Daniel Sorbera Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 (edited) sustainer Does it work well? can I make it so I just put it's driver in between my 2 pickups and just turn it on when I want? I would like it but I think it says it's driver replaces your neck pickup. Couldent you just put it's driver in the middle and wire up a kill switch for the whole circut? So when I flip a switch (I have to be on the bridge pickup) it turns the circut on and it works, but I can just turn it off by puting a kill switch after the entire circuit right before the output? where would I need to put the kill switch? can someone draw up a schematic to wire it up how I want it? Edited December 18, 2004 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 18, 2004 Report Share Posted December 18, 2004 Funny you should mention this... The system I'm developing will allow you to do this and more but, no, the current available systems can't be placed in the centre pickup position with the present technology. It also comprimises the harmonic mode due to it's placement along the string's length, or so they say. I currently have a working prototype...but don't hold your breath, it's taken the good part of a year to get to this stage...check out my sustainer thread for progress. My system uses a different technology and, in it's present incarnation, sits in the middle slot but also allows for the passive pickup to work here when the driver/s are not in use and retains the ability to switch between neck and bridge pickups. So far it looks very promising but these things take time...don't turn blue! You may wish to check out the Sustainer Stealth Plus system. The driver can also act as an active pickup when the sustainer is in use and you'll find a better level of service I believe. Check out Sustainiac's FAQ page for their answers to this and many other like questions. I'd be interested to here your concerns with these systems might be and what you would want from such a device to help with my research hope this helps a little psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Vai Posted December 19, 2004 Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 I'm interested in putting a sustainer and a passive in the same place, like this: How would I go about getting a plate to put both pickups on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 19, 2004 Report Share Posted December 19, 2004 OK...I'm not from sustainiac...but here's their web site. Sustainiac Mr (err) Vai, the posted picture is of one of their models and the plate is part of their installation kits for humbucker equiped guitars. Be aware however, you can't use the neck pickup with the sustainer with any current sustainer technology. psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Vai Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 (edited) But if the sustainer is turned off, I can still use the neck pickup, right? I have another question too, regarding plastic pickup covers. This was taken from the Sustainiac website: ABOUT PLASTIC PICKUP COVERS: While these don't interfere like chrome covers do, they cause another problem. They cause the driver to be further from the strings than without the cover. This extra distance between driver and strings causes the sustainer efficiency to be reduced. Especially for the little E and B strings. IMPORTANT: Both the driver and bridge pickup need to be quite close to the smaller strings in order for the sustainer performance to be good. Couldn't I compensate for this by simply raising the pickup? Since the plastic doesn't interfere with the energy of the sustainer, this doesn't make very much sense. Adding a cover doesn't make the pickup any farther away from the strings (and if for some weird reason it does), couldn't I just raise the pickup? Edited December 20, 2004 by Steve Vai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 (edited) I recently installed a Stealth Plus (from sustainiac) but I didn't use a pickup mounting ring. I'm not exactly sure what they are saying but you can send them an email. I have talked with Alan and he's very good about getting back to you quickly. BTW - nice to speak with you Mr. Vai. Edited December 20, 2004 by daveq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 OK...the driver needs to be very close to the strings. Mainly because, the further away, the more output (to the driver) and the less focused the output will be on the strings. People have thought of putting covers over the sustainer pickup to disguise it, but, your still looking at 1.5mm which doesn't sound a lot but it could mean a doubling of the distance. If you tried to compensate with more power, the magnetic energy would travel further down the metal strings and create an inductive loop in the bridge pickup causing squeel. There is a gain trim pot to adjust it for your guitar I believe, so you kind of have to tune the circuit to your guitar (pickup output, etc). The sustainer principle is very simple but getting the elements to work practically is very much a fine balance. I should know psw's amazingly long, sustainer thread..... psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Vai Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 But if the whole pickup assembly had to be that close, wouldn't you lose sustain when using the normal pickup because the magnet is so close to the strings? Does anyone have a side view picture of the distance between a sustainer and the strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 Well, possibly Mr. Vai, there are going to have to be some tradeoffs I imagine. I would'nt have thought sustain was of paramount concern given that you would have access to infinite sustain! If you want to try it, adjust your pickups as close as you can and still play the highest frets, particularly the higher strings and see what happens. The driver is of a similar energy to a pickup. I've found with my system so far that I can use my normal pickup height (not overly close) but the centre pickup has to be lowered. There is probably less magnetism exerted on the strings when not in use. The intense magnetism is experienced with the drivers activated as they are electro magnetic, the internal magnets are there only to create a field which the driver's manipulate to create the infinite sustain. Try it, tell us what you think. On some guitar's (especially strats) you can get wolf tones and intonation problems, this of course would be unacceptable on any guitar. By the way, I'd be interested to hear, from anyone reading this thread, what type of guitar and pickup combinations people have a desire to add a sustainer system to. It could help with my development of my system, a little further down the track. For me, I'm using standard, cheapo copies with their original, ceramic single coils at the moment. Once up and running I'll try it on some others, I can even see how you could add it to, say a les paul, which generally has no middle pickup, without much of a problem. It would probably be better to post them on the sustainer ideas thread, here it is again.... psw's sustainer project, page 25! psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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