DIY SUSTAINER...hear for yourself

[psw]

It's been a while since I've followed this sustainer thread, but WOW!, these ones made recently look very professional. That's a pretty cool thing to see all these people building one now.

On a different note, that must be a record for the longest, largest, most visited forum topic ever. 

Yes...and it is still growing, now 192 pages and 101K+ visits...http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=7512&st=2895#entry332896

I thought I'd update you all a bit...

The sustainer project is going into a new phase with a new generation of sustainer drivers being developed. One of the coolest things about the sustainer thread is that people are building these things, sharing their experiences and techniques...and mistakes...to help the next one to have a go.

After a long time not making anything much, I am currently building a "next generation" sustainer driver which is looking really good. Have developed some new construction techniques and found materials that brings the DIY cost of the driver down to about $5!!!

The newer drivers take the next logical step, and use dual coils. The thin coil philosophy still holds sway with this design with some coils down to 2mm thick. Basically we are looking at a driver similar to a SC rail pickup in construction (though a very successful HB sized driver was recently completed) but with thin coils of about 16 ohms in parallel of 0.2-0.16mm wire...

The added efficiency and low EMI plus strategies to reduce it are in a bid not only to improve the device but to be able to mount the thing in the mid pickup position of the guitar (strat types the obvious candidate). This would greatly simplify installation (no pickup bypassing...just turn on the power to the circuit) as well as allowing the use of both the bridge and neck pickup on the guitar and to source the signal for the device.

We are pretty confident...and we have had some working in this mode in testing already...

Additionally...there have been some circuit developments with two new preamp designs with forward feed compression for more consistant response, lower power consumption and up to 4 modes of sustain (fundumental, harmonic and two mixed modes)...

So...here's some eye candy...
A YouTube vid of a typical single coil driver in test mode...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uJMlseGgMM
A very neat and successful HB driver (the rail HB in the neck position) with 2mm deep coils in parallel..

My "Rail Driver" that I am presently constructing in a fairly raw state...

It is looking a lot better now...this is constructed with craft store ceramic magnets and cut down hacksaw blades and a lot of glue...it's looking a lot better now...

Will keep you guys posted...if you want a more condensed version of some of these developments than the main thread, you may wish to visit Guitar Nuts forum...http://guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=wiring&action=display&thread=1136497404&page=4

Enjoy... pete

[psw]

Ok...been doing a little work on my new driver...




This one uses two 16 ohm coils in parallel of 0.2mm wire. I used hacksaw blades shaped with an angle grinder and a special jig system to construct it without bobbins. It is potted while winding in PVA wood glue, then encapsulated in epoxy while squeezing it in a vice. It also features additional blades to the sides of they coil. Still, it is the size of a SC pickup...

I tested it with the sustainer strat and it's circuitry and it appears to work well...less fizz/EMI distortion and a more powerful drive it would seem. It also seems to have completely cured the "pop" on switchoff that the SC driver/pickup suffered from.

Whether or not it will work in the mid postion of the guitar with both neck and bridge pickups, as intended, is still unknown at this point...also unknown is if this is the best formula for this design...I suspect a thinner guage wire could be of benefit and make it a little easier to build...but it is a start...

Other similar designs are being tested by a few people, and if nothing else, some innovatice construction techniques have been developed that will make it easy to build. At a total cost in materials of less than A$5, it is well worth the making...

Next will be the rewiring and preparation of the guitar and perhaps some circuitry development...believe it or not, I'd like to incorporate the poweramp stage into the driver design as well...and on a future model, a miniture momentary tactile switch so that sustain/feedback/harmonics can be added "on the fly" by touching perhaps the side of the driver...neato! Hopefully, such future developments will take the sustainer out of a gimmick effect to an effective and expressive performance tool...

Anyway...just adding developments as they come to hand...

pete

BTW...the indicator light on the side of the driver is invisible when off, but "glows" through the white electrical tape that protects the outer edge of the driver. It is made from SMD LED's of the type found in mobile phone keypads, very, very small and nestles in between the ends of the dual coils...

[Bard Morons]

I've just got to say that you have done some awesome work.  I'm getting some parts today to begin working on an ebow style device and quite possibly a sustainer pickup as well.  Thanks for all your sharing of knowledge both in this forum and over at Project Guitar.  You've done some outstanding work and your newest driver appears to be simply fantastic thus far.  Let's hope it does in fact work in the middle position!  Good luck and thanks!

[Paul Marossy]

Wow, Pete is like the Energizer Bunny with a vengeance! 

That new pickup is looking pretty good. 

[Jaicen_solo]

I applaud your dedication for sure!
I remember the start of this DIY sustainer thing, years ago. I actually still have some 0.2mm wire, and some much larger wire I used in my wholly unsuccessful experiments! This has inspired me to try again though! I've got some 3mm Alnico rod i'm going to try using as the core material, we'll see how well that works (though I suspect it will become demagnetised with use, assuming it works ).

[psw]

I applaud your dedication for sure!

Tenacity more like...we all have our follies

I remember the start of this DIY sustainer thing, years ago.

I remember you also...this is a project that people seem to return to...even when successful...more power to those who can leave it alone!

I've got some 3mm Alnico rod i'm going to try using as the core material, we'll see how well that works (though I suspect it will become demagnetised with use, assuming it works  ).

I am not sure if it will demagnetise...no one has yet...but it would be easy enough to remagnetise I guess. One real problem though with using single coil poles is that they may be a little too strong to allow the driver to be adjusted really close to the strings.

The dual coil blade driver like the one I am using in the mid-driver project has the opposite problems...perhaps not enough throw...

Meanwhile...I am doing a little side project in a DIY ebow...stand by... pete