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sustainers for stringed musical instruments

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are the MAIN QUESTIONS and some answers about sustainers in general, and in
particular the Sustainiac Sustain Systems.

1.CantheSUSTAINIAC"pickup"replaceoneofmypickups?
2.HowdoestheSustainiacsustainerwork?
3.Pleaseelaborateonthis.
4.WhywouldIwanttobuyaSustainiacsustainerwhenIcangetthesameeffectwithmy
ownamplifier?
5.Whydoesatransducer(driver)havetoattachtotheguitar?Can'tyoujustmake
Sustainiacsustainerslikeotherstompboxes?
6.WhydoestheSustainiacSTEALTHPROdriverhavetogonexttotheneck?Myneck
pickuponmy(blank)guitarismyfavoritepickup!
7.WhydoestheSTEALTHPROsustainerautomaticallyswitchovertothebridgepickup
whenthesustainerison?
8.WilltheSustainiacSTEALTHPROsustainerchangemytone?
9.IhaveheardthatyoumakemorethanonekindofSustainiacsustainer.
10.Whichtypeisbetter:Acousticormagneticsustainer?
11.WilltheintensevibrationproducedbyaSustainiacMODELCSustainerharmmy
instrument?
12.IhaveanolderSustainiacMODELBSustainer.CanIusethetransducerofthenewModel
CwiththeoldModelB?
13.WillIhavetochangemyplayingstyletouseSustainiacsustainers?
14.WhousesSustainiacsustainers?
15.CanIuseSustainiacsustainersonmybass,oracousticguitar?
16.AreSustainiacsustainersthesameasothersustainers?
17.Anothercompanytellsmethattheyboughtyourpatents.Isthattrue?
18.WhatisaBILATERALDRIVERandwhyisitsospecial?
19.SincetheSTEALTHPROsustainerrunsonasingle9voltbattery,isasgoodasan18
voltsustainer?
20.What'sthedealwithMIXmode?Whydoyoucallitthat?CanIgetMIXMODEwiththe
StealthPROlikeIhaveonmyoldSustainiacGA1/GA2sustainer?
21.DoyoumakeaSustainiacelectroacoustictypesustainerthatdoesn'thaveawire
hangingofftheheadstock?
22.AretheSustainiacsustainersanythinglikeanEbow?
23.TheSustainiacSTEALTHPROusesastereooutputjacktoconnect/disconnectthe
battery.Ialreadyusesuchajackformyinternalguitarpreamp.CanIleavethisoutofmy
StealthPROinstallation?
24.CanIusetheSustainiacSTEALTHPROsustainerwithmyRolandsynthpickup?
25.IhaveanoldSustainiacGA1orGA2sustainer.Doyouworkonthese?
26.CanIsustainchordswiththeSustainiacsustainers?
27.Canjustsendyoumyguitarbody(withouttheneck)tohaveyouinstalltheSustainiac
STEALTHPROsustainer?
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28.CanIusemyowntoggleorpushpullcontrolsontheSustainiacSTEALTHPRO
sustainer?
29.Whichisbetter:Toggleorpushpullcontrols?
30.Howmuchdoesitcost?

(1)Q.CantheSUSTAINIAC"pickup"replaceoneofmypickups?
A.Thisisthenumberonequestionpeopleask.Theshortansweris"yes".TheSustainiac
STEALTHPROisactuallyaSUSTAINSYSTEM.Thedriverofthesystemlooksalotlikea
pickup,butitsmorethanthat.ItfunctionsasanactiveneckpickupwhenthesustainerisOFF.But,
whenyouturnthesustainerON,itfunctionsasamagneticstringdriver.Seethenextquestion.
Also,gotoREALSUSTAINvs.FAKESUSTAIN,Sustainiac"StealthPRO"andSustainiac
"ModelC"pages.

(2)Q.HowdoestheSustainiac sustainer work?

A.TheSustainiacSustainersmakecontrolledfeedbacksustain.It'slikeplayinginfrontofaloud
amplifier:Ifyouholdyourguitarnearthespeakers,theintensesoundwillblastthevibratingstrings
ofyourguitar.Then,insteadofthestringvibrationsdyingoutliketheynaturallydo,theyoftenkeep
vibrating.Sometimestheybreakintointerestingharmonicsifyouholdtheguitarintheright
position.

