Sustainiac

Sustainiac

Also known as: Maniac Music

Unclaimed

Sustainiac, a product of Maniac Music, Inc., is an Indianapolis-based company specializing in electromagnetic sustain systems for electric guitars. Founded by Alan Hoover and Gary Osborne, the company produced its first sustainer in 1986 and has been manufacturing its flagship products since 1987. The technology was inspired by Michael Brook's Infinite Guitar concept and uses a driver installed...

more

Sustainiac, a product of Maniac Music, Inc., is an Indianapolis-based company specializing in electromagnetic sustain systems for electric guitars. Founded by Alan Hoover and Gary Osborne, the company produced its first sustainer in 1986 and has been manufacturing its flagship products since 1987. The technology was inspired by Michael Brook's Infinite Guitar concept and uses a driver installed in the neck pickup position to electromagnetically vibrate the strings, producing infinite, controllable sustain and harmonic feedback effects without the need for high volume or close proximity to an amplifier.

The company's flagship product is the Stealth PRO, a self-contained kit that replaces the neck pickup and fits into standard electric guitar control cavities. The system offers multiple sustain modes including fundamental sustain and harmonic overtone modes. Sustainiac systems are available as aftermarket kits and as OEM installations in production guitars from major manufacturers including Schecter, Ibanez, and Jackson. Schecter offers the widest range of Sustainiac-equipped models across lines such as the Hellraiser, Banshee, Reaper, and Sun Valley series, while Ibanez features the system in Joe Satriani signature models like the JS2480 and JS240PS.

Sustainiac-equipped guitars are used by artists spanning rock, metal, and experimental genres, including Joe Satriani, Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold, Matthew Bellamy of Muse, and DJ Ashba. All Sustainiac products are manufactured in the USA.

Sustainiac has 1 product cataloged on Equipboard, including Electric Guitar Pickups. Their gear is featured by 15 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Pop. Notable users include Synyster Gates, Matthew Bellamy, and Kerry King.

Artists Who Use Sustainiac

Synyster Gates uses 1 Sustainiac product

Synyster Gates

Singer, Guitarist · Avenged Sevenfold

Matthew Bellamy uses 1 Sustainiac product

Matthew Bellamy

Singer, Guitarist · Muse

Kerry King uses 1 Sustainiac product

Kerry King

Guitarist, Composer · Megadeth

Kenny Hickey uses 1 Sustainiac product

Kenny Hickey

Singer, Guitarist · Type O Negative

Adrian Belew uses 1 Sustainiac product

Adrian Belew

Singer, Guitarist · Nine Inch Nails

Zacky Vengeance uses 1 Sustainiac product

Zacky Vengeance

Guitarist · Avenged Sevenfold

Steve Stevens uses 1 Sustainiac product

Steve Stevens

Guitarist · Michael Jackson (band)

Alessandro Cortini uses 1 Sustainiac product

Alessandro Cortini

Keyboardist, Music Producer · Nine Inch Nails

Wayne Sermon uses 1 Sustainiac product

Wayne Sermon

Guitarist, Keyboardist · Imagine Dragons

Dweezil Zappa uses 1 Sustainiac product

Dweezil Zappa

Guitarist · Spinal Tap

Devin Shidaker uses 1 Sustainiac product

Devin Shidaker

Guitarist · The Acacia Strain

DJ Ashba uses 1 Sustainiac product

DJ Ashba

Guitarist · Guns N' Roses

Mdou Moctar uses 1 Sustainiac product

Mdou Moctar

Singer, Guitarist

Daniel Cavanagh uses 1 Sustainiac product

Daniel Cavanagh

Singer, Guitarist · Anathema

Craig Kerley uses 1 Sustainiac product

Craig Kerley

Singer, Guitarist

Gear Guides featuring Sustainiac

Are you on the Sustainiac team?

  • Be the first to know when an artist is spotted using Sustainiac gear
  • Curate the Sustainiac catalog, images, and product details
  • Respond to community photos and reviews of Sustainiac gear
  • See how Sustainiac gear is trending on Equipboard