Sustaniac and Single Coil Sized Humbucker

[ericmeyer4]

I'm starting to gas for a sustainer system thanks to Neal Schon (btw how to you pronounce his last name? Is it like the pastry?) and his custom shop LP.

I am kicking around ideas about putting one of these system in my LP studio. (One of the mods I am considering. Its either going to be modded so it offers something I don't already have covered or sold because I never play it)

I plan on using a Sustainiac because they seem like the easiest one to reverse and the easiest to install.

A couple of questions...

Has anyone use a sustainiac and how did you like it?

How would a lil 59 work in the neck position of a LP stuido? I'm not trying for it to sound just like the full sized one. I just don't want to totally loose a neck pickup and I want something that is going to sound good. According to the sustainiac website a single coil sized humbucker can be put there.

I know there wiring diagram you end up having 2 volumes and a master tone. Does anyone know if I can switch this around to have 2 tones and a master volume? I'm sending this question to them aswell. I am assuming I would just attach caps to where they call for the 2 volume pots and leave the cap off of the master tone converting it to a master volume instead.

Can I get a lil 59 in reverse polarity without going through the custom shop? If I can I would like to try out that out of phase sound. I could flip the mag around in the bridge pup, but I don't know if I am comfortable doing that. If I can get a RP lil 59 or I switch the mag I don't need to worry about messing with there diagram lol because I would definatly want two volume controls for that.

Neal Schon Custom Shop LP

Sustainiac Website

Sustainiac Wiring Diagram


Thanks,
Eric

Random thought: I really wish SD had a production model of the AlNiCo II pro humbucker in single coil size. That would be awesome!

[jmh151]

I would ask the guys at sustainiac about this.

[ericmeyer4]

I would ask the guys at sustainiac about this.

I am.... stated it in question 3.

I don't think they can answer if I can get a lil 59 in reverse polarity or get an honest opinion how others have liked the sustainiac. lol

[iekobrid]

Has anyone use a sustainiac and how did you like it?

I have an old Hamer Chaparral that came with one factory installed. Once every four or five years I pull it out of the closet and dust it off with intent to sell, but end up using it to record a song and putting it back in the closet. (This year's track is a cover of the King's X song "Cigarettes".)

It works more or less as advertised, and definitely seems more practical than an Ebow if you plan to spend a lot of time doing Ebow-y stuff. Not having to hold anything in your right hand means, obviously, that you can still pick and mute as the mood strikes instead of holding, basically, a small motor over your picking zone.

Does your LP have a trem like Schon's? Sustainer's a lot more fun with than without, especially when you flick over to feedback.

[ericmeyer4]

I have an old Hamer Chaparral that came with one factory installed. Once every four or five years I pull it out of the closet and dust it off with intent to sell, but end up using it to record a song and putting it back in the closet. (This year's track is a cover of the King's X song "Cigarettes".)

It works more or less as advertised, and definitely seems more practical than an Ebow if you plan to spend a lot of time doing Ebow-y stuff. Not having to hold anything in your right hand means, obviously, that you can still pick and mute as the mood strikes instead of holding, basically, a small motor over your picking zone.

Does your LP have a trem like Schon's? Sustainer's a lot more fun with than without, especially when you flick over to feedback.

No and I wish it did! I thought about putting a Kahler on it, but its a lot of work for little pay off. I'm just going to sell it and get something else. I still might end up putting a sustainer in the new guitar.

[jmh151]

I am.... stated it in question 3.

I don't think they can answer if I can get a lil 59 in reverse polarity or get an honest opinion how others have liked the sustainiac. lol

I just asked because I looked into it- and they has a setup where you could get a sustainiac driver and lil'59 in one housing.

My opinion? The lil'59 is good, but no tru substitute for a full size PAF

[Xochitl]

I've read once in the sustainer (not sustainiac)* site that having a pickup next to the sustainer would disturb its magnetic field causing it not to work properly. I'd really like to hear a little more about this as the sustainer/sustainiac don't have a good reputation as a pup. And l'd better have a little 59/jb/whatever in the same slot than just the sustainer/iac as a pup.

*Edit: after a little investigation, it was in the sustainiac website. => my mistake

[ericmeyer4]

I just asked because I looked into it- and they has a setup where you could get a sustainiac driver and lil'59 in one housing.

My opinion? The lil'59 is good, but no tru substitute for a full size PAF

That was the set up I was originally looking at. To get it to work I know you would have to trim the feet off of the single coil sized pickup.

Agreed as no true sub, but it better than nothing!

I've read once in the sustainer (not sustainiac) site that having a pickup next to the sustainer would disturb its magnetic field causing it not to work properly. I'd really like to hear a little more about this as the sustainer/sustainiac don't have a good reputation as a pup. And l'd better have a little 59/jb/whatever in the same slot than just the sustainer/iac as a pup.