HereishowSustainiacSustainersaccomplishthisfeedback:First,thepickupsignalisprocessed
andamplifiedbytheSustainiaccircuit.Then,theprocessedandamplifiedpickupsignalis
connectedtoapatentedSustainiacSTRINGDRIVERTRANSDUCER(just"driver"forshort).
Thedriver,whichisattachedtotheguitar,turnstheamplifiedguitarnoteintovibrationalenergy.
Thisvibrationalenergyisthenfedbackintothestrings.Thestringvibrationbecomesmoreintense.
Andsoon.Aplayednotewillactuallylastforever.(Or,untilyouwanttostopit,oruntilthe
electricitygoesaway,whichevercomesfirst.)

Wemaketwobasictypesofsustainers:ELECTROMAGNETIC(SustainiacStealthPROsustainer)
andELECTROACOUSTIC(SustainiacModelCsustainer).Formoreinformation,goto
SUSTAINIACSTEALTHPROElectromagneticsustainsystem,andSustainiac"ModelC"
sections,andREALSUSTAINvs.FAKESUSTAIN.

(3)Q.Pleaseelaborate.
A.Sometimesthisiscalledsympatheticvibration.Aclassicexampleisthefamousshatteringofa
crystalglasswhenasingerwithapowerfulvoicesingsanoteloudly,neartheglass.TheMaxell
audiotapecommercialdemonstratesthis.ItissaidthattheoperasingerCarusocouldshatterglasses
inthismanner.Whenthesingersingsanoteatpreciselythenaturalringingfrequencyoftheglass,
theglassvibratesinresponsetothenote.Ifthevoiceispowerfulenough,thevibrationscanbuild
uptoahighenoughamplitudethattheglassactuallyshatters.Inorderforthistowork,thesinger
mustsingthenoteatpreciselythefrequencyatwhichtheglassringswhenyouthumpit.Thisisthe
"naturalresonancefrequency"oftheglass.Ifthesingerisevenslightlyoffpitch,thentheglasswill
notvibrate.

Whenyouplayanotewithanelectricguitar,thespeakervibratesatpreciselythefrequencythatis
played.Thesoundthatblaststheguitarbodyandstringsispreciselythenaturalvibrationfrequency
ofthestringbeingplayed.Iftheamplifierisveryloud,thestringdoesn'tlosevibrationalenergy,it
gainsit!Thestringvibrationamplitudeincreasesuntilapointofequilibriumismaintained,where
thevibratingstringwillnotstretchanymoreunlessyouturnupthevolumeorholdtheguitarcloser
totheamplifierspeaker.
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Ifyoumovetheguitar,sometimesthenotewillbreakintoaharmonicorchangefromaharmonicto
afundamental.Or,thestringmightjuststopvibratingabruptly.Thishappensbecauseyouare
changingthetimeittakessoundtotravelfromthespeakertotheguitarbodyandstrings.This
produceswhatisknownasaphaseshift.Phaseshiftcanenhancethefeedback,changestring
vibrationharmonics,orevenstopthefeedbackinstantaneously,dependingontheamountofphase
shift.

Averysimplewayoflookingatitistothinkaboutpushingsomebodyonaswing:Youaddalittle
energyeachtimetheswingpassesby.Itsustainsitsvibrationprovidedyougivethepushatthe
righttime,andalsoprovidedyoudontstoppushing.

Formoreinformation,gotoREALSUSTAINvs.FAKESUSTAIN,Sustainiac"StealthPRO",
andSustainiac"ModelC"sections.

(4)Q.WhywouldIwanttobuyaSustainiacsustainerwhenIcangetthesameeffectwithmy
ownamplifier?

A.BecausethefeedbackyougetfromtheSustainiacSustainerismuchmoreintenseand
predictablethanampfeedback.Hasthefollowingsituationeverhappenedtoyou?:

Youcreateagreatsolousingamplifierfeedbackthatworksperfectlyononestage(orstudio),but
won'tworkatallsomewhereelse.Thishappensjustbecausetheroomacousticshavechanged.It
happensallthetime.It'sfrustratingandsometimesembarrassing.NotwithSustainiacSustainers!
ThepatentedSustainiacdriverisdesignedtoputintenseacousticvibrationenergydirectlyintothe
guitarstrings,notintotheair.FeedbackwithSustainiacSustainersismuchmoreintense,much
morepredictablethanwithnaturalacoustics.Andyoudon'thavetoplayloudly.Infact,youcan
turnyouramplifierallthewaydown.Ordon'tuseoneatall.Youcanplayscreamingsoloswith
notesthatbreakintoharmonics,justlikewithabigloudstack,andnotwakeuptheneighbors.

