What Is The Creamiest DIY Sustainer Pedal On Earth ?

[Paul Marossy]

Rob just found this thread, which is quite interesting: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=99516.0;prev_next=prev

First time I've seen this pedal. It's probably quite likely that it could not ever be a DIY project though.

The Fernandes Sustainer system on harmonic mode gets pretty close to the sound of an amp feeding back, but I find that it's kind of like a one speed only kind of thing - you can't vary it like you can just by moving where you are in relation to the amp when it's feeding back. I much prefer getting an amp to feed back. You can do it at very reasonable volume levels with the right set up. I used to do it all the time back in the day.

[deadastronaut]

^ yeah your probaby right on that...

heres the closest ive got to diy sustaining..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYKXd1Tz6WA

2:51 for harmonic mode...


which was used in 'context' on this too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBJHXtNH78w

still working on it..a work in perpetual progress....

[petey twofinger]

please exuse me while i hijack for a second , but , i love my fernandes sustainer . i havent used my ebow since i brought that guitar home . if you are a player that likes to use a lot of effects ... its a real go to lil gizmo .

the sustainiac type systems do have a draw back or two . what was mentioned , that the speed is not controllable , which isnt a dealbreaker , but the things eat batteries , - 20 minuteswith the sustainer on and its a noticable loss . i have a 4 x 2.5 inch 9.6 volt nihm R/C car battery in my strap , i modded the guitar for a 2.1 mm dc jack to power it . i use ac adapters at home too . at the woods i run it off my amp , with a custom cable . its a bit complicated but . a few times i had the power cable come out when it was all crazy bent . that was a drag but . other than those hiccups , man i LOVE this thing . a momentary contact button would be a great mod . actually two , one for each mode . also i am not thrilled with the tonal options of only having active hb's on that guitar . i should really adjust it abit , there is trimmers on it . i miss the sound of my strat / singles so much .


that runaway thing from fender looks excellent though . i would have to see how it responds while bending though , something about that video when they were bending , but man that thing is really cool .

[artifus]

another fun thing to play with... physical vibration/contact - touch your headstock against your amp (wood to wood) and experiment with the amount of pressure that you apply...

... or - split signal. send one to amp. send t'other to crude 386 amp and onto a transformer. backwards. transformer to cheapo piezo disc connected to headstock via spring loaded capo. mucho fun. - use volume pedal to 386.

[Paul Marossy]

the sustainiac type systems do have a draw back or two . what was mentioned , that the speed is not controllable , which isnt a dealbreaker , but the things eat batteries , - 20 minuteswith the sustainer on and its a noticable loss . i have a 4 x 2.5 inch 9.6 volt nihm R/C car battery in my strap , i modded the guitar for a 2.1 mm dc jack to power it . i use ac adapters at home too . at the woods i run it off my amp , with a custom cable . its a bit complicated but . a few times i had the power cable come out when it was all crazy bent . that was a drag but . other than those hiccups , man i LOVE this thing . a momentary contact button would be a great mod . actually two , one for each mode . also i am not thrilled with the tonal options of only having active hb's on that guitar . i should really adjust it abit , there is trimmers on it . i miss the sound of my strat / singles so much .

Yeah, that is the other thing about that system - it MUST use a humbucker on the bridge, and the neck (is supplied as part of the Fernandes Sustainer system. Ebows are fun, but they are very limiting. I like the Fernandes system, but I can't put it into most of my guitars except for the one I have which I put one into.

... or - split signal. send one to amp. send t'other to crude 386 amp and onto a transformer. backwards. transformer to cheapo piezo disc connected to headstock via spring loaded capo. mucho fun. - use volume pedal to 386.

Ever see this schematic here? http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/madsci/sustainormod.JPG
I was going to try it some years ago but heard too many mixed results about it so I never went thru with it.

[artifus]

yup. just throw in a transformer. i've had best results with the piezo on the headstock but other areas work. depends on the guitar, material density and lots of other stuff i don't understand either. fun tho. i have a cheap very light weight guitar, maybe that helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXl67zGZlo

*edit* it's enough to give you a little shock with the transformer should you touch the piezo. (obviously, batteries are no good here) and is only really useful for recording or on a very loud stage - you will hear it buzzing away like a demented mosquito which is most disconcerting but it shakes my headstock enough to sustain notes, produce odd harmonics and throw an enjoyable random spanner into the works whilst trying to play.

