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Summary of Contents for SUSTAINIAC STEALTH PRO
- Page 1 SUSTAINIAC STEALTH PRO INSTALLATION GUIDE...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
CONTENT: 1. HOW IT WORKS 2. RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS 3. SUSTAINIAC CIRCUIT INSTALLATION 4. PRIMARY INSTRUMENT CHECKOUT 5. SUSTAINER CHECKOUT AND ADJUSTMENT 6. TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE... -
Page 3: How It Works
HOW IT WORKS First, the Sustainiac® PRO Sustainer electronically amplifies and processes the pickup signal of your instrument. Then this amplified, processed pickup signal is sent to a patented magnetic string driver transducer (driver), which replaces your existing neck pickup. The driver emits a pulsating magnetic field in synchronization with the musical string... - Page 4 (See installation drawing.) Your existing electronics cavity must be rewired to accept the supplied circuit board and switches in order to install the Sustainiac Stealth PRO. BATTERY: A single 9-volt alkaline battery powers the Stealth PRO.
- Page 5 9-pin jack must be ordered to insure that both batteries are completely disconnected when no plug is inserted into the jack. POWER AND HARMONIC CONTROLS: The Stealth PRO has two main controls: The ON/OFF switch and the HARMONIC MODE control. These can be push-pull or toggle controls.
- Page 6 sustain function will be realized. (Optionally, use a 3-position toggle switch, no extra cost.) Pull the knob out, and you get two more modes: Full right (clockwise) = MIX mode is actually a more subtle harmonic mode. MIX produces mostly fundamentals on high notes, and mostly harmonics on low notes.
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Page 7: Retrofit Instructions
RETROFIT INSTRUCTIONS CAUTION #1: Make sure that your body is discharged of static electricity before handling or working on the sustainer circuit board. A static spark can damage semiconductor components. 1. Check to make sure you have received all of the parts necessary to install the sustainer. -
Page 8: Sustainiac Circuit
SUSTAINIAC CIRCUIT INSTALLATION CAUTION #2: Do not install a battery until the entire installation and steps 1-3 of PRELIMINARY INSTRUMENT CHECKOUT procedure are finished. CAUTION #3: Never solder any wires of the sustainer with a battery installed! SOLDERING: Use a good quality pencil-type soldering iron, preferably of 25 to 50 watts capacity. - Page 9 4. PLAN YOUR INSTALLATION BEFORE BEGINNING. **ULTRA IMPORTANT**: The 8- pin connector should be oriented close to the pickup selector switch On Strats, Ibanez and Les Paul-type guitars, the circuit board placement should be exactly as shown on the hookup diagram. On Strats, be sure to wrap the wires coming from the 10-pin connector around the ON/OFF switch to keep the wiring short and neat.
- Page 10 The black (ground), red, yellow, green wires generally don’t cause grunge problems, either. 5. STEALTH PRO CONTROLS: Remove the controls from your guitar that will be replaced with Sustainiac switch/pot controls. On Strats, a single MASTER TONE control (attached to ON/OFF switch) will replace the original NECK TONE.
- Page 11 HOOKUP DIAGRAM. SUSTAINER WIRING CAUTIONS (grunge/oscillation prevention) : READ STEP 4 AGAIN. • Keep the Sustainiac signal wires as short as possible (brown, gray on 10-pin connector, Har./Gain, violet/gray on 8-pin connector) • Keep guitar pickup signal wires away from sustainer signal wires and also away from the circuit board itself.
- Page 12 guitar signal. Driver red/black unshielded length should not exceed 1 inch (25 mm). 12. HARMONIC/GAIN CONTROL WIRES (violet/gray): (See drawing, page 6) Twist these together before connecting to the HARMONIC/GAIN control. These wires must not run near any guitar signal wire. In some installations where the violet/gray wires must run a long distance, they themselves can be shielded.
- Page 13 16. PICKUP SELECTOR SWITCH: For Strats and Les Paul type guitars, rewire pickup selector switch as shown, keeping all pickup signal wires short and away from Sustainiac wires and circuit board. IMPORTANT: On Strats and other guitars having a lever-type pickup selector switch, note that the switch section (pole) having the bridge pickup connection has no other pickups attached to it.
- Page 14 for most normal output pickups. Set higher to match hot pickups. Set the SUSTAINER GAIN trimpot (near 8-pin connector) to about a 11 to 1 o’clock rotation. Too high a GAIN setting can cause squealing in Harmonic Mode. The small, metal trimpot adjusts HARMONIC MODE gain only.
- Page 15 PRELIMINARY INSTRUMENT CHECKOUT NOTE: Don’t install a battery yet. 1. Set HARMONIC/DRIVE pot on the guitar body to maximum right (clockwise) for maximum gain in FUNDAMENTAL mode. Make sure this switch is PUSHED IN. (OPTIONALLY, set toggle MODE switch to FUNDAMENTAL position.) Set neck pickup trimpot (near 10-pin connector) to a 12-1 o’clock setting.
- Page 16 shown in the diagram below. We don’t supply one for other guitar types unless you specifically request one. DETAIL OF MAGNETIC TAB INSTALLATION: We only supply this for Strats and knockoffs having a slanted bridge pickup . It can face the neck or face the bridge (see drawing). Set the instrument amplifier to a clean setting, and turn up the treble so you can easily hear distortion.
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Page 17: Sustainer Checkout And
SUSTAINER CHECKOUT AND ADJUSTMENT 7. Turn the sustainer ON by actuating the power switch. Listen for squeal or “grunge” coming from the amplifier. (See step #11 below.) Make sure that only the bridge pickup (PU) functions when the sustainer is on by gently tapping the pole pieces all of the pickups with a steel object like a screwdriver blade. - Page 18 10. GRUNGE/SQUEAL TEST AND ADJUSTMENT OF MAGNETIC FIELD CANCELLATION TAB: This is mainly for Strats only. If you have squeal and/or grunge in your guitar signal, you might need to add a tab. More likely, the problem will be due to poor wire placement. For Strats, place the tab in the best position (see diagram page 6) to remove distortion, hiss, and squeal, with your instrument amplifier set to a clean setting.
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Page 19: Troubleshooting Guide
If you cannot make the squeal go away then go to the TROUBLESHOOTING section, which follows. More troubleshooting details are on the Sustainiac website, Stealth PRO page or INSTALLATION page. TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE CAUTION: Remove battery before soldering any connections to the circuit. - Page 20 Make sure output jack terminals not shorted to jack housing • or to each other. Check to make sure battery is good (+8 volts or greater) and • is wired in properly. Check that push-pull terminals are not touching electronics •...
- Page 21 PICKGUARDS MUST BE SCRAPED CLEAR. “Mirror” or metallic pickguards also cause this problem. • Gray/violet wires from 8-pin connector too close to any pickup signal wire or to the white input wire. Same for the brown/gray wires on the 10-pin connector. If moving these wires to a particular location eliminates the grunge/squeal or makes it go away, you should fix them in that place.
- Page 22 Sustainer makes mostly harmonics when control is set for FUNDAMENTAL mode • Make sure HARMONIC/DRIVE pot (or toggle switch) is wired correctly. If YES, then..• Reverse driver polarity by swapping red and black wires. (Control must be rotated clockwise for FUNDAMENTAL mode, counterclockwise for HARMONIC mode, even if you prefer the other way around.
- Page 23 OFF. For more troubleshooting tips, please download the troubleshooting guide from the Sustainiac website. Sustainiac is a registered trademark of Maniac Music, Inc., Indianapolis, IN Strat and Stratocaster are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments, Scottsdale, AZ Maniac Music, Inc.
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