(5)Q.Whydoesadriverhavetoattachtotheguitar?Can'tyoujustmakeSustainiac
sustainerslikeotherstompboxes?

A.No,andhereiswhy:Allothereffectsaresignalprocessors.Evensomeofthosewhicharecalled
"sustainers".Theyarenottruesustainers!Atruesustainerisdifferentthanallothereffects.All
othereffectstakethesignalandchangethewayitsoundsbeforeitgetstoyouramplifier.Reverb.
Delay.Distortion.Chorus.Compression.Etc.Etc.

ASustainiacSustainerisnotasignalprocessor.Itonlyaffectsthestringvibrations,notthe
electricalsignalthatgoestoyourguitaramplifier.Inordertomakefeedbacksustain,vibrational
energymustbetransferredfromaloudspeakerthroughtheair,orbeproducedbyadriver.This
drivermustbeattachedtotheguitar,sothattheenergygetstowhereitisneeded:Thestrings!

(6)Q.Whydoesthedriverhavetogonexttotheneck?Myneckpickuponmy(blank)guitar
ismyfavoritepickup!

A.Thereareacoupleofgoodreasonsforthis.Firstofall,thedriverworksbestintheneck
position.Second,itisthelocationonthebodythatisfurthestawayfromthebridgepickup.Hereis
whythisisimportant:Themagnetictype(STEALTH PRO)sustainerhastohaveaninputsignal
fromoneoftheinstrumentpickups.Thepickupmustbeasfarfromthedriveraspossible.The
situationismuchlikewehavewithPAsystems:Ifyouputthemicrophone(pickup)tooclosetothe
loudspeaker(driver),yougetanuncontrolled,obnoxioussqueal.Thesamethinghappenswitha
magneticsustainer.

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Now,thatbeingsaid,wehavedonesomesuccessfulinstallations(mostlyStrats)wherethe
SustainiacdriverreplacestheBRIDGEpickup,andreceivesitsinputsignalfromtheNECKpickup.

Often,peopleaskwhythemiddlepickuppositioncan'tbeusedforthedriverinsteadoftheneck
pickupposition,becausetheneckpickupisthefavoriteofmanyplayers.Themainreasonthatthe
middlepickuppositioncan'tbeusedisbecauseofHarmonicMode.Thestringsaredriven"outof
phase"withthepickupsignalforharmonicmode.Placingthedriverinthemiddlepickupposition
forcesharmonicstringvibrationsthatareveryhighinfrequency,andare"outofrange"ofthe
pickupsignalbecauseofhighfrequencyphaseshift.Youneedthegreatestpossiblespacebetween
driverandpickuptoproducegoodharmonics.Forthisreason,2122fretguitarsproduceabetter
harmonicmodethando24fretguitars.

Formoreinformation,gotoREALSUSTAINvs.FAKESUSTAIN,Sustainiac"StealthPRO",
andSustainiac"ModelC"sections.

(7)Q.WhydoestheSustainiacSTEALTH PROsustainerautomaticallyswitchovertothebridge
pickupwhenthesustainerison?

A.Readquestion6.Theanswertothatquestionalsoanswersthisquestion.

(8)Q.WilltheSustainiac sustainerchangemytone?
A.Itwon'tchangethesignalthatgetspickedupbythepickups.Yourguitarsignalwillgettoyour
amplifierorothereffectswithoutbeingchangedbytheSustainiacSustainer.TheSustainiac
Sustainerusesyourunprocessedguitarsignal.(Read#4again.)Sincethestringvibrationsare
intensified,thenoteswillusuallysoundfatter.Thisisnotbecauseofanysignalprocessing,
however.

(9)Q.IhaveheardthatyoumakemorethanonekindofSustainiac sustainer.
A.Wemaketwobasictypesofsustainer:Electroacousticfeedbackandelectromagneticfeedback
sustainers.Themaindifferenceisduetothetypeofdriverthatisused.

ELECTROACOUSTICFEEDBACK:Wemakeoneacousticfeedbackmodel:OurSustainiac
ModelCsustainer,.

Theacoustictransducer(driver)forthisisapatenteddesign,whichvibratestheheadstockofyour
guitarinresponsetotheamplifiedplayednotes.Youcanfeelitwhenplaying.Theintenseneck
vibrationmakesthestringsvibrateveryintensely.Thismakestheamplifiedsignalstronger,andso
on.Feedbackbuildsupquickly.

