sustainers for stringed musical instruments

AUXILLIARY ("AUX") BOARD OPTIONS FOR SIMPLIFIED INSTALLATION of the SUSTAINIACâ "Stealth PRO Ô " electromagnetic sustainer

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We have used Auxilliary ("Aux") circuit boards for years for our guitar manufacturer customers such as Jackson, Schecter and Ibanez. These boards hold the Sustainiac controls. The Aux boards connect to our main circuit boards by pre-wired harnesses. This eliminates much installation labor. It also makes the end product more consistent, and greatly reduces the chance that uncontrolled squealing (oscillation) or "grunge" in the guitar signal due to crosstalk from certain Sustainiac wires to the guitar signal wires. In fact we think this will make the typical Sustainiac installation so much easier and less expensive for our customers that this will become the most popular installation option. Scroll down to see the photos below.

We have decided to make this an inexpensive option in order to reduce the complexity of installing the Sustainiac, and also to reduce the chance of installation errors which sometimes causes frustration with customers and even skilled technicians. As our company Maniac Music Inc. grows with the increasing popularity of the Sustainiac, we have less and less time to answer hundreds of customer calls for help with their Sustainiac installations. Our new "Aux-TT" board with toggle controls sits vertically in the control cavity as shown in the photo of a Jackson DK-2 guitar cavity below. It needs 1.35 inches (35mm) of cavity depth. Or, you can eaily modify the cavity depth as shown with the Jackson DK-2 installation below. The new (May 2018) optional Aux boards (Aux-TT, Aux-RG, Aux-JS) each add $10 to the Stealth PRO kit price IF you order one INSTEAD of the normal controls and wire harness. Add $25.00 if you want BOTH the Aux board AND normal controls.

AT THE PRESENT TIME (2019) WE HAVE NO GOOD AUX BOARD OPTION FOR STRATOCASTERS AND STRAT COPIES, UNLESS YOU REMOVE THE MIDDLE POT. In this case it becomes much like the Ibanez RG, Jem etc.

IBANEZ JEM AND SIMILAR RG MODELS: The best Aux board option for this is the Aux-RG board. It is much like our older Aux-2 board (used in many Schecter guitars) except it is smaller.



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Sustainiac Aux-RG board mounted to Ibanez RG cavity. Note how the volume potentiometer has been rotated to make room for the Aux-RG board.

Ibanez RG cavity showing the Stealth PRO circuit board sitting on top of Aux-RG board. There is just barely enough room for everything to fit. But it does!


AUX-TT circuit board.

This is a good $10 option for end users to save much time and potential frustration by greatly simplifying the Sustainiac installation. In 2024 the Aux-TT board was reduced in height to fit most control cavities without routing. It is 1.8 in. (46mm) wide x 1.19 in. (30mm) tall. The two toggle switches are spaced 1.00 inches (25.4mm) apart.
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Jackson DK-2 guitar cavity prep for Aux-TT board, Using a Forstner bit (shown at left in photo) and chisel to make the cavity wall thinner in the switch region. Forstner bits are very easy to control and make a neat cut. This step is no longer required due to the new Aux-TT board reduced height.


Jackson DK-2 guitar installation using Sustainiac Aux-TT board. Click below to see the following hookup diagram. Compare this to our normal hookup diagrams on our Installation Page to see how much soldering is eliminated with the Aux-TT board.
Hookup diagram showing the Aux-TT board in a Jackson DK-2 guitar

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Sustainiac Aux-JS board. This board is installed into all the Ibanez JS2480 guitars. It is a good option for end users to install into their own JS model guitar. It has a toggle switch for Sustainiac Harmonic Mode, and push-pull tone control for ON/OFF. A tone capacitor is mounted to the board. The wire harness set is just long enough to connect to the controls of the JS guitars. Not recommended for other guitar models unless a similar control arrangement is present. The Aux-JS board is 2.2 in. (56mm) wide x 1.35 in. (35mm) tall. (Requires 1.35 in. (35mm) cavity depth)


Ibanez JS-2480 guitar control cavity photo. Note that the cavity wall at the top of the photo has to be shaved a little to make room for the Sustainiac circuit board. This can be done in a few minutes with a good hand chisel.
Hookup diagram showing the Aux-JS board in the Ibanez JS2 480 guitar



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Sustainiac Aux-2 board The Aux 2 board is mounted horizontally to the cavity wall. It takes up more room in the cavity than our Aux-TT board. It has been used for years in various Schecter models but we offer it for guitars with roomier cavities. We generally prefer the Aux-RG to the Aux-2 for retrofit installations.

Hookup diagram showing the Aux-2 board in a production Schecter C1 guitar

Expect to see other AUX boards in the near future.

LINKS TO THE MAIN PAGES ON THE SITE
These same links are provided at the bottom of each page.
HOME PAGE

SUSTAINIACâ STEALTH PRO Electromagnetic sustain system

  • SEMI-INSTALLATION PAGE THESE ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. We do 90% of the work. You receive a kit that is 90% installed, tested, and ready to "drop in" to your guitar
  • SUSTAINIAC CONTROLS Describes the different control options
  • Organize your order for the STEALTH PRO Helps you to organize the things you need to know before you order

    EMAIL ORDER FORM Copy and paste this page into an email addressed to us.

    ABOUT FEEDBACK SUSTAIN what it is, why it is good
    FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions, WHO USES SUSTAINIAC, etc.
    SUSTAINIACâ SOUND SAMPLES
    PERFORMING/PLAYING with the SUSTAINIACâ
    JACKSON DK-2S, production guitar with Stealth PRO installed
    GA-1-2, Our original 1988 Sustainiacs, in Hamer and ASI guitars, now OBSOLETE
    SUSTAINIACâ STEALTH PLUS ELECTROMAGNETIC SUSTAINER INSTALLATION INFO Obsolete model. This page contains printable installation drawings, installation manual, etc. for people who have this model, and who might want to transfer it to another guitar, have bought it used, etc.

  • Sustainiacâ products are MADE IN THE USA

    email: info@sustainiac.com

    Sustainiac is a registered trademark of Maniac Music, Inc.
    5348 N. Tacoma Ave, Indianapolis Indiana, USA, 46220; PHONE: 317-340-1161