[pinkjimiphoton]

i really like artifus' idea.

add a wah wah and you can sweep whatever harmonics you wanna feed back.

when i was a kid, used to push my headstock right against the speaker cone.

[Paul Marossy]

yup. just throw in a transformer. i've had best results with the piezo on the headstock but other areas work. depends on the guitar, material density and lots of other stuff i don't understand either. fun tho. i have a cheap very light weight guitar, maybe that helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXl67zGZlo

*edit* it's enough to give you a little shock with the transformer should you touch the piezo. (obviously, batteries are no good here) and is only really useful for recording or on a very loud stage - you will hear it buzzing away like a demented mosquito which is most disconcerting but it shakes my headstock enough to sustain notes, produce odd harmonics and throw an enjoyable random spanner into the works whilst trying to play.

Ha ha, the Hack Of The Month video is interesting. Sustaniac makes (or made) a device that called a "Model B" which vibrated the headstock to create electro-acoustic sustain. http://www.sustainiac.com/model-b.htm - sounds like what you are doing...

[Paul Marossy]

Just thought I'd add one more link that I found educational when I was learning about the different ways to get sustain (real vs. fake) http://www.sustainiac.com/aboutsus.htm

[artifus]

oh, dear god, no - not another sustainer thread! wont somebody please think of the children?! 

[Paul Marossy]

oh, dear god, no - not another sustainer thread! wont somebody please think of the children?! 

Just trying to help people understand what sustain is and what is authentic and what isn't. 

[deadastronaut]

oh, dear god, no - not another sustainer thread! wont somebody please think of the children?! 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh................

@jimi: i used to push my guitar against a wardrobe...to just hear it...the things you do eh!..

[Roger Martin]

@Paul Marossy and everybody coming here,
Thanks for the links. It explains to me better what a sustainer is. 
But why when Richie Blackmore smashed the guitar into pieces in 74 California Jammin and in Europe tour
the sound still goes on and on ? Any special effects was used ?
I guess what i need and mean is a fake sustainer. Blast the volume crank here in the house ? Are you crazy ? 

[J0K3RX]

@Paul Marossy and everybody coming here,
Thanks for the links. It explains to me better what a sustainer is. 
But why when Richie Blackmore smashed the guitar into pieces in 74 California Jammin and in Europe tour
the sound still goes on and on ? Any special effects was used ?
I guess what i need and mean is a fake sustainer. Blast the volume crank here in the house ? Are you crazy ? 

I think you mean a feedbacker pedal...? Which are super cool!!!

[Roger Martin]

@Paul Marossy and everybody coming here,
Thanks for the links. It explains to me better what a sustainer is. 
But why when Richie Blackmore smashed the guitar into pieces in 74 California Jammin and in Europe tour
the sound still goes on and on ? Any special effects was used ?
I guess what i need and mean is a fake sustainer. Blast the volume crank here in the house ? Are you crazy ? 

I think you mean a feedbacker pedal...? Which are super cool!!!

Wow thank you so much, Jim 
I never thought this pedal exists hahaha...
Mmm another cool option...but is there any DIY clone schematics and BOM for this ?   

[pakrat]

Wow, that thing is cool!

[J0K3RX]

I think it's something along these lines...
http://diyshoegazer.tumblr.com/post/3042080186/diy-guide-to-feedback-loop-pedals

or

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=78145.0

Haven't come across the Fender schematic, yet. Probably has a booster built into it as well?

[Lurco]

creamy? Boss DF-2 http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/boss/compact/df2

[Paul Marossy]

But why when Richie Blackmore smashed the guitar into pieces in 74 California Jammin and in Europe tour
the sound still goes on and on ? Any special effects was used ?

Probably just loud amps and feedback sustain. If you don't stop the feedback, it will go on indefinitely.

I guess what i need and mean is a fake sustainer. Blast the volume crank here in the house ? Are you crazy ? 

I used to be able to get feedback sustain at will for as long as I wanted at low volume levels using a really high gain pedal and standing by my amp a certain way. It doesn't have to be a really loud amp. Having somewhat microphonic pickups really makes it a lot easier too.