ELECTROMAGNETICFEEDBACK:TheSustainiac"STEALTHPRO"Sustainer:This
sustainerworksbyproducingdirectmagneticfeedbacktothestrings.Onceagain,weuseapatented
magneticdrivertotaketheamplifiedstringvibrationsignalandapplyittothedriver.Thedriver
thensendsoutmagneticpulsesthatcausethestringvibrationstobecomestronger.Thistypeof
Sustainiacunitisinstalledinsidetheguitar.

(10)Q.Whichtypeisbetter:Acousticormagneticsustainer?
A.Therearecertainadvantagestoeachtype.

ELECTRO_ACOUSTICSUSTAINERADVANTAGES:TheelectroacoustictypeofSustainiac
Sustainer(MODELC)producesthemostnaturalfeedbacksustain.Thismeansitismostlike
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gettingfeedbackfromabig,loudamplifier.Itputssoundenergyintotheguitarheadstock,which
thengetstransferredtothestrings.Feedbackisveryintenseandinstantaneous,unlessyou
purposefullyhavetheintensitycontrolsturneddown.Mostplayednoteswillchangeintoa
harmonicafterashorttime,likeyougetwithnaturalampfeedback.However,theMODELC
sustainisnotallfundamentalsinonemodeandallharmonicsinanothermode,likethemagnetic
sustainer(STEALTHPRO)does.Anotheradvantageoftheacousticsustaineristhatyoudont
havetoinstallitintotheinstrument.Thismeansthatyoucanusethesamesustainerforseveral
guitars(providedtheyhaveaheadstocktomountthedrivertransduceron).Furthermore,unlikethe
magneticsustainer,allofyourpickupswillfunctionnormallywhenyouusetheofSustainiac
MODELCacousticsustainer.Formoreinformation,gototheSustainiac"MODELC"section.

MAGNETICSUSTAINERADVANTAGES:OurSustainiac"STEALTH"Sustainersprovide
theultimateinportability.Theymountinsidetheguitarbody.Thereisnoexternalcordhanging
downfromtheinstrumentlikethereiswithanacousticsustainer.Theharmoniccontrolswitch
providesallfundamentalsinoneposition,allharmonicsintheother.(WithanoptionalMIXmode,
whichprovidesbothfundamentalsandharmonics.)Formoreinformation,gototheSustainiac
"STEALTHPRO"section.

(11)Q.WilltheintensevibrationproducedbyaSustainiacMODELCsustainerharmmy
instrument?

A.Therehavebeenmany,manyinstrumentsusedwiththeSUSTAINIACMODELCsustainer(and
theoriginalSustainiacMODELSAandBsincewefirstintroducedtheMODELAin1987.We
haveneverheardofanydamagebeingdonetoanyinstrument.Wehaventevenheardofatuning
screwbackingoutbecauseofthevibrations.Thevibrationsareintenseenoughtocreateanexciting
feelingwhenthesustainerison,butshouldnotdamageanyinstrumentthatisnotdamagedtobegin
with.

(12)Q.IhaveanolderSustainiacMODELBSustainer.CanIusethetransducerofthenew
ModelCwiththeoldModelB?

A.Yes.Actually,theModelCtransducerworksbetterthantheolderModelBtransducer.Itis
smallerandlighteraswell.Andtheclampallowsyoutouseitondifferentguitars.

(13)Q.WillIhavetochangemyplayingstyletouseSustainiacsustainers?
A.Itmighttakealittlepractice.Itdependsonyournormalplayingstyle.Wehaveobserved
hundredsofplayersovertheyears,whileexhibitingtheSustainiacproductsatthevariousmusic
tradeshows(likeNAMM),thatsomeplayersareinstantlycomfortablewithsustainers,whileothers
havetrouble.Itseemstocomedowntotwomainthings:

(1)LETTHESUSTAINERTAKEOVERTHEPLAYINGDYNAMICS:Heavyhandedpickers
getimmediatelyfrustratedandconfusedbysustainers.Whenyoudiginrealhardwithaheavypick,
alotofvibrationenergyisputintothestring.Thestringvibrationamplitudewillhavetodieout
sometoreachthelevelwherethesustainerenergytakesover.Thismakesforanunpleasantplaying
experience.

