Sustaniacs, anyone?

Bass Below · #1 11-15-2006, 03:52 PM

Anybody know anything about these pickups? I was building a bass for Peter Steele a while back and he prefers Sustaniac pickups but I couldn't find them anywhere. That project is over, but I'm still curious. I figured if anyone would know about them or have any past experience with them, somebody here would.

neptoon · #2 11-15-2006, 03:59 PM

that's funny...i was about to say that the only guy that i know of that uses them is peter steele...and if you're building a bass for him, i'm sure you know that they were fernandes pickups...i'm wondering if you could talk to a pickup manufacturer about modifying an ebow to fit into a pickup cover and putting an on/off switch on the control cavity cover (peter steele seems to favor the cavity cover on the front of the bass a la carl thompson)...if you could do that, maybe you could get like a large musicman man style pickup cover (i think the washburn bass he was playing at the last concert i went to had a single musicman pickup, so adding another to the neck position wouldn't look assymetrical or out of place) and place both ebow models underneath the single cover and that way you could sustain the note, or sustain the note and add the artificial harmonic depending on which ebow was activated...that would probably be pretty sweet, if you can't get a hold of an original sustainiac pickup which are discontinued from what i understand...so, what are the other specs of the bass you're building, just out of curiosity?

Bass Below · #3 11-15-2006, 04:16 PM

That bass is done already, Pete has it. I was just fishing for some information on the pickups to satisfy my own curiosity. I played two of Petes basses, one an Esch that I did some work on for him and one was one of his Washburns, neither had a control cavity cover on the front.

Specs were very simple, it was my first original design. He didn't ask for it, it was actually a gift. We were rehearsing in the same building for a while and became pretty friendly. I worked on his Esch for him (that was an experience....) I had just gotten into building basses and figured I'd make him one. I was a big Carnivore and Type O fan growing up and honestly listening to Type O got me through some tough times, as sick as this may sound, I felt I could relate to him. So, all these years later I was presented with a coincidental opportunity to show my gratitude so I did.

It was sort of a cello shape, made from one piece of mahogany, one humbucker (Carvin) volume, tone, eye bolts for his chain and green painted frets (in lieu of dot markers) just like the rest of his (except his older basses which have orange from the Carnivore days). It was solid as a rock and played well, my only regret is that I didn't find a sustaniac to put in it, ah well, he appreciated it anyway.

neptoon · #4 11-15-2006, 04:36 PM

that's a really cool story...i've always been a type o and carnivore fan - pete's probably my favorite bass player...sorry i couldn't help with the sustaniac question...i would ask fernandes...

christobass 416 · #5 11-15-2006, 04:40 PM

Well, it is spelled "sustainiacs"

Bass Below · #6 11-15-2006, 04:45 PM

Hey, thanks for trying! Since you like Pete, I'll se if I have detailed pics of the condition that Esch was in, it was funny. I definitely have pics of the bass itself, just not sure how close up they were. I'll look into it and post 'em here if I find 'em....

just to give you an idea of how banged up it was, the bridge was being held on strictly with the paint and maybe some glue, all the screws were gone, there was no control cavity cover, just a CD taped over the hole lol! I could've used the neck as a hunting bow, but miraculously it straightened out pretty well and I got the action back somewhere near playable by shimming the neck at the heel and some truss rod adjustment.

Pete is a great guy by the way, so super nice it's almost funny, since he's an evil looking giant.

Bass Below · #7 11-15-2006, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christobass 416

Well, it is spelled "sustainiacs"

Thanks.

neptoon · #8 11-15-2006, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christobass 416

Well, it is spelled "sustainiacs"

indeed it is...my bad, yo

neptoon · #9 11-15-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Below

Hey, thanks for trying! Since you like Pete, I'll se if I have detailed pics of the condition that Esch was in, it was funny. I definitely have pics of the bass itself, just not sure how close up they were. I'll look into it and post 'em here if I find 'em....

just to give you an idea of how banged up it was, the bridge was being held on strictly with the paint and maybe some glue, all the screws were gone, there was no control cavity cover, just a CD taped over the hole lol! I could've used the neck as a hunting bow, but miraculously it straightened out pretty well and I got the action back somewhere near playable by shimming the neck at the heel and some truss rod adjustment.

Pete is a great guy by the way, so super nice it's almost funny, since he's an evil looking giant.

hey, that would be awesome...i can imagine what sort of condition it would be in...i just don't see that guy taking care of his gear

i think in bassplayer he said that he uses boss effects pedals because they're made of sheet metal and when he steps on them they don't break

i also heard a story about why he's no longer with esh...something to do with his cat? i think joe nerve said something about it a while back...i would dig meeting the dude,mainly for the reason i'm only 5'6" and it would just be a ridiculous situation...i was able to talk to johnny kelly and pete's bass tech, billy (?) and it was pretty awesome...they were hanging out with gian pyres and dani davies from cradle of filth out in seattle...gian, johnny, and billy were really cool - dani just wanted to hold my .45

jointus · #10 11-15-2006, 07:58 PM

Here's the link:
Sustainiac
I don't know if they make the bass pickup/driver anymore. Best to give 'em a call.

Bass Below · #11 11-16-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neptoon

...i would dig meeting the dude,mainly for the reason i'm only 5'6" and it would just be a ridiculous situation...i was able to talk to johnny kelly and pete's bass tech, billy (?) and it was pretty awesome...they were hanging out with gian pyres and dani davies from cradle of filth out in seattle...gian, johnny, and billy were really cool - dani just wanted to hold my .45

I'm 5'5", it is pretty ridiculous! He's about 16 inches taller than I am.

Johnny Kelly and Kenny Hickey are also incredibly nice. They were all always willing to hang out and just BS, always asking us how the band was going and all that. Never met Josh, he apparently doesn't rehearse with the band on a regular basis.

The guys from "Carnivore" (not really Carnivore, but the most recent group of guys that toured) were all great too. Joey Z I've met 6 million times and he's always been by far the most friendly and fan oriented musician I've ever met. He would go out of his way even at the biggest LOA shows to talk to fans.

I never heard the Esch/cat story, but now I'm curious....

Thanks for the link Jointus!

neptoon · #12 11-16-2006, 02:52 PM

apparently an esh representative went to peter's house and pete's cat was using the guy's leg as a scratching post...the guy got pissed and kicked pete's cat, and, well, pete stopped using esh after the small transgression that shortly ensued...not sure if the details are entirely correct, but that's what i remember...esh dude got his butt kicked after kicking the cat...nuts