diegosfb

I have made the driver and the amp, etc.

The amp works but it feeds a square signal into the driver (that seems logic since the gain of the amp is 20 times)and it is fed with 9 V. So it will overload (and square the signal) for input signals greater than 450 mv approx.

Plus it chops off the negative cicle completely !

I don't know exactly how it is supposed to work I meassured it with an osciloscope and I tested it on the guitar

please if anyone can giveme a hand !

PS: My driver impedance is just below 8ohms

Welcome Diego

This a thread best read backwards! On page 260 (2 pages back) I did some stuff on how the thing works and I think a little before that I answered a very similar question.

Also, start by checking out the tutorial and the pictorial of mine on making a driver coil with step by step pics.

A lot of people are put off by the idea of winding a coil, but this is not as hard or time consuming as you fear and is not at all like a pickup coil nor does it need machines. However, beware shortcuts either in quality, specification (like, oh I couldn't find 0.2mm wire so I'll just use this stuff!) and know your limitations and enlist help if it is possible. Also, acknowledge that this is DIY, which substantially means you do it yourself. Unlike many DIY things, I spend an extrodinary amount of time helping people with this project, hence the length of the thread...so at least you have that. I do ask people doing this to take pictures and if necessary illustrate their difficulties and successes so that others may be helped with these things.

Also, this is not a "fully developed" device, there are still experimental elements and from typically the other side of the world, there are limitations as to how much I can troubleshoot your particular application and problems.

I find harder than winding a coil is the installation issues. Typically, though people fear the driver part (which does take some ingenuity) most seem to have trouble getting the very basic circuit right, usually through inexperience.

Look for links to the storm software page also, there is a tutorial there and some great free software and schematics of the basic fetzer/ruby. See also in recent pages my suggested mods to this design if you are going down this route. Basically the circuit is a small poweramp (usually LM386 based) and a preamp stage to add a little gain but mainly to avoid loading of the pickups. So, it is effectively a practice amp and the circuit should be tested as such with a speaker to ensure that you have a working circuit.

Also important is not to get too far ahead of yourself and try to start with the installation things. First build the device and test completely outside the guitar...make sure you are capable of building the thing to the point that it works holding the driver above the strings over the neck. Do not try and build it in the guitar or worry about the switching this to begin with!

The idea that ansil put forward of mounting a speaker under a pickup to create an instant sustainer is flawed. You need to understand what the thing is actually doing. This in no way (despite the description) has the capacity to "drive" the actual strings and so is not a "sustainer" as you might hope. Descriptions of the principle and things like the harmonic mode are often repeated, back a couple of pages (260) I did again explain how a simple phase switch creates the harmonic function.

So...a little more reading and studying. The principle is not hard, making the thing can require a bit of lateral thinking and inventiveness however. The easiest way is to cannibalize a pickup to create a driver. Do not attempt this without some commitment and in the expectation that this project is a "cheap" way of obtaining a fernades or sustainiac device, it is a DIY project for people who have a genuine interest and desire to get down and dirty with the workings of such things and explore the technology. This kind of tinkering can reap enormous rewards...but it does take a lot of perserverance...you do need the right stuff!

Ok...hope I haven't put you off and I am around a fair bit to lend a hand and don't be afraid of asking questions, reading this whole thread will most likely confuse, but do read the other stuff linked below and get that under your belt first...

pete

Well I'm still here

I was wondering is this the schematic from wich you think I should start or is there any improvement worth considering

or this one ?

or maybe this one ?

I'm not shure I would like to know wich you consider better and why. I don't have much problems building circuits done it before in other areas with more complex things so that is not the problem I would like to know wich works best!

Wich signal amplitude Should I feed it to test it (ofcourse within the limits of the LM386) I figure the pups should be delivering a pretty low signal (just a few mV ?¿?¿).

Once I 'm done with it I 'll post the pics and the layouts & schematics

Thanks for your repply

Diego

Hi I'm about to try the sustainer in an old strat. Please can someone fill me up on what the latest desing is and how to hook it up to the bridge pickup (where and what to bypass). Also is there any variation (that works that is) that doesn't require rewinding a pickup to make it a driver ?

I 'm a little scared of that (seems like the hardest part).

The F/R circuit looks nice, but I would like one with the harmonization mode.

Quick question the F/R can be used with a speaker or a driver pickup can't it ?

I ve read posts that use a speaker, and things of the sort placed under the pickup.

I would appreciate if someone has the schematics.

PD: I've read parts of the thread but it will take a life time to read it all !

Thanks great thread.

Diego