Theideaistoplaywithalightpickingtouchwhenyouareusingthesustainer.Usehammeronsand
tappingwhereconvenient.Then,thesustainermakesthenotesswell.Stringvibrationamplitude
doesn't"diedown"tothesustainerenergylevel.Thisaddsanewtwisttoplaying,andisthekeyto
makingasustaineranessentialpartofyour"bag'otricks".

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(2)GETTINGUSEDTOFEEDBACK:Ifyouareusedtoplayingloudly,yougetfeedbackfrom
youramplifier.Youhaveprobablydevelopedyourtechniquesothatyouautomaticallyhandmute
thestringsthataren'tbeingplayed.Thiskeepsthemundercontrol,sothattheydon'tfeedback
whenyoudon'twantthemto.Itisnaturalforyou.Playingloudlyinfrontofalargeamplifiercan
makehandlingtheguitarliketryingtorideabuckingbronco.Particularlyifyouplayahollowor
semihollowbodyguitar.Ontheotherhand,ifyouarean"unplugged"acousticplayer,oronly
practicequietlyathome,youprobablydon'thandmute.Atfirst,playingwithSUSTAINIACmay
seemfrustrating,becausethestringstrytojumptolifewhenyoudon'twantthemto.Whatoften
happensisthatifyouaresoloingonthesmallstrings,thebigEorAwill"takeoff"onyou.Aftera
littlegettingusedto,handmutingbecomessecondnature.

(14)Q.WhousesSustainiacsustainers?
A.SustainiacSustainershavebeenusedforoveradecadebymanypopularrockguitarplayers
andbusystudiomusicians.JoeSatriani,SynysterGatesofAvengedSevenfold(SchecterGuitars),
ReevesGabrels,AdrianBelew(ParkerGuitars),GeorgeLynch,EddieOjedaofTwistedSister,
KevinCodiganofThirdEyeBlind,DougDoppler,RonnyNorth,Nashvillestudioacebassplayer
DavePomeroy(playson"everybody's"recordings),"newagers"JeffPearce,RobertRich,many
others.AlsomanyNewYork,Nashville,andLAstudiomusiciansusetheModelCregularlyforTV
shows,commercials,etc.becausethereisnoeasierorbetterwaytogetfeedbacksustaininthe
studio.

JacksonGuitarshasusedtheSustainiacintheirDK2Sproductionmodelsince2000.

(15)Q.CanIuseSustainiacsustainersonmybass,oracousticguitar?
A.SustainiacSustainerswillworkonanyinstrumentthathassteelstringsandelectricpickups.
Steelstringsarenecessaryinordertorespondtothemagneticstringdriver.Whenusedonbass
guitar,theelectroacoustictypeSustainiacSustainerModelCwillproduceharmonicsonmost
notes.Ourmagneticsustainer"StealthPRO"modelworksbetterforbass,becausein
FUNDAMENTALmodeitproducesallfundamentalstringvibrations.Wemakeaspecialversion
forbassguitar.Itproducesfundamentalsorharmonicsatthepull/pushofaswitch.ForACOUSTIC
GUITAR,theModelCistheonlypracticalsolution.Keepinmindthatitwillproducemostly
harmonics.CheckoutusingspecialpickupswiththeSustainiacMODELContheSustainiac
"MODELC"page.

(16)Q.AreSustainiac sustainersthesameasothersustainers?
A.Thereareothercompaniesthatmakeelectromagneticsustainers.Oursustaineristheonlyone
havingaBilateralDriver.ThismeansthattheSustainiacStealthPROsustainersaretheonlyones
thatarecompatiblewithvirtuallyANYBRIDGEPICKUPTYPE.Competitorsustainersrequire
youtousetheirspecialbridgepickupifyouwantstrongsustainoverthefretboard.Oursustaineris
theonlyonethatcanbeinstalledwithpushpullcontrols.Thismeansthatitistheonlysustainer
thatcanbeinstalledintoaninstrumentwithouthavingtocutanewcavityintheguitar,andwithout
havingtodrillholesinthebody.Also,asfarasweknow,wemaketheonlyelectroacoustictype
sustainer.

(17)Q.Anothercompanytellsmethattheyboughtyourpatents.Isthattrue?
A.Wecontinuetohearthis.Itisabsolutelynottrue.Wehaveourpatents,andothercompanieshave
theirs.

