MXR Command Sustainer

This is a no brainer. Two knobs, level and sustain. Can't get any easier.

I bought this pedal back in the 80's when it came out. Even for that time, the sound quality was questionable. I don't understand the other posts praising this pedal as being as good as they think. The only positive quality of this pedal is, as stated in other reviews, is it's ability to boost the input signal dramatically. That appears to be how this pedal achieves its so called "sustain." Beyond that, it is a noisy and very poorly built pedal. It is ALL plastic and difficult to get good tone from it. And from the moment I took it out of the box, I noticed the on off switch is VERY cheaply made. It is a large, rectangular plastic button about 1" by 3" long, and WOBBLES ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN YOU STEP ON IT, and makes a lot of crackling noise because of the way the plastic stomp switch rides on the tiny and delicate switch on the circuit board inside the box.

Well, I bought this pedal about 25 years ago. Probably the only reason it still works is that it spent 24 of those years in a box on a shelf. The case is all plastic, even the jacks. Yes, even back in the 80's they were making cheap plastic jacks on pedals. The case itself is sturdy enough, but that is where it ends. I think this was the period in time when the original MXR company sealed its fate by making bad products, and went out of business rather abruptly.

The pots on the knobs are flimsy plastic and could be easily broken with little effort.

The BIGGEST problem with this pedal was the poorly designed on and off switch. The stomp switch is about 1 inch by 3 inches long. When you step on the switch, it WOBBLES around like it is on a pivot mount. If you (carefully) open the box, remove the knobs and pop the circuit board out, you will see why the switch wobbles so much and makes so much crackling noise. The stomp switch is mounted on a fairly thick spring but has basically NO GUIDES built into it to restrict lateral movement when being engaged. This is particularly bad because the actual switch that is mounted on the circuit board underneath that big plastic stomp button, is a very cheap and delicate switch smaller than a postage stamp. The lateral wobbling action of the stomp button is no match at all for such a delicate electrical switch. That small switch on the circuit board will quickly breakdown, (lots of static when stomping the button) because of the mismatching of the button and the switch.

This questionable engineering is what caused the original MXR company to loose customers and go out of business back then. Dunlop bought the MXR name and has since been producing better quality products.

This pedal remains in its box on a shelf, and will only be brought back out as a temporary back up if my other compressor/sustaon pedal(s) breakdown.

Never called them. This pedal was made 25 years ago and would not be supported any more anyway. Besides, the MXR company that made this pedal closed its doors many years ago. Dunlop bought the MXR name and now produces a better quality product.

I am a professional guitarist who has been a working musician longer than most people on this site have been alive. I am in my 50's I have probably logged more time on the road playing music than a lot of people have spent on their jobs. I have seen MANY better, as well as reliable, compressor - sustain pedals than this one. As I stated above, the only positive attribute of this pedal is it gives a large volume boost, so it is mislabled as a sustain to begin with. It is nothing more than a very noisy, plastic boost pedal that goes snap crackle and pop too much.

There are probably very few of these around any more so you are unlikely to ever come across one. I suspect many of them were simply thrown into the trash a long time ago.

Look into a newer Dunlop made MXR pedal and avoid this 25 year old junk.

OK - first off, my pedal says "MXR Sustain" on it and has 2 knobs - sensitivity and volume - I think the model is from the 'Commande' range from the early 80's?

Same idea as a dynacomp - easy! Set the amount of compression and then balance the volume vs direct and you are all set.

This pedal sounds great. At extreme 'sensitivity' (aka compression) it boosts the crap out of anything on the input so yes it will sound noisy, but turn the guitar volume down and it is quiet - so not a noisy pedal.

Dynamically it is an 'in your face' style compressor, at say 12 o'clock, most attuned ears would know that there was a compressor 'on' - if you want subtle you have to wind it way back, but that works too.

I have owned a *lot* of compressors over the years and I am picky - some are junk (never tried a DOD I liked) but there are a few jems out there. Boss's CS-2 is an old favourite for me and there are obviously some impressive boutique models around too, but the MXR is a good blast from the past.

I believe that this pedal is true bypass although I tend to put it first in chain and it is always on!

25 years old and works fine. I would not use it to beat off a mugger as it has a plastic case (I have a DOD chorus as weapon of choice for that duty). But electrically it is perfect.

This pedal suits chicken picking, stoner rock, Pink Floyd inspired meandering etc etc. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a compressor with a bucket full of vintage character, something a little bit different.

Simple, two controls, output and snsitivity. To my ears this sounds just like the Dynacomp in a tough plastic caseing. Took only moments to get the desired effect.

I use this with a Ground Control system, so it's in a switchable loop with other stuff. I also use the Boss CS-2 and Ibanez CP-9 compressors which give alternative compression sounds. This MXR Command Sustainer gives me a Dynacomp sound. The plastic caseing doesn't bother me at all as it sits in a rack and doesn't get stomped on. Everyone knows that you get a bit of hiss from compressors but if you know what you are doing with them you can get great results. This gives me great results.

I have been using it for years now without a back-up. Just be good to your gear and it will be good to you.

Never needed it.

I play Rock styles but this is good for what ever you want to chuck at it. It's what you do with it that counts. Been playing for over 30 years. This is used in a pro touring rig with more toys than I care to list. I prefer the seperate pedals to the all in one programmable boards because I think each pedal has it's own particular character and sound colour. If it was lost I'd get another. It has a great sustain. To me it's an old Dynacomp in a different box.

VERY Easy..2 knobs, no waiting!

Excellent. All compressors impart a slight color to your sound..but in this case it is very minimal and VERY musical...and subtle.

MXR is known for its durabilty. The commande series is no exception. Some guys have bitched about the fact that the actual box is made of a type of plastic...I have no problem with that at all. Its the same stuff as pay phone are made of....ever break one of those??? I didnt think so. I suppose if you ran it over with an 18 wheeler it would crack...bit so would your Tube screamer in its steel chasis.
Main point: the box is extremely rugged and because its a form of plastic is LIGHTWEIGHT!!!

MXR is now owned by Dunlop and the commande series came out briefly in the 1980s(or maybe late 1970s, Im not certain). Main point: I havent called Dunlop to see what they know of the Commande series...I feel they probably wouldnt know much..but thats my guess.

I play everything from Hard Rock to Apalachian Folk Music. I have experience in Motown,Calypso etc
the Sustainer pedal is a great compressor for a bunch of things. I have used it as a clean boost pedal (just set the output level high, and the sustain real low and you'll a BIG boost for solos and no compression), as a light compressor (to just tame the peaks when Im playing a part that could really hit your ears offensively...like the chors in a reggae/ska song that get spanked all thru the song)..and as a pedal to push the gain into the next pedals at my feet. (This way If I want I can get a great singing lead tone by jacking up the amount of gain hitting the input of my distortion pedal (like a fulltone..or whatever you like). You can take a subtle pedal and make it really scream (sometimes a little overdrive just aint enough).
I think its a great pedal that is SO OVERLOOKED. Think about it: It weighs next to nothing, so you can keep it in your guitar case and its always there, in case you need it. Its cheap, and it works great.
I got mine for 50$, and have since bought several for about that same price (I collect cool pedals). They all perform the same...its not like germanium fuzz units. I know they havent been made in years but little mom and pop music stores still have a few (I know Nicotera's in Utica, NY has one on their shelf).
I think the Commande series Sustainer ranks up ther with any of the best TC electronics pedals (for keeping your sound intact) and is as equally usable as the dyna Comp..at a fraction of the price and weight. I own several...need I say more?