Sustainer queries

[DDDorian]

I have the opportunity to pick up a seven-string Sustaniac pickup but I'm not sure about a few things. Apparently, it's supposed to fit in a humbucker spacing; there's a version with a plastic shield so that the humbucker cavity is totally covered over but this one doesn't have that. According to the sustaniac site, a single-coil pickup can give low outputs if placed so close to the sustaniac and they recommend you use a mini-humbucker instead. Does anyone actually know of any seven-string mini-humbuckers? I can't think of a single one. Alternatively, maybe a stacked humbucker? I'm clueless. Thanks!

 

[JPMDan]

you mean the one with the empty slot next to it to mount a pickup? You can talk to Seymour Duncan maybe they can build you a custom Stacked SC.

 

[Durero]

are you getting sustainer directly from sustainiac, or from someone else?

 

[DDDorian]

^^^Someone else, although I read somewhere (maybe this forum?) that the seven-string versions will be coming back in limited quantities. I certainly hope so.

 

[Durero]

I read somewhere (maybe this forum?) that the seven-string versions will be coming back in limited quantities. I certainly hope so.

absolutely!

 

[JPMDan]

you can get the Fernandes Sustainer out of the Revolver 7 String then sell the guitar with 2 coil taps and a killswitch. but thats alot of work to do.

 

[DDDorian]

They claim that the Sustaniac will affect a single-coil so close to it by giving the treble strings a low output; I'm starting to think it's the opposite and that the bass strings are actually given a higher output so the treble strings seem lower in comparison (just a guess though), so I'm thinking I might just buy a standard single-coil and put it in anyway and hope for the best. Wallet, don't fail me now.

 

[JPMDan]

probably a Blaze SC Im assuming.

 

[darren]

^^^Someone else, although I read somewhere (maybe this forum?) that the seven-string versions will be coming back in limited quantities. I certainly hope so.

 

[b3n]

 

[AVH]

Calling Scott.... heres your cue.
He has the Fernandes which he sold to me, I couldn't bring myself to rout my UV for it, and then sold it back to him. He maybe could shed some light on this.

 

[Scott]

My sustainiac hasn't been installed yet actually. Though it will be very soon

I believe I saw a sustainiac 7 string single coil on ebay awhile ago. And if I remember correctly, it didn't sell. Didn't hit the reserve I think.
Anyway, I wouldn't recommend a full sized single coil to be used along with the sustainer. I don't know of any mini humbuckers in a 7 string form, but if you were to toss a blaze single in the neck cavity with the sustainer, it isn't that the sustainer will take from the single coils output, but the single coil will cause a magnetic effect with the sustainer, resulting in a lower signal being produced by the sustainer.

If I were you, i'd look into a fernandez 7 string sustainer, if you want a neck pickup. (I believe they have a neck pickup option in their humbuckers. Not positive though. I can let you know in a couple weeks ) Or, live with having a single coil sustainer in the neck, with either a mini humbucker if one is available, or the sustainer alone.

And yeah, it was mentionned on this site a while back that sustainiac was going to reintroduce a 7 string version due to popular demand. But it was also said that Vai was switching to sustainiac. Neither one has happened as of yet

Edit: also, the single coil sustainiac is the size of a single coil 7, while the humbucker fernandez, is about the size of an EMG 707, so routing is required for it as mentionned by Allen.

 

[DDDorian]

^^^Hmm, okay, I must have read the site info wrong. I thought it said the pickup would be affected, not the sustainer. I'll probably try it next to something, probably a Blaze, just because I don't really like the idea of only having one regular pickup (my sustainer is single-size, and middle pickup = meh).

 

[darren]

I think the issue is that you can't have a single-coil pickup driving the Sustainer. (i.e. in the bridge position)

I don't think there is an issue with having a single coil in the neck position because the Sustainer driver will not be active when the neck pickup is engaged.

Is it a Fernandes Sustainer or a Sustainiac? If it's a Sustainiac, you should email Alan Hoover at sustainiac.com... he'll have the definitive answer for you.

 

[Scott]

I didn't find anything on the sustainiac site about using a neck pickup, but this is what the fernandes site says:

Can I place a pickup next to the Sustainer driver?

•Yes, but be advised that Sustainer's performance can be affected by the magnetic field of neighbouring pickup resulting in dead points or strings that won't sustain. Active pickups, such as EMG or Dimarzio active units are recommended since they function with low flux magnets.

 

[Dnasurfer]

i have a sustainer in one of my mc77, it was a single coil version, which im glad as i was able to still use of my single pickups to go with the pickup,it is a cool idea, thats why i brought it, and ,i hope fernandes will bring back the 7 string version of the sustainer!!!,...i will post a pic of what it looks like!