Pre-refined Sustainiac installations - photos wanted!

[Laughinglarry]

I've finally ordered up a Sustainiac - Alan won't do installs on Flys anymore, but he's happy to sell the parts. I have a luthier who's worked on my Flys (replaced output jacks on two, re-wired a backwards-wired piezo circuit and stereo/mono switch and had to do fretwork on another) and is willing to do the install (he's actually looking forward to it). I'd love to see photos of the control cavity where these have been fitted in pre-refined guitars with the original preamp and flex-cable.

I'm also thrilled to see that a Sustainiac has been installed without drilling through the back to mount the driver. Any additional details/ tips/ tricks you veterans have would be welcome.

FWIW, I ordered the driver with standard toggles, not the push-pull pots. For ME, that's pretty much necessary. Any photos of where you've located these controls on the front of the guitar would also be appreciated.

[vjmanzo]

Congrats! Sustainiacs are magic!

I'd love to see photos of the control cavity where these have been fitted in pre-refined guitars with the original preamp and flex-cable.

I have not heard of or seen a Sustainiac install in a pre-refined Fly that retained and integrated the functionality of the Flex PCB. Is that what you’re going for?

I have Sustainiacs in three different Flys—only one was pre-refined and I lost/sacrificed the piezo functionality as part of that process.

Any additional details/ tips/ tricks you veterans have would be welcome.

Regarding tips and tricks, a very small amount of routing to the neck pickup pocket and 3M heavy duty double-sided tape will secure that driver without having to do anything involving :: gulp :: drilling through the guitar.

[mmmguitar]

@Laughinglarry, I haven't integrated Sustainiacs into pre-refined electronics, but it should be a matter of enlarging the control cavity rout enough to tuck the Sustainiac board out of the way, then soldering jumpers from the selector switch and jack connections to the board. Alan's guide includes drilling the original jack, and other surgery:

https://www.sustainiac.com/fly-orig.pdf

The driver mounting for the two Flys I've installed Sustainiacs in was done by deepening the rout with shallow passes of a forstner bit and dremel, and frequent test-fitting of the driver. Though if your tech wants to make a routing template (Me too lazy), that will look the cleanest. I clipped the mounting tabs of one standard driver with metal shears/tin snips, and the other I did with a dremel cutting wheel - Both work just as well. I adhered the baseplate to the bottom of the rout with double-sided mounting adhesive. I bought the heavy duty 3M stuff, but the cheap roll I got at the Kroger by my house to use as an experiment has been holding up fine.

The plastic cover for the driver isn't glued on very well (both of mine came off during test-fitting); so your tech can expect that.

[Laughinglarry]

Congrats! Sustainiacs are magic!

I have not heard of or seen a Sustainiac install in a pre-refined Fly that retained and integrated the functionality of the Flex PCB. Is that what you’re going for?

I have Sustainiacs in three different Flys—only one was pre-refined and I lost/sacrificed the piezo functionality as part of that process.

I am indeed planning on retaining the functionality of the piezo. Of course, if the flex tape is damaged I'm in for a full point-to-point conversion, but really need the piezo circuitry intact.

This will be going into my Dusty Black, which already has a GK-2A installed. My "poor man's Belew" as it is.

If any of you have photos of toggle switches added, I'd love to see those as well. Still hoping someone has the full circuit board they can show off. I know that according to Alan's original documentation he's done this before, so if it CAN be done, it SHALL be done again!

[dayn]

This will be going into my Dusty Black, which already has a GK-2A installed. My "poor man's Belew" as it is.

Would be great if you could show current pics of your Dusty Black control cavity. Would help to see what real estate is now gone with the GK (assuming it is internal) to calculate where you might be able to put the Sustainiac parts. I have a hard time imagining them going in without routing and/or eliminating some of the ribbon cable and moving pots/switches (retaining stock functions by hacking in point to point stuff, and utilizing dual function pots where possible).

[Laughinglarry]

Would be great if you could show current pics of your Dusty Black control cavity. Would help to see what real estate is now gone with the GK (assuming it is internal) to calculate where you might be able to put the Sustainiac parts. I have a hard time imagining them going in without routing and/or eliminating some of the ribbon cable and moving pots/switches (retaining stock functions by hacking in point to point stuff, and utilizing dual function pots where possible).

Dayn,

The GK-2A is externally mounted, so the control cavity is standard. I know that routing needs to be done, and Alan has indicated what he typically removed in the diagrams he's provided on the Sustainiac site. I'm really hoping to be able to show my guy pertinent photos; I have a couple good shots of a point-to-point with the smaller Fishman preamp, but that's really apples to oranges...

[Laughinglarry]

@mmmguitar

I greatly appreciate your advice! I already have Alan's guide, but your comments will be passed along to my tech.

[mmmguitar]

Google turns up this stuff, but I don’t see anything showing off the innards (probably because they’re spaghetti factories).

Below is an album for a Majik Blue Fly:

http://www.telemods.co.uk/guitars/Parker%20GK-2A.html

[dayn]

The Sustainiac board "might" be able to fit underneath the Fishman. I haven't measured.

Also, here is a link with a pic of a Fly Axel Rudich did for me way back, showing how he re-positioned the stock preamp board.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/fs-ft ... ps.132512/

This is the likely realm you are headed into, just move things and rout, according to the space need, and maybe PTP instead of ribbon.

[Laughinglarry]

Dayn,

You no longer have THAT Fly? Man, that is a STUNNING piece. I appreciate the link to the pics and the trip down memory lane!