Sustainiac and a fret wrap?

[Xiola]

Looking at these Schecter C1 FR SLS Elite. There aren't any around for me to try out, besides everything is closed. 

I'm interested in this sustainiac thing, but I don't know if it's a gimmick....or even practical. I watched a few vids and apparently you need to mute all other strings with your hand (s) while playing a sustained note. But what about a fret wrap/scrunchy/hairband kind of thing down at the nut?

[BDJohnston]

I have a Hellraiser Hybrid with the floyd rose and Sustainiac. First off, you will want a FretWrap type device, as the tone is clearer and sharper (fewer ringing harmonics when doing high gain stuff). Second, it doesn't take much practice to learn how to mute with your palm (besides help from the FretWrap). Third, you may only use the Sustainiac the odd time, but it's fun and allows for passages otherwise not possible (ask Vai), such as never ending legato runs, big dive bombs and 'controlled' feedback at any level.

[Xiola]

9 minutes ago, BDJohnston said:

I have a Hellraiser Hybrid with the floyd rose and Sustainiac. First off, you will want a FretWrap type device, as the tone is clearer and sharper (fewer ringing harmonics when doing high gain stuff). Second, it doesn't take much practice to learn how to mute with your palm (besides help from the FretWrap). Third, you may only use the Sustainiac the odd time, but it's fun and allows for passages otherwise not possible (ask Vai), such as never ending legato runs, big dive bombs and 'controlled' feedback at any level.

Ok great! Thanks for the response. My other concern is, is it worth sacrificing the neck fishman for a sustainiac (if it's an odd times use)?

[BDJohnston]

Depends on how much you use the neck pickup. If a lot, maybe look into sustaining pedals. I find the neck pickup sounds find, and very nice when doing clean stuff (never use it for gainy stuff).

[Mikeo]

1 hour ago, Xiola said:

Looking at these Schecter C1 FR SLS Elite. There aren't any around for me to try out, besides everything is closed. 

I'm interested in this sustainiac thing, but I don't know if it's a gimmick....or even practical. I watched a few vids and apparently you need to mute all other strings with your hand (s) while playing a sustained note. But what about a fret wrap/scrunchy/hairband kind of thing down at the nut?

Everything is not closed. I have a guitar coming today. They over nighted the thing to me, once they could get into the warehouse.

That took a week. So things are slower.

Not that I knew anything about this guitar, but is gorgeous.

Return policies have been extended. I have yet to return any guitar I have purchased in my lifetime.

Sweetwater is out of them

MF has them em but there's a delay . They are being cautious in the distribution center. Cleaning cleaning cleaning.

Zzounds has em

American Musician, in stock. ready to rock

Sam Ash. IDK, you need to call.

 

This could be sitting in your paws by tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

They bigger

 

 

[Xiola]

5 minutes ago, Mikeo said:

Everything is not closed. I have a guitar coming today. They over nighted the thing to me, once they could get into the warehouse.

That took a week. So things are slower.

Not that I knew anything about this guitar, but is gorgeous.

Return policies have been extended. I have yet to return any guitar I have purchased in my lifetime.

Sweetwater is out of them

MF has them em but there's a delay . They are being cautious in the distribution center. Cleaning cleaning cleaning.

Zzounds has em

American Musician, in stock. ready to rock

Sam Ash. IDK, you need to call.

 

This could be sitting in your paws by tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

They bigger

 

 

Yeah, that's the route I'm thinking of going. Ordering with return protection. I meant "everything is closed" in preemptively assuming someone would say "Just go try it out". 

I know return policies are extended, which is definitely cool. But I'm going to lose money shipping it back. So I'm just seeing who got it, and what they think first. I'm actually comparing a few guitars. 

[Mikeo]

10 minutes ago, Xiola said:

Yeah, that's the route I'm thinking of going. Ordering with return protection. I meant "everything is closed" in preemptively assuming someone would say "Just go try it out". 

I know return policies are extended, which is definitely cool. But I'm going to lose money shipping it back. So I'm just seeing who got it, and what they think first. I'm actually comparing a few guitars. 

That's different, especially if you have not decided o the exact instrument.

I have a lot of guitars, amps and acoustic instruments. So by the time I am there, I'm ready. 

There's a local shop in the area, and they can't carry everything. At this point in time, I'm a  cherry picker and online retailers will either have photos or send me photos of the exact guitar.

 

The only time I had a problem making a decision was a few years ago when I was looking at a full hollow-body.

The Gibson L4

 

The Gibson es 175

 

or the new Gibson ES 275 that just came out

 

After a lot of time I choose the ES 275.

The flame on mine is even better than the one in the photo. The neck is small and slick, like a Les Paul.

 

I like to know the ones your are looking at.

With this Covid 19 social distancing thing. I have a lot of time on my hands.

 

 

 

 

[Daniel_91au]

wow, checked out the sustainiac demo vid. Very cool! 

[Mikeo]

This is a nice vid comparing the Schecter to a slight more costly Ibanez.

 

 

[Xiola]

6 minutes ago, Mikeo said:

This is a nice vid comparing the Schecter to a slight more costly Ibanez.

 

 

Cool,

I watched that vid last night. Actually one of the other guitars I keep coming back to is the RG1070fm. Here's the 3

[Xiola]

I have two guitars, a Yamaha SA2200 and an Epiphone Broadway. The Yamaha does everything I need. And those 2 guitars should give you a pretty good idea of my style.  Except lately I've been interested in changing it up completely.  That's how I came across the Ibanez. Then someone showed me the Schecter. I think the sustainiac sounds awesome on the vids, but if I could get the same effect from a pedal (without losing tone)? I'd probably go that route. I've never found a sustain pedal that didn't compromise tone though.

