megadog

Hey just wondering. Saw a guitar for sale this week with a sustainic installed and whilst looking at the actual driver of the system i saw it had two bars each underneath three strings. Is this just an aesthetics feature or does it serve some practical purpose? Just wondering. Tom

Thanks for that but you didn't need to say that. Your opinion is probably the most important on this topic and thus it should ... sorry lost track of what i was going to say but it was a good thing that i am sure of. Just so you know though the only fact i am into the prospect of building guitars is because of your sustainer thread showing a different 'thing' to do to a guitar. I am just one who is addicted to the extremes of things like he craziest wiring possible no matter how it effects the looks ( trust me i have many over ambitious plans for wiring including one for 800 000 different tones not using a varitone) and the possibility of being the first to do something new to a guitar that gives it an amazing sound. I just want to know how it all works and to be honest this has come from just reading the first few pages of the sustainer thread. Your work along with others on this was what gave me the inspiration to have a go and to get into the swing of guitar building. In no way should you apologize as you have nothing to be sorry for. few what a speech sorry got a tad carried away oh weel Tom

Sorry you are right Pete. There isn't really a point to it with the degree of how difficult it would be. The version you have come up with is a working sustain system which can fulfill the task at hand but isn't so tricky and costly that it's impractical. I kind of had this idea in my head and i just needed to voice it. I see now you know the depth and practicallity of this project like the back of your hand and it was silly to keep questioning the same point. Tom

Thanks but I was really only talking theoretically any way and was just running with ideas in my head. So what you are saying is to achieve the full potential of a individual string sustain system you would need to run off something like piezo's. Which in turn means six individual string preamp setups. I can fully see why it is so difficult but it was just an idea that i thought of. Tom

Quick question. I've been scanning the net looking at weird idea for pickups and came across one which was talking about winding mini pickup coils for each string. Could the same be done to the sustain driver and if so what resistance would you wind to and how thick wold the wire be? Just posting but I'm sure i read it here somewhere before but can't remember and i'm a tad lazy to search. Probably n the previous page lol Anyway just pitching my two cents. Tom

Thanks for that. The piezo's i was looking at were graphtech ones with an acoustic preamp they make. At this stage its more of a theoretical thing than an actual project but hopefully in the future i can act on these ideas cheers tom

Hey would something like this be possible to use for the sustain amp or does it need to be more specifically designed for the system? Preamp I just was looking around and came across it and wondered if it was worth pursuing. Sorry if its a stupid question. Tom

Thanks thats really cool info. If you could please post that schematics of that buffer it would be most appreciated The reason i asked is because i was looking at the moog guitar and it occured to me that this may be how they get their sustain system to work. Also I'm not sure but if you wired two drivers in a pair like humbucker coils with one reverse wound to the other could you achieve a muted version of sustain like mentioned on the Moog website. In terms of piezo's would sing something like graphtech ones produce a better result as they claim they are more high quality? Cheers Tom

Hi. It's been quite a while since I've posted but always reading and learning. A quick question on what type of pickup is best in the bridge position to produce a good sustain. Single coil? Humbucker? or would piezo be best. Also I realize the reason of putting the driver and acting pickups as far away from each other as possible is to prevent possible 'screaming' sounds being produced but is this the case with all pickups like would a humless single coil still produce the scream as a cheap budget coil? And finally if you used a piezo system instead of a bridge magentic pickup as the source for the driver would you be able to have the other magnetic pickups still running no matter how close or would it still scream? Sorry for the rather starnage questions I was just curious. Tom

Cool thanks.

I was just wondering if anyone could suggest a good circuit diagram for the preamp system. Sorry to be a bug.

Guys thank you so much for that and no its not negative at all. I understand is a very complex process and i fully get what your saying. Your right. The first step is to build up the circuit for the pickups and also to build the sustain system ( driver, preamp and circuit).then to incorporate the two together. I really appreciate all you've said and am only really annoyed at myself that I can't understand everything. So i guess from here i should really focus on gathering as much information as well as all the necessary components for the build/testing piece. Thanks for being so helpful to a complete stranger. You guys rock.

Thank for that. I knew the second circuit was way to complex to do this too and i fully accept your point about the DIY thing. It's just i tried to combine the two circuits and i can't get it. This is a really idiotic question but with the multiple connection points on the 4pdt switch do i need to divide the wires from the pickups? Please note I am a practical guy not the like the electronic whizzes here. I really need some help. I feel like such an idiot asking these questions. Anyway thanks for helping so far its most appreciated.

Ok cool that helps so much. So here is an example of the circuit wiring for the setup i want to use from stewmac. Stewmac Wiring diagram Or the alternative 2 vol and 2 tone option...Stewmac wiring diagram 2 I'm still stumped in terms of exact wiring and I know I'm being repetitive but could you show me the setup in relation to one of these circuits it doesn't matter which one. Just understand better with visuals. Sound a bit kiddy but it's just how I am.

Thanks for that i found out some useful information. But is it alright if i pose a question concerned with a specific wiring setup. I am in the process of designing a guitar and I really want to include a sustain system similar to the one you used in your blueteleful guitar. I am some what lost as I can't figure out how to incorporate you design into an existing system. I was going to use one humbucker for the bridge pickup and a single coil for the neck with either 2 vol and 2 tone or 1 of each and a three way selector switch. I was also hoping to be able to turn the sustain on and off with the same effect as your design (turning the neck pickup off and the bridge one on). The research I have done has provided me with some wiring diagrams for both options (minus the sustain system) but as I lack the expertise in the electronics area I fail to see how to combine the sustain into the equation. I know its a big ask but is their some way you could post a diagram of your wiring setup here. Sorry if this is me just being rude. Thanks