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(18)Q.WhatisaBILATERALDRIVERANDWHYISITSOSPECIAL?
A.TheBilateralDriveristhenewManiacMusicdevelopmentfortheStealthmagneticsustainers.
Thisdriverisapatenteddesignthatvirtuallyeliminatesmagneticcrosstalkintotheinstrument
pickups.ThisresultsinyourbeingabletousetheSustainiacStealthsustainerwithvirtuallyany
bridgepickup.Evenasinglecoilbridgepickup.Thisisafirstformagneticsustainers.

(19)Q.SincetheSTEALTHPROsustainerrunsonasingle9voltbattery,isitasgoodasan
18voltsustainer?

A.Thisisanotherquestionthatwegetfrequently.TheSustainiacStealthPROsustainersproduce
moreintensesustainedstringvibrationsthananyothermagneticsustainer,includingourold
SustainiacGA2,whichranon18volts.

Thereisanunderstandablelackofknowledgeaboutsustainersoutthere,becausetheyarestillkind
of"underground"devices.Hereishowmagneticsustainersaredesignedtobeintense:Byputting
less(notmore,butless)turnsonthedrivercoils,youtransfermoreenergyintothedriverfroma
givenbatteryvoltage.Thislowerstheimpedance.Morecurrentisdrawnfromthebattery.This
resultsinstronger,moreintensesustainedstringvibration.WetriedthiswithouroldSustainiac
GA2sustainer,butthesingle9voltbatteryworeoutsofast(suppliedhighcurrent)thatwe
couldntusethedesign.So,wehadtoaddturnsbackontothedriver,andgettheenergyweneeded
byaddinganotherbatterytomake18volts.Thatiswhysomecompetitorssustainersusetwo9v
batteries.TheyallcopycertaincriticalaspectsoftheobsoleteGA2.

HereisoneofthereallycoolthingsaboutthenewSustainiacStealthPRO:Wealwayswantedto
designasustainerthatwasevenmoreintensethantheGA2,andstillhavedecentbatterylife.The
onlywaywecouldthinktodoitwastoaddstillmorebatteries.

Hereishowwesolvedtheproblem:Wediscoveredhowtodesignadigitalpoweramplifierthatwas
four(4!)timesasefficientasaconventionalpoweramplifierwhendrivingamagnetictransducer.
Withthisrevolutionarydesign,wewereactuallyabletodoubletheamountofenergythatwe
delivertotheStealthdriver,butwithhalfthebatteryenergythatweusedbeforeintheGA2.The
SustainiacStealthPROsustaineractuallyputsmoreenergyintothedriver(STRONGER
SUSTAIN)thananyothersustaineroutthere,even"18volt"sustainers.

(20)Q.What'sthedealwithMIXmode?Whydoyoucallitthat?CanIgetMIXMODEwiththe
StealthPROlikeIhaveonmyoldSustainiacGA1/GA2sustainer?

A.ManypeoplethinkmistakenlythatMixmodeisthemixingofFundamental(or"Normal")and
Harmonicmodes.Actually,whatyougetwithMixmodeismostlyharmonicsonmostfretsofmost
strings.Mixmodeharmonicstendtofadeinmoreslowly,kindoflikenaturalampfeedback.These
harmonicsarenotquitesointenseandhighasthosewithHarmonicmode.Also,youdousuallyget
somefundamentalsonthehigheststringabovethe12thfret,andalsosomeonthe2ndstring.Mix
modeisactuallysomethingwecameupwithin1987whenweweredevelopingtheGA1.It
seemedsosimpleatthetime,wewishwewouldhavedecidedtopatentit....Now,somepeople
actuallyask"DoestheSustainiachaveMixMode,like"....."?Thisisjustsowrong:(Youcanhave
MixmodeontheStealthPROmodelinoneof2ways:(1)Ifyouchoosethepushpullpot/switch
controls,pulloutontheknobwheninNORMALmode,andyougointoMIXmode.(2)Choose
insteada3positiontoggleswitchcontrolforModecontrol.

(21)Q.DoyoumakeaSustainiacelectroacoustictypesustainerthatdoesn'thaveawire
hangingofftheheadstock?

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A.ThenewModelCimprovesuponthisproblem.Butstill,thetransduceronthistypeofsustainer
worksbestwhenitismountedtotheguitarheadstock.Thethingaboutawirelessacousticsustainer
isthatyouhavetogetquiteabitofpowerintothedriver.FortheModelC,wehaveanewCORD
ROUTINGSYSTEMtosolvethisproblemwithnoroutinginvolved.GototheSustainiac
"MODELC"section.

