Conference napalm::guitar

    
    I've never seen the device used, but the Edge used one on U2's
    last album...you know the infinite sustain on With or Without You?
    That's the sustainiac!
    
    Also, John Sykes used one on Whitesnakes last album (the popular
    one) ...he got such an outrageous tone with it...like uncontrolable
    Marshalls!
    
    I believe the transducer is attached via an adhesive rather than
    drilling. The only draw back comments I heard were from George Lynch
    who said you have all these cords and it gets messy for live use.
    He has his transducer cord built into the neck of his guitar so
    it didn't dangle in back of the neck.
    
    It sounds like a wild unit.
    wjb

    I have seen this device advertised as well. From what I could see,
    the strings are mechanically excited by the unit to create the sustain.
    I also wondered how you controlled the unit too.
    I have considered the unit, however, price was my main objective.
    It's difficult to find these devices in stores, maybe the demand
    isn't there. I would like to try one first. Anybody out there ever
    try one ?
    
    Regards,
    
    Tony

    
    How much do they go for?????
    
    -Tony

    
    RE: .4
    
    I have some price info and stuff at home, will reply with it all
    later.
    
    wjb

    
    I tried one in the Hollyweird Guitar Center.  They make 2 different
    models, one that goes on the headstock, which is a pain, since you
    have another wire going from your headstock; and another, called
    the 'wireless neck' or something.  This one has the wire running
    from the device on the headstock *through the neck*, and comes out
    around the bolt-on plate.  It definitely allowed tonz-o-sustain,
    but I think the cost was around $350 for the unit, and for that,
    I'll pass.
    
    Ashley

    
    	Ah yes, another idea of mine (as if anyone cares) brought to
    fruition by some persistant entrepaneur...
    
    	There once was a device that claimed it "would turn any surface 
    (wall, furniture table top, etc) into a high fidelity speaker" It
    looked like a plastic coated round ceramic magnet, with a brass
    boss for mounting it. Two adapters were included, one with wood
    screw threads on one end...
    
    	I mounted it to the back of my guitar, so it would drive the
    guitar body instead. Alas, 8 years ago I didnt have the hardware
    to power and eq it seperately - I just used a couple of wires from
    the speaker of this little 5 watt PoS I used to have. Even then,
    some notes would definately sing in stable oscillation - 
    
    	That transducer used to cost about $40 at Olsen's Electronics.
    I think the company went out of business. The device worked nicely
    in making things radiate sound, but only at very low volumes. It
    was sposed to push the "hidden speaker" effect - for those decoritively
    conscious audiophiles. (Ha!)
    
    	Joe Jas

    From CCM's new product watch:
    
    "Kramer has recently introduced the new Floyd Rose Sustainer.  The
    device will allow infinite harmonic sustaining ability.
    
    The Floyd Rose Sustainer is similar in appearance to that of a
    humbucking pickup (neck position) and has the capability of sustaining
    a note indefinitely.  Powered by 2 9v batteries, the sustainer can
    actually continue to hold a note for the life of the batteries.
    Players can choose between different modes for maximum expression
    involving the sustain of fundamental and harmonic frequencies.
    
    Kramer Music Products, Inc. has been assigned exclusive manufacturing
    and distribution rights.  The sustainer can be found on the Kramer
    Pacer series guitar with double humbucking, pickup configuration.
    The model's double cut-away sharp radius body also accomodates a
    Seymour Duncan humbucking pickup (bridge position), sustainer, on/off
    locking power switch, sustain intensity control, mode selector,
    volume control and tone control, plus, a low-battery LED indicator.
    For further information:
    
    Kramer Music Products, Inc.
    685 Neptune Blvd.
    Neptune, NJ.   07753"

    
    
    	It all sounds like a repackaged version of the E-Bow.
    Remember them? (or am I dating myself?).
    			
    				Rich
    

    Can't be dating yourself too much...  I remember them.  I even saw
    one !
    
    "Why I remember when me and the 'whipper-snapper' down the street
     had one of them there E-bow deals, and we recorded the sound track
    to Close Encounters with it and got..."
    
    ;^)

    E-Bows are still used by some artists (saw someone in concert 2
    months ago that used one).
    
    The E-Bows I've seen only run off of 1 9v battery, not 2.  Plus
    they aren't attached to the guitar and they don't look like humbuckers.
    
    I think the Floyd Rose Sustainer is different, at least it looks
    different from the E-Bows I've seen.
    
    Mike

    I think there is a difference.  The Ebow worked on this
    electrom-magnetic flux-field vibration thing, and the Sustainiac is
    actually a system that takes the output from your amp and feeds back
    the signal through a transducer into the headstock of your guitar.
    
    Not sure how the Floyd Rose sustainor works, but I bet its closer
    to the Sustainiac theory. 

    
    Since the Sustainer looks like a pickup, I would suspect it being
    closer to the E-bow, i.e. putting a current into a pickup-like device
    would cause a string above it to vibrate.

    Hamer is also putting a similar sustain type device in some of their
    new models.  I've seen one at a local shop, but haven't played with it. 
    I don't think it's the Floyd Rose unit, since I believe they had a
    unique marketing agreement with Kramer on that one.
    
    Seems like having one positioned in this fashion would be hard to play!
    I'd think it would operate on all the strings, so you'd have to damp
    all the ones you didn't want to sound.
    
    Greg
        

    
    I think the Kramer and Hamer guitars are equipped with the
    Sustainiac. I have seen ads on the back cover of Guitar World
    which boast the on-board Sustainiac.
    
    I am pretty sure the Sustainiac has a floor pedal which drives 
    the transducer, so you can hit a note, depress the pedal and it
    will Sutain as long as you depress it. As long as you are not
    stepping on the pedal there is no current going to the transducer.
    
    Anyone can easily simulate a Sustainiac. Simply crank your amp
    up, touch your headstock to the amp, and play a note, it should
    sustain to the point of feedback on most amps. The sustainiac
    works on the same principle.
    
    Mark
    

    Perhaps the Sustainiac people have a new design out, because I'm pretty
    sure that the Hamer I saw had nothing special on the headstock, just
    something that looked very much like a humbucking pickup in the neck
    position with the logo on it.
    
    Greg