Sustainers and pickups

["Ott, John" <John_Ott@ATK.COM>]

---quote--
>
>I also wonder if the Fernandes sustainer pickup would work with this
>spacing. I would really love to have infinite sustain by using the
>fernandes or the sustainiac on an instrument with classical width spacing.

There you'll likely have trouble. The pickup might work fine, but
getting
one installed properly in a guitar is quite difficult, or so I've heard.
There are people who can do it, though. Also, unless it is already in a
guitar, you have to specially order it from Japan, which may or may not
be
hard. I do know a fellow who has several of these installed in PRS
guitars.
You might want to ask the sustainiac guy if he has a solution that
works.

kim
---end quote---

The sustainer should work with wider spacing. Reeves Gabrels has
one in his Parker Nitefly. (which has a special extra wide neck) 
He did have to get a special body. (One that had not been completely
milled)
The stock parker nitefly body was too thin for the installation of the
sustainer.

As for pickups with wider spacing you can get them with more than six
pole magnets (this design is to not lose signal when bending strings)
Or get a pickup with a rail instead of pole pieces.

Reeves setup is discussed in the June Guitar Player.  He is not
using any analog signal. (other than to drive the sustainer) 
All output is from the GK-2 pickup which feeds a Roland VG-8 and a
GR-09.
then goes DI to sound board.  He gets some great sounds with the VG-8.
Some of the pitch shifting and whammy effects on Bowie's "Earthling"
is amazing. 

Ravel:
 I had to play Bolero in High School (trombone) very
boring to play.  (the woodwinds and strings get all the interesting
parts)

later
John

Ps
Does anyone know if Michael Brook is involved with either of these
sustainer devices.  He had plans to bring his infinite guitar device
to the market.  Or is his system still to come?