Putting a sustainer in my SD3

[Robert Hendrix]

I'm not sure this is the right place for this but here goes. I have a 95 Charvel San Dimas 3, the Dimarzio Chopper that's in the neck position has quit working and I have been thinking about putting a sustainer in there. My question(s) is/are.. What are my options? is there anything I should know before I bite the bullet and get one? Is there one that is preffered? Who makes em?

I have an old Floyd Rose sustainer that a friend gave me because he couldn't figure out how to hook it up but it's a humbucker so it wouldn't fit, and it's old anyway.

[rjohnstone]

Get a Fernandes FSK-401 kit. Run you about $200.
Drilling will be involved, but fairly simple to install.
The Sustainiac Stealth plus is another good one, but it's a bit more difficult to install.
Soldering and drilling.

Both options may require body routing if the electronics cavity is to small for the sustainer circuit board.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

i've got a Fernandes Revolver Pro with the sustainer. its pretty cool. it can do some cool shit, but honestly i pretty much leave it off.

[Bengal65]

The Sustainiac Stealth Plus is the least obstrusive of the two. The Fernandez sustainer has the circuit board with mounted toggles, so there is definitely a requirement for routing and drilling there.

[MartinBarre]

I really fancy a Sustainiac but the price of the unit, then the price of someone fitting it is just not worth it. I can fit pickups, and I'm no idiot but I really dont fancy fitting one of these things, it looks very complex when thinking you have to start chopping into your prized guitar. Especially since most people never seem to use the things!

[Robert Hendrix]

I really fancy a Sustainiac but the price of the unit, then the price of someone fitting it is just not worth it. I can fit pickups, and I'm no idiot but I really dont fancy fitting one of these things, it looks very complex when thinking you have to start chopping into your prized guitar. Especially since most people never seem to use the things!

Yeah, I never thought that it might entail some body work. I may have to rethink this idea and just get another chopper and put in there instead. I certainly don't want to do any chopping on my Charvel..

[Bengal65]

I would bail just yet. You can use push/pull pots to activate the sustainer switching on the Sustainiac unit. The board and battery should fit in the control cavity in your Charvel. Check out the website. There are lots of options. If you can wire standard pickups, you should be able to do it yourself with their drawings.