[Grant Harding]

Check out the Freqout pedal from Digitech. These get great reviews and might be more widely useful than a sustainiac.

https://www.digitech.com/other/FREQOUT-V-00.html

[Mikeo]

35 minutes ago, Xiola said:

Cool,

I watched that vid last night. Actually one of the other guitars I keep coming back to is the RG1070fm. Here's the 3

You have your work cut out for you.  Do you have a top dollar budget?

Im not sure how you feel about PRS. Down the road I'd like to get a 594. They have other stuff you might like under 2000.

Talk to you later. I'm working out my dog right now.

[Grant Harding]

I did a set up on a Schecter C1 a few months ago and it was a really well made guitar.

[Mikeo]

If Xiola drops back in.

I like these. 

The necks are a touch thinker than the Schecter or Ibanez.

The tone is very nice, but different that what you might be looking for, IDK.

$1599.

I'm not hip on gig bags.

They are not perfect as far as manufacturing, It's not PRS's core model construction. I do lie the tone. USA made.

 

S2 verses Core line

I have and older PRS custom 22. It's a compromise between a Les Paul double cut and a strat. I played a lot of them at the time and choose McCarty Sunburst, birds and a 10 top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Xiola]

22 hours ago, Mikeo said:

If Xiola drops back in.

I like these. 

The necks are a touch thinker than the Schecter or Ibanez.

The tone is very nice, but different that what you might be looking for, IDK.

$1599.

I'm not hip on gig bags.

They are not perfect as far as manufacturing, It's not PRS's core model construction. I do lie the tone. USA made.

 

S2 verses Core line

I have and older PRS custom 22. It's a compromise between a Les Paul double cut and a strat. I played a lot of them at the time and choose McCarty Sunburst, birds and a 10 top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've looked at a few used ones. I can't afford new 😂. This is all an experiment for me, just to try something completely new. I want to try shredding, speed and tapping. But who knows, I might grow bored of it.

I like the Schecter's one piece accessible neck heel. 24 frets of course. It looks great. But I'm concerned about the "synthetic" sounds some people mention. Plus they seem to shine at the lower end clarity. Most demos I watch are in drop D or 7 string, showing off their clarity under overdrive in lower power chords. That sustainiac is cool though. 

The ibanez just seems to be synonymous with shredding, and the specs are really good for the price point. There's not much online about it though, as far as vids. The pickups package, the bridge are really good. That's the one I'm leaning towards.

The used PRS s2 custom 24 is nice, and could be a winner. It probably fits me more than any of the other guitars, as far as style, but I'm looking for "different" under the freedom to return if I don't like it at all.

[BDJohnston]

On 4/23/2020 at 3:18 PM, Grant Harding said:

Check out the Freqout pedal from Digitech. These get great reviews and might be more widely useful than a sustainiac.

https://www.digitech.com/other/FREQOUT-V-00.html

I have that pedal (and did a review on it). It's only good for short term sustain and feedback. With a Sustaniac you can hold the note indefinitely and switch between a sustained note, the note plus a fifth harmonic or just a harmonic feedback... simply by flipping a toggle on the guitar. Absolutely nothing like that on the FreqOut.

[BDJohnston]

Here is a demo I did that includes the Hellraiser Hybrid with Sustaniac... both clean and dirty tones, but nothing high-gain, which likely gives you a better idea. The tone may have a slight fizz to it, because I'm going through the headphones out from the Quilter amp (I need a load box to demo that hardware properly, as I don't have a cab to mic). A few times you can hear some feedback, toward the end of a Blues line (for a few seconds only), but gives an idea how subtle you can apply the Sustaniac. Also keep in mind that the pickups on the Hellraiser may be different from the two Schecter's you're looking at. The Hellraiser plays well... I have a better neck on my Parker Dragonfly... lower action and more buttery as well, but the Hellraiser is still a very decent instrument.

 

[Xiola]

3 hours ago, BDJohnston said:

Here is a demo I did that includes the Hellraiser Hybrid with Sustaniac... both clean and dirty tones, but nothing high-gain, which likely gives you a better idea. The tone may have a slight fizz to it, because I'm going through the headphones out from the Quilter amp (I need a load box to demo that hardware properly, as I don't have a cab to mic). A few times you can hear some feedback, toward the end of a Blues line (for a few seconds only), but gives an idea how subtle you can apply the Sustaniac. Also keep in mind that the pickups on the Hellraiser may be different from the two Schecter's you're looking at. The Hellraiser plays well... I have a better neck on my Parker Dragonfly... lower action and more buttery as well, but the Hellraiser is still a very decent instrument.

 

Very cool! So is the sustainiac engaged during this whole vid? Sounds good. I also play through a Quilter, the 101R. Been looking at the 202, but it's a little steep right now (considering I'm looking at a guitar too

Thanks for the vid!

[BDJohnston]

No, I just flip on the toggle that engages it, then I turn it off. If you keep it on you can do long legato-type runs, which sound cool... but for regular playing it's best to engage it when you need it, just so you don't get any 'strong' sustained notes happening. If you get one you will know what I mean. It's a different beast when working with a Sustaniac (and active pickups, especially).