Hereissomethingthatsomepeopledotoeliminatethe"hangingwire"problem.Thereissome
workinvolved,butitworksquitewell:Youcanhavealuthierrouteoutagroovedowntheneckof
aguitar.Then,wecanshipyouasmall,shieldedpaircable(1/8inchdiameter)thatfitsinsidethe
groove.Thewirerunsfromtheheadstockintothebody.Youcanuseaconnectorifyouwanttorun
thewirefromtheneckintothebody,ornot.Then,installajackintothebodydownnearthebridge
togotothefloorbox.Youcanuseastereo1/4in.guitarjack,andclipthetwowirestogether(guitar
wireandtransducerwire).Or,youcouldinstalla4pinXLRconnectorintothebody,anduseone
largecablethathastwoseparateshieldedcablesinsideofitforboththeguitarwireandtransducer
wire.Thissecondoptionisalittlemorecomplicated,butismakesthefinalresultalittleneater.We
stockthosecables,also.

(22)Q.AretheSustainiacsustainersanythinglikeanEbow?
A.TheSustainiacStealthsustainerandtheEbowaresimilar,butwithsignificantdifferences:Both
aremagneticsustainers.Theybothhavethefollowingelements:
(1)Pickup
(2)Amplifier/processorcircuit
(3)Magneticstringdriver

WiththeEbow,allthreeelementsarecontainedinasmall,handheldenclosure.Itisthenheldover
individualstrings,likeabow.Thestringisforcedtovibrateatitsnaturalresonantfrequency.Onthe
upside,theEbowiscompletelyportable,anddoesn'thavetobeinstalled.Nopickupselection
limitationsareimposedwhenthesustainerison,aswithamagneticsustainer.Onthedownside,it
ismoredifficulttoholdapickandplay"normally"whileholdingtheEbow.Somewouldsay
"impossible".

(23)Q.TheStealthPROusesastereooutputjacktoconnect/disconnectthebattery.Ialready
usesuchajackformyinternalguitarpreamp.CanIleavethisoutofmyStealthPRO
installation?

A.FortheSustainiacStealthPROsustainer,thebatterylockoutcanbeomitted.Thestereojack
simplyconnectsawiretoground,whichcanbeworkedaroundbysimplypermanentlyconnecting
(soldering)thiswiretoground.Nobatterystandbycurrentisdrawnuntilthepowerswitchispulled
on.Ofcourse,youhavetoremembertoturnthesustaineroff,becausea9valkalinebatterywillbe
drainedinabout2050hours.

However,fortheStealthPRO,thebatterylockoutnotonlyplacesthesustainerintoastandby
condition(nocurrentdrawn),butitalsoturnsonthelownoisepreampcircuitwhichiswhatmakes
thedriverworklikeapickupwhenthesustainerisoff.Thispreampdrawsabout2.5milliamperes
(ma)ofcurrentfromthebattery.Foratypical500ma9valkalinebattery,thisworksouttoabout
200hoursofbatterylifeonthepreamp.So,ifyoudonotusethebatterylockoutonthePRO,you
musthavesomemeansofdisconnectingthepreamp(disconnectingthelockoutwirefromground)
whentheinstrumentisnotinuse.Aseparateswitchwouldbetheonlyotherpracticalsolution,if
youhaveaconvenientplacetoputone.

(24)Q.CanIusetheSustainiacSTEALTHPROsustainerwithmyRolandsynthpickup?
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A.Thesesynthpickupsarehexpickupsthatareplacedveryclosetothebridge.Theydon'tcause
problemswiththeoperationoftheStealthPRO.LotsofplayershaveputtheStealthPROintotheir
Rolandequippedguitarswithgoodresults.

AsfarastheoperationoftheSustainiacStealthPROsustainergoes,thereshouldbenoproblem.
Allitneedsisaregularbridgepickuptoprovideaninputsignaltothesustainer.Thehexpickup
wouldnotprovideagoodinputsignal,becausethesixseparateoutputsignalswouldneedtobe
mixedintoonesinglesignal.

(25)Q.IhaveanoldSustainiacGA1orGA2sustainer.Doyouworkonthese?
A.TheSustainiacGA1sustainerwasourfirstmagneticsustainer.Itwasinstalledmainlyinto
certainHamerguitarmodelsaround19891990.Italsowoundupinsomecustominstallations.The
oddshapewasdesignedforHamerbecausethatwastheshapeoftheelectronicscavityinthose
guitarmodels.

