working sustainer

[reg-g innit]

SUSTAINER PROJECT:

has anyone on this forum built a sustainer that works..esp top 3 strings
i've built one using the lm386 ( driver amp )
i've rewound a pickup to 8ohms using 32aws wire
i've tested it at 12v using  2A psu

all i get is the 6th string sustaining ( sometimes the 5th )

the driver is as close to the strings as possible
the o/p of the amp is a waveform ( >10v ) going to the driver ( with the driver connected )

i am using 9 guage strings ..the bridge pickup is off a strat

is this project a hoax...cause it seems like it  

 

[reg-g innit]

2 minutes ago, reg-g innit said:

SUSTAINER PROJECT:

has anyone on this forum built a sustainer that works..esp top 3 strings
i've built one using the lm386 ( driver amp )
i've rewound a pickup to 8ohms using 32aws wire
i've tested it at 12v using  2A psu

all i get is the 6th string sustaining ( sometimes the 5th )

the driver is as close to the strings as possible
the o/p of the amp is a waveform ( >10v ) going to the driver ( with the driver connected )

i am using 9 guage strings ..the bridge pickup is off a strat

is this project a hoax...cause it seems like it

any links for mods etc would be gratefully appreciated
regards  

 

 

[reg-g innit]

it seems like the success of this project is the design and build of the driver

the patent designs give some insight on how to progress   

[curtisa]

Unfortunately you're coming up against the main drawbacks the DIY sustainer project always presented - poor string/note selectivity, simplistic circuit design, inconsistent results. I, and others here, did build a sustainer using the original circuit and coil design which worked decently over about 2/3 of the neck, but it was far from perfect.

I'm not aware of any useful mods to the original design that would improve things, but here a few ideas to play with:

• Try swapping the wires on the LM386 output to the driver around. Perhaps your driver is trying to operate in harmonic mode (phase reversed)?
• Use a humbucker bridge pickup instead of a single coil.
• Verify you are getting strong drive signal from the LM386 by temporarily substituting a speaker for the driver coil.
• Potting the driver coil was supposed to help things by preventing movement in the coil windings. Some people painted the windings in thin coats of varnish or epoxy.

A total redesign of the driver circuit was really in order during the life of the project, but no lasting effort was put into it. Really, the persistence of using the LM386 driver chip needs to be put to rest, as does the use of the 1-transistor Fetzer/Ruby preamp in front of it. As platforms for getting something out of the driver for testing purposes, they were fine. But as lasting, well-designed circuits with consistent, predictable  behaviour they are completely inadequate for the task.

The LM386 should really be substituted with something more efficient - a class-D switching amp would be ideal. Some form of automatic gain control (compression, limiting) should be incorporated into the preamp to regulate the amount of drive being applied to the coil and balance out the response of each note, use of low-power consumption componentry, tailoring the frequency response of the whole circuit etc etc. If you look through the patents, these were all known about many years ago, long before the DIY sustainer really got going.

Joel de Guzman (username @Cycfi) was doing some interesting development of the sustainer for a while. He has a website where he discusses his Infinty project in the blog section here. It appears he's long-since ditched the LM386 and gone for digital signal control and class-D drivers. Not exactly DIY-friendly, but certainly taking the sustainer development in the right direction.

[reg-g innit]

the sustainer will work with a lm386 even without the fet preamp
the core ( poles ) must be of a 'bar' type divided  into 6 poles of different areas
the same wire and magnet was used to build a new driver and everything worked
as should be ( on all 6 strings )
a 12v psu is the power source since the circuit is not very economically designed
power wise ( + it give the 386 a bit more clout )

this is one of the main points of a commercial system..very low power consumption
the 'harmonic' mode is not addressed either. but if you want to start making music
with it ..it works a treat

the coil was wound to 8ohms with 32awg copper wire 

see xls for core template..it will need scaling to match the guitar string spacing
at the fretboard

hope this helps one or two to get started

Edited April 24, 2017 by reg-g innit
this file upload keeps trying to access my computer and is treated as a link instead of a microsoft xls office document???????????????????????

[reg-g innit]

so i cant now upload an xls document ( it is stored as a link and tries to access my hd instead of opening as microsoft xls document )

DONT GET IT ....WHATS WRONG WITH THE UPLOADER???

[curtisa]

Sounds like you're trying to upload the link or shortcut to the file, rather than the file itself.

If I upload a file by clicking on the "Choose Files" link in the bottom of the reply window, below:

 

I get this:

I don't think there is anything wrong with the uploader

[curtisa]

Just testing if drag/drop works too:

[reg-g innit]

fernades template.bmp

i have dragged and dropped this bmp

it is still only a shortcut to my hd

i am running xppro 32bit and using google chrome

Edited April 25, 2017 by reg-g innit

[curtisa]

OK, I can click on your BMP link and download it, so it must be uploading to the forum OK.

I've just tried re-attaching your BMP to this post and it adds it as a link rather than a picture. I suspect the forum doesn't know how to display BMP files natively.

fernades template.bmp

 

[curtisa]

Here's what happens if I re-save your BMP as a GIF and attach it to the post:

Bottom line, use GIF, JPG or PNG if you want to attach pictures to a post so that they display automatically. Don't use BMP as the forum treats it as a downloadable link rather than an image.

[reg-g innit]

thanks for that ...anyway this is the template looking towards the fretboard
ie the 1st string pole is a lot larger than the 6th + the are other elements
in the fernandes pickup though
 

http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US5585588

 

i made the core without the 'side / bottom ' bits ..just the poles and 9mm deep
it must be scaled so the strings match up with the poles

it works a treat as a basic sustainer 

fernandes put a lot more into the design with phase shifters /agc / current amplifiers and limiters etc etc
so unless a schematic is published of their circuit ( or someone designs something similar )
the true fernandes performance will be hard to emulated

i used a lm386 with no preamp but running at 12v from a psu ( i haven't tried it with 9v batteries )
i think any amp with a decent 0/p which will drive an 8ohm  load will do??? 

this for me gave sustain on all 6 strings...job donel 
jeff beck watch out

happy hacksawing

reg-g

[kman]

Hi Reg-G, do you mean you cut a core blade using the pattern above, and got a good sustainer result? What ohms was your coil wound to?

[Shewmake]

A friend of mine bought a guitar sustainer kit on Ebay from Midwest Innovative Electronics.  It seems to work VERY well.  If anyone is still interested you might give that a try also.

[RLong98]

For any who come along - join the Facebook group “Guitar Sustainer DIY”