Kramer Sustainer... - How hard would it be to make an AANJ o

[dwswift]

I was checking out the sustainer guitars on musicyo.com. *They seem reasonably priced but I know I'm going to need to do a few things to be able to stand playing it. *
1) swap the kramer neck for an Ibanez
2) swap the trem for a lo-pro
3) swap the bridge pick-up with a PAF Pro

I already have all the parts I'd need to do this, but how much work would be needed? *Is it possible to route this guitar to accept an AANJ neck? *How much routing would be needed to put the Lo-Pro in? *I know nothing about wood working so I'd have to take it to a luthier. *Any estimates what something like this would cost me?

Thanks for any info!

[ShredHead42]

why don't you just save a bit more and buy an rg5xx, and put the PAF in it... * * or an rg4xx if you want to route a tiny bit (if you can live w/ the wizard 2).

[Two hands31]

First of all, I assume by sustainer guitars you mean guitars with electronics that allow infinite sustain, right? *Although I checked out MusicYo.com and couldn't find what you're talking about.

I think it would be much easier to put a Fernandes Sustainer system into one of your existing guitars or into a new guitar. *I don't know much about the Kramer system, but Vai himself uses the Fernandes system. *It has feedback/harmonic modes that allow control of harmonics, etc. *It's a simple system really, just the sustainer pickup, the sustainer level knob, a couple mini-switches (sustainer on/off, harmonic mode), a battery case, and a "high-output humbucker" which you can, I'm almost 100% sure, replace with a pickup of your choice. *

Or, even easier, is to buy one of the Fernandes guitars with the sustainer system built in. *They have all sorts of models, with either their "high-output humbucker", Duncan JB, or EMG HZ pickup in the bridge. *There's even a 7-string model now.

Here's some info on the sustainer system:

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/Misc...index_Sus.html

And here's a link to where you can order a free catalogue. *I've got the catalogue, and it's got some amazing models.

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/Misc...index_HFC.html

The site hasn't been updated in a while, so I'd recommend the catalogue.

[darren wilson]

Or why not go to the folks who developed the original Sustainer unit that evolved into the Fernandes sustainer, the Floyd Rose sustainer and now the MusicYo/Kramer sustainer... Sustainiac.

US$199 will get you a state-of-the-art Sustainiac Stealth unit that works more efficiently than the Fernandes version (which is based on two-generations-old Sustainiac technology) and it comes with push/pull pots instead of mini-switches.

It'd probably be much more cost-effective to add a Sustainiac Stealth to your Ibanez than to graft an Ibanez neck, AANJ, LoPro Edge and better pickups onto a cheap-ass Kramer.

[dwswift]

ShredHead42, because the Baretta comes with a Sustainer system... that's the whole idea

Two hands31, here is the link to the Barretta:
http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=319

And although I appreciate your suggestion, I'm aware of fernandez guitars but I'm not interested in them. *They're more expensive and I'd still just want to replace the neck and pickups with my familiar old friends. *The body will be repainted as well so finish opitions are not an issue.

Thanks! *Any thoughts about the costs or possibilities of customizing the Kramer?

[dwswift]

I'd like to clarify: I already have the neck, I have the trem, I have the pickup. *I like the look and features on the "cheap kramer." The sustainer unit is basically the same as the one sustainiac sells. *They're made by a third party. The Body is Alder and that appeals to me as well. *I like the Kramer..

[Noodles]

If it's a beretta then you can loss the switch neck idea because it's a neck thru. Kramer's neck are not that bad so I would not count it out. Why not do a little routing and put an edge in the berreta?

[jemsite]

They don't show the heel joint but with slight routing it should fit. The trem will have to be routed. Overall i'd pass on the project and instead install the sustainer (fernandez or sustaniac) on an old JEM or RG instead. Since you have the parts already, maybe a custom body. The quality of the instrument will far surpass the Kramer... glen

[Noodles]

Nevermind it's the one bolt-on beretta.