TheSustainiacGA2cameaboutinordertomakethecircuitboardsquare.Exceptforafewminor
differences,thetwocircuitsarebasicallythesame.AcompanycalledASI(AudioSound
International)usedtoimportguitarsfromTaiwanandKorea.TheyputtheSustainiacGA2into
them.Quiteafewoftheseweresoldfrom19891991.Then,ASIwentoutofbusinessin1991.

AlotofpeopletooktheGA2sustainersoutofthecheapguitarsandputthemintobetter
instruments.Someoftheconversionsweredonepoorly,andwesometimesgetthembacktofix
incorrectlywiredcircuits.Wecanfixthese.Wechargemainlyforlabor.Iftheboardhasbeen
destroyed,weusuallychargeabout$100toputanewcircuitintotheguitar.

NOTICE:IftheoriginalASIbridgepickupwasreplacedbyanother,theGA2oftenwillnotwork
properly.Thisrequiresreversingthemagneticpolarityofthepickup,thenoftenreversingthe
originalelectricpolarity.Wechargeforthis,also.Ifthebridgepickupisencapsulatedinepoxy,it
cannotberepolarized.ThebestsolutionistobuythenewSustainiacStealthPROsustainer.Then,
youwon'thavethepickupcompatibilityproblemthattheGA2had.

(26)Q.CanIsustainchordswiththeSustainiacsustainers?
A.Sustainerswork"soso"onthis.Theyaremainlysolodevices.Youcangetsomegooddoubles,
andevenafewtriplestosustainonmostinstruments.Youcanplaya6stringchordwhichwilltend
toswellforasecondortwo.Butthen,one,two,orsometimesthreestringswillusually"winout"
afterafewseconds.Thisistrueingeneralforbothacousticandmagnetictypesustainers.Wedo
quitealotofelectronicprocessingtoequalizetheperformanceoflargediameterstringsandsmall
diameterstringsonSustainiacsustainers.However,thephysicsofbothtypesofsustainerfavorsthe
sustainedvibrationofthelargerstrings.

OnmagneticsustainersliketheStealth,thelargerstringsaremoreeasilypulledbythemagnetic
driver.OnacousticsustainersliketheModelB,thewoodmorereadilytransmitslowfrequency
sounds.

(27)Q.CanIjustsendyoumyguitarbody(withouttheneck)tohaveyouinstallthe
SustainiacSTEALTHPROsustainer?Itisreallymucheasierjusttopackandsendthebody.
Safer,too!

A.No,becauseweneedthewholeinstrumentinordertocheckouttheperformanceofthe
sustainer.Besuretoinsureyourinstrumentforitsfullvalueincasetheshipperdamagesitorloses

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7/25/2016 FrequentlyAskedQuestions

it.Thereisoneexceptiontothis:YoucansendaStratorIbanezJEMpickguard,aswehavea"lab"
guitarforthis.

(28)Q.CanIusemyowntoggleorpushpullcontrolsontheSustainiacSTEALTHPRO
sustainer?

A.TheON/OFFswitchmustbeDPDT,"nonshorting"type(alsocalled"breakbeforemake").It
cannotbe"shorting"type(makebeforebreak).Otherwise,yougetloudpopsifyouhaveselected
theneckpickupandyouturntheSustainiacONorOFF.Thisisbecausewithashortingtype
switch,thedriverwillbemomentarilyconnectedtoBOTHthesustaineramplifieroutputandalso
theneckpickupamplifierinput.

(29)Q.Whichisbetter:Toggleorpushpullcontrols?
A.Togglecontrolsarefastertousethanpushpullcontrols.Themainreasonthatsomepeople
preferpushpullcontrolsisthatyoucanreplaceexistingguitarcontrolswithourpushpullcontrols
withoutdrillingnewholesintheguitar.Then,youcanrestoretheguitartoitsoriginalcondition
shouldyoudecidetosellitlateron.

(30)Q.Howmuchdoesitcost?
A.SustainiaicStealthPRO(inguitarmodel)costs$229.00plusshipping.SustainiacModelCis
$279.00forthebasic(andmostpopular)version.

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SustainiacisaregisteredtrademarkofManiacMusic,Inc.

email:info@sustainiac.com

PHONE:3173401161

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