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Synyster Gates Custom S Questions

Colan Helton

Garage band Groupie
Nov 11, 2019
4
2
I’m using a Syn Gates Custom S with the Sustainiac pickup. What are the proper settings for this? Such as pickup height, Floyd Rose bridge action height, and internal settings on the Sustainiac controls. The Sustainiac on my guitar has never sounded quite right to me.
 
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Lucas Weiman

Free Bird Player
Nov 11, 2019
59
157
When you say the sustainiac "doesn't sound quite right" can you elaborate? Or maybe post a video of what you mean?

What Hector said is true, and as long as the strings don't touch the pickup when fretted you should be in good shape. The closer the sustainiac is to the strings the faster it will affect them, sometimes having it just far enough away so you have some delay in effect can be musically beneficial.

As for the floyd, my personal rule of thumb is for the strings to be low enough to the neck for comfort, but when I bend one I don't want the strings all getting stuck under my finger, which will happen if it is too low. (Conversely, if they are too high they will go over my finger, and that doesn't feel right either).

IMPORTANT: If you go about changing the action setting of the floyd, (which involves tightening or loosening the screws on which the floyd rests) You MUST loosen the tension of the strings before turning the screws. If you rotate those screws with full tension of the strings, the screws will dig into, and dull the blades of the floyd which in turn makes it fall out of tune very quickly and unavoidably. (Useless guitar at that point)

If you have any more questions, I'll do my best to help!
 

Lucas Weiman

Free Bird Player
Nov 11, 2019
59
157
So the best way I can describe it would be that when the Harmonic mode is on, I can’t get the note that I want. It seems to use a random harmonic from another string. It has also never “squealed” as high pitched as I’ve seen others do.
Some frets on different strings that are the same note (example 12th fret E string, 17th fret B string) Both are the same E- note pitch, do not offer the same pitch on the harmonic mode for some reason, that's just the way it is. If you can't achieve any squeelies ever, either your battery is dead, maybe your pickup is to low in proportion to the strings, (to adjust this all you do is turn the 2 screws on the sustainiac) or the wiring is bad. And you are playing with overdrive/distortion right? Id still like a video response to get a better idea.
 
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Pr0ksee

New Student
Mar 6, 2020
2
0
11
I'm kind of having a similar problem. My harmonic setting is working but it has quite a long delay before the note reaches the harmonic. I assume from reading some of the comments on this that all I would need to do is raise the sustainiac up and that would shorten the delay? I'm looking for an almost instant harmonic when plucked.

My other concern is that when I activate the sustainiac, it furiously vibrates my lower strings after a few seconds when they are open which makes it difficult to play out melodies without the lower strings coming in and muddying everything up. I've tried playing mostly with my last 3 fingers and muting across with my first finger but it feels inefficient and awkward as I'm down a finger for fretting. Is my technique bad, is the guitar not setup correctly, or is this the intended function?
 

Calvin Phillips

Music Theory Bragger
Nov 11, 2019
2,588
1,988
I’m using a Syn Gates Custom S with the Sustainiac pickup. What are the proper settings for this? Such as pickup height, Floyd Rose bridge action height, and internal settings on the Sustainiac controls. The Sustainiac on my guitar has never sounded quite right to me.
Every guitar he plays live has a different set up for his fr and whatever else. It's all situational.
 

Bellah83

Campfire Attention Holder
Nov 11, 2019
109
84
41
Fort Worth Tx
There are 2 pots you can adjust on the control board for the sustainiac. One controls how fast the pickup works once the switch is on(intensity). I think the other is labeled as a volume or gain pot. If you adjust the height, getting it too close to your strings may make it cause microphonic feedback, which is unpleasant.

Are the bass strings vibrating with every switch setting? I've only noticed that on the sustain setting, but it maybe a technique issue if you don't normally mute extra strings.
 
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Pr0ksee

New Student
Mar 6, 2020
2
0
11
I probably need to work on my technique then. I feel like my bridge muting has been all or nothing and not muting only the strings I'm not using. Still, it's crazy how clean and precise people get with their leads all while muting just the right strings at the right time.

I need to practice more... :LOL:
 
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