I know for this product when it is in sustain mode it will only work with the bridge pickup. They also make a special base plate to hold a single coil sized humbucker.

[Xochitl]

According to the sustainiac website a single coil sized humbucker can be put there.

I'm sorry I'd have to disagree on that. After looking for this information on the sustainiac site I found that:

Sustainiac

SUITABLE GUITAR TYPES (AND NOT-SUITABLE TYPES): Most guitars are compatible with the Sustainiac. There are five main things to be concerned about:

[...]

4. Neck pickup mounted next to a single-coil pickup: Magnetic interaction between driver and pickup causes three of the strings to have reduced output level. If you use a mini humbucker, this tendency is greatly reduced. The best thing is to use the Stealth Plus driver as your neck pickup. It really does sound good..

ESP dit it once but on a model called "Horizon I S" with EMG pups (weaker magnetic field) and they went back (I don't really know why) leaving only the sustainer.

[Binnerscot]

I have installed the after market Sustainiac and have one in an old Hamer and a Jackson, both factory.

Best bet....

Order the Sustaniac with the attached empty cover (looks like a humbucker). When ordering you can specify if you want the Sustaniac to be EQ'ed as a bucker or single coil. I have not heard the humbucker sound, but the single coil is good. Sounds like an EMG single.

If you really want to place your own single next to it, use the stacked coil design, the side-by-side coil will reduce the effectiveness of the Sustainiac greatly. The stacked coil is supposed to be less intrusive on the Sustainiac's operation.

[ericmeyer4]

I'm sorry I'd have to disagree on that. After looking for this information on the sustainiac site I found that:

Sustainiac



ESP dit it once but on a model called "Horizon I S" with EMG pups (weaker magnetic field) and they went back (I don't really know why) leaving only the sustainer.

You can't put a single coil there because it will mess with the field because the single coil is too week. You can put a single coil sized humbucker there without any ill effect. They even have a wiring diagram for this.

[mixedmedia]

ESP also did one with a sustainer unit in the neck to be used in conjunction with an EMG single (the EMG is only used when the sustainer unit is on). The other two pickups are Antiquity Custom Bridges.

Doesn't say what brand the sustainer is though.

[ericmeyer4]

ESP also did one with a sustainer unit in the neck to be used in conjunction with an EMG single (the EMG is only used when the sustainer unit is on). The other two pickups are Antiquity Custom Bridges.

Doesn't say what brand the sustainer is though.

That guitar is awesome!!! Do they still make it?

[mixedmedia]

It just recently got discontinued. Either way it was only available in Japan and like $4000+ since most of them are made in the ESP Custom Shop or whatever and the other electronics in addition to the sustainer set up (mid boost, effects and other stuff).

Apparently the Antiquities have custom shaped baseplates as well or something.
Here are the stats:
MODEL : ESP ECLIPSE S-III
BODY : Alder
NECK : Hard Maple 3P
FINGERBOARD : Ebony , 24frets
SCALE : 628mm(Medium)
NUT : Lock Nut
JOINT : Set-neck
BRIDGE : Floyd Rose
PICKUPS : (Front) Antiquity Strat Custom Bridge Seymour Duncan , Sustainer Driver PU
(Rear)EMG SA , Antiquity Strat Custom Bridge
CONTROL : Master Volume , 5 Way Lever Mode Selector
3 Way Mini Toggle PU Selector , Push Mute Switch
CIRCUIT :
Original Mid Boost , Sustainer System
COLOR : Black
PRICE : 504,000yen(Include Tax)

Anyhow back on topic, a sustainer system would be kind of cool especially if you could have a usable neck pickup as well. I just posted the guitar since I thought it was really creative how they managed to have a sustainer and still be able to have single coil tones in there instead of the usual humbuckers like they usually do.

[Xochitl]

You may also want to check this out.



Edit: Sorry your pic didn't appear at first on my screen.

[Diocletian]

Oh just buy a Jackson PC1! Better sustainer and a gorgeous guitar.

[Binnerscot]

Oh just buy a Jackson PC1! Better sustainer and a gorgeous guitar.

I've tried the PC1, the sustainer is a Fernandez (good), but not as nice as the Sustainiac, and you have that dark Dimarzio in the bridge

[Xochitl]

Anyway, it won't solve your problem as you would be sacrificing a good neck pup for the sustainer. I'm believing there's no other way.

[Binnerscot]

Anyway, it won't solve your problem as you would be sacrificing a good neck pup for the sustainer. I'm believing there's no other way.

Have you used a Sustainiac? Just curious, because I have, and as a single coil, it sounds great....very straty, even has adjustable output to match different bridge pups. Since a not a whole of people have direct experience with one, I would hope mis-information isn't being spread about what is a very good product.

[Xochitl]

:/