!lol. the 8 pin connector yellow wire?? and the 10 pin violet and white wires .These were not on my diagram.Where did yurs go to?plz help 3 wires to go and then im stringing the old girl up!!!

[HappyOrangeTheBand]

@pearloid01 Contact Alan Hoover, the owner of Sustainiac. He has all the answers. I had mine installed by a shop.

[g4macdad]

Nice!

[mywaynowornot]

wow, that sounds cooooooooooooooooooooooool