Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster
4
first play
13
FEBRUARY 2018 GUITARIST
FENDER EOB SUSTAINER STRATOCASTER
there, they’re just a bit fatter ’round
the middle.
The Sustainer is wired to a pair of
switches, and a rotary ‘intensity’ control
which occupies the space where the
second tone knob on a regular Strat would
be. The first switch is an on/off. Flick
it on and the five-way pickup selector
switch is bypassed; suddenly it’s all about
the Sustainer. The second switch selects
between three Sustain modes: Natural, Mix
and Harmonic. Natural simply sustains
the note or chord that you’re playing.
Harmonic pumps out a feedback-style
high-pitch note. Mix is a blend of both.
Ed uses the Sustainer to produce
otherworldly synth-like sounds which we
agree sound awesome. That said, we love
what the sustain does for real guitar stuff.
It’s incredible for slide. Hit a long George
Harrison-esque string slide, let it sustain in
Natural mode, then flick to Harmonic and
listen to the note slowly begin to squeal.
Do the same while playing regular lead. It’s
a blast. Try your hand at some pedal steel
bends. If you add in a volume pedal and a
splash of reverb, you’ll get some authentic
old school sounds. The thing is like an
Ebow on steroids.
Verdict
Chef Gordon Ramsey will tell you that
every recipe should have a hero, the one
ingredient that dominates a plate. Applying
that theory to the EOB, the Fernandes
Sustainer should be the undisputed
champion here. In fact, it shares the
winner’s podium with that superb 10/56V
neck profile. You see, bells and whistles
aside, the EOB is just a damn good Strat
and as such has the potential to snag
punters no matter what noises they like
to make. To paraphrase an old Radiohead
song, anyone can play Ed’s new guitar.
FENDER EOB
SUSTAINER
STRATOCASTER
Price: £979 (inc gigbag)
Origin: Mexico
Type: Twin-cutaway, solid body
electric guitar
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, bolt-on
Scale length: 648mm (25.5")
Nut/width: Synthetic bone/42mm
Fingerboard: Maple, 241mm (9.5")
Frets: 21, narrow tall
Hardware: 6-saddle vintage-style
Synchronized vibrato and nickel-
plated Kluson style tuners
String spacing, bridge: 54mm
Electrics: Seymour Duncan JB Jr
humbucker, Fender Texas Special
single coil, Fernandes Sustainer
Driver humbucker, five-way lever
pickup selector switch, master
volume, master tone, Sustainer
Intensity control, Sustainer on/off
switch, Sustainer mode switch
Weight (kg/lb): 3.2/7.11
Options: None
Range options: The Eric Clapton
Stratocaster (£1,929) with its active
mid-boost, TBX tone circuits and
Vintage Noiseless pickups
Left handers: Not this model
Finishes: Olympic White (as shown)
Fender GBI
01342 331700
www.fender.com
PROS: Great neck and the Sustainer
opens up a world of possibilities. The
sub-£1,000 price tag is a bargain for
such an innovative Stratocaster
CONS: The Sustainer’s novelty
might wear off
9
4. Ed O’Brien’s new baby
is fi tted with a Fernandes
Sustainer pickup. This
vibrates the strings
for infi nite sustain and
the sound is pumped
through the amp by
the bridge pickup
5. The usual Strat
jackplate has been
dropped in favour of
Sustainer switches:
an on/off and a three
position mode switch
for Natural, Mix and
Harmonic settings
6.The EOB comes spec’d
with the highly desirable
10/56V bolt-on maple
neck. The profi le runs
from a subtle V at the
top nut to a C at the
12th fret and beyond
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaris textra
5
6
GIT429.rev_fender.indd 13 12/19/17 11:26 AM