Product: Roland AS-1 Sustainer
Price Paid: US $20?
Submitted
10/03/2003
at
01:40pm
by
Bill Gary
Ease of Use
:
10
Input and output volume and a bypass switch. about as easy as it gets.
Sound Quality
:
9
This is my secret weapon. I use it first in my chain. This sucker will double the sustain of your notes and if you like semihollow guitars you got something better than an e bow. Its basically an opto controlled analogue volume maintainer. Unlike a compressor pedal it doesnt color the sound. I run this into a compressor next that i use as a volume booster, then a chorus, a volume pedal, echo than my Marshall. Would be nice if it had an on off light because it doesnt color the sound just sustains and you have to Know if its on or adjust the knobs to see if theres a change to know if its on.
Reliability
:
10
Had it since the earley seventies hasnt failed yet, and this thing is beat up man i mean there is no paint on the outside left. solderd in an 18 volt power supply which really made it reliable. I hate batteries and this one took two.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
You can fix this one your self, if it ever fails. It has about 5 or six transistors and an photo-coupler.
Overall Rating
:
10
If you find on get an 18v power supply for it. batteries are too expensive these days. This puppy can make any guitar sustain endlessly without microphonics. It does something that only professionals learn under high volume circumstances, and that is how to use controlled RESONATING GUITAR STRING FEEDBACK, instead of crappy distortion. Use this infront of an OVERDRIVE unit or a hot tube amp and youll have to relearn everything you thought you knew. about
Product: Roland AS-1 Sustainer
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted
01/19/2002
at
07:35pm
by
Phil
Email: atomic_punk<at>caramail dot com
Ease of Use
:
10
It has 2 knobs and a footswitch. One is labeled "out level" and the other "sustain". It's really easy to use, if u can't make anything out of it u need guitar lessons.
Sound Quality
:
9
Well I play mostly underground punk and grunge, and this pedal is just great. What I like about the sustain is that it cuts all the sharp edges in the distortion and it makes a juicy palm mute when u set the sustain to 10. Set it to zero and u get a cool piano-like sound. I would give it a 9.5 more than a 9.
Reliability
:
10
I use this thing on gigs and i never had problems. Roland manufactured this pedal in the 70's, my uncle gave it to me and he told me he never had problems with it either. It his made of die-cast steel and it will never break, it is quality stuff. The only things i hate about it is that u have to remove the back panel to get to the batteries, and it has no power supply plug. Oh, i forgot to mention that it takes TWO 9v batteries to make it work, but that's ok i guess because they can last for a couple of years even if you use it everyday.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
i never dealt with them and probably never will.
Overall Rating
:
10
Like I said, I play underground punk and grunge and it helps me get the sound I want and if it were stolen i don't think i could buy another one but i would do anything to have it back. I have a DeArmond S-67 guitar, a PSK dst-5 distortion pedal, a Bespeco weeper -by the way, never buy a Bespeco weeper- and a home made fuzz box, steal what u want but please not this pedal, it's very useful when i play bass too.
