Fernandes Sustainer 401 Vs 101: Difference & Which is Better?

There are a lot of controversies about Fernande’s Sustainer pickups. It’s because the pickups Fernandes Sustainer produces have issues regarding tone and other structural features. Two of those pickups are its 401 model and 101 models.

These models are efficient but which one works more efficiently between Fernandes Sustainer 401 Vs 101? You might be wondering because you don’t know which one to bring to your home. Both models are from the same brand but they differ from each other to some great extent.

The Primal Differences in Quick –

Definitely, Fernandes Sustainer 401 is a lot improved version than the Fernandes Sustainer 101 version. The former has more efficiency with multiple switches and prewired system. On the other hand, the latter has only double switches and its wire is not pre-implanted in the system.

Comparison Table:

There is more to discuss when it is to the comparison between Fernandes Sustainer 101 and 401. Before we dive into the detailed section, let us add the comparison table to have a quick knowledge about these two pickups.

Fernandes Sustainer 401 and 101 Pickup Review:

Pickups are meant to enhance the sound quality of your electric guitar. And Fernandes Sustainer pickups are very much up to the mark. Many brands provide electric guitars with a Fernandes Sustainer pickup because they get along pretty well. Their model 401 and 101 pickups have great demands as they come with distinct features individually.

Fernandes Sustainer 401 – Brief Overview:

There are some definite differences you will notice between other Fernandes Sustainer pickups and Fernandes Sustainer 401 pickups. This comes with a size of a single coil driver. You will also get a sustainer circuit board or chipboard here. Almost all Sustainer pickups have one.

Besides, a 401 pickup is popular for its providing of the whole system. The kit provides two pickups. Not only that, you will get more versatility from this pickup. It’s because the Fernandes Sustainer 401 pickup offers a 5-way switch along with a stereo jack.

You can definitely have more effects in this pickup including Mix, Standard, and Harmonic modes. Good thing that you will find a knob here to make a twisted sound with the pickup. Besides the whole pickup is prewired so you don’t have to face any trouble or hassle for it.

In the case of the battery, it is top-notch and you can get easy access to it. The battery has 9 volts of power. Besides, it offers high-output humbucker which is optional.

Things We Liked About / Pros:

• The pleasure of getting versatile options and diversity in features
• Comes with optimum features including sustainer pickup single coil
• Multiple ways of the switch allow you to have a knob for blending different effects with the sound
• The advantage of getting a prewired system for the pickup

Things We Didn’t Like About / Cons:

• Because the 401 kit comes with two pickups, the guitar needs enough room to install it

Fernandes Sustainer 101 – Brief Overview:

Fernandes Sustainer 101 has some great demand for its being a neck pickup of the humbucking sustainer. Sustain of the pickup is controllable and you will find great delight in using it. It comes with a chipboard which is common in other many Fernandes Sustainer pickups.

However, this is just a single pickup. The function of the Sustainer of this pickup has only two switches but they are effective. One is for harmonic blend and the purpose of the other switch is to off and on. There is a standard mode too.

Besides, the 101 kit includes a humbucker-sized driver. However, most people confuse its neck pickup sound with its bridge pickup sound and thus pass false perception. And as you don’t get a prewired system of this kit, you might face some trouble because of it.

Things We Liked About / Pros:

• The pleasure of getting the tone you get from a real humbucker
• Two effective switches let you play and blend different harmonic tones
• Comes with the easiest setting to make you understand its function easily
• Gives a calibrated type of feeling from the pickup

Things We Didn’t Like About / Cons:

• It is not prewired
• The tone sometimes robs the real tone of the guitar

Difference Between Fernandes Sustainer 401 Vs 101 Pickup:

The difference is not much between Fernandes Sustainer 401 and 101. Yet the slightest difference can put a huge impact on a player. Therefore, though they came from the same Fernandes Sustainer brand, the differences between 101 and 401 might help you make a fair decision.

a) Tone Quality –

There is a difference in the tone quality between Fernandes Sustainer 101 and 401. The former gives off a very nice humbucking tone. It sounds authentic and genuine. On the other hand, Fernandes Sustainer 401 sounds like a single coil. It also sounds great.

b) Improved Feature –

Both Fernandes Sustainer 401 and 101 have chipboard and it carries almost all the significant features. But the way Fernandes Sustainer 401 is organized, the 101 is not organized in that way. And that’s why we see the former one comes with greatly improved features.

c) Switch Diversity –

In the case of switch diversity, Fernandes Sustainer 101 cannot beat the 401 version. The latter carries a 5-way switch and all of them are versatile in nature. It has harmonic, mix, and knob especially. But the former only has standard and harmonic switches. But they are pretty effective too.

d) Organization of Wire –

In the case of wire, not all Fernandes Sustainer is organized. Their 101 model does not come with the prewired system. Therefore, things might seem a little messy in the kit. But the model 401, comes with a prewired system and that’s why you can have an organized kit.

e) Versatility –

In terms of versatility, it is no doubt that the Fernandes Sustainer 401 has more versatility. As it carries numeral options of switches and a stereo jack, there is no doubt that 401 possesses more versatility. 101, on the other hand, has less versatility. Its settings are also effective.

f) Sustainer Driver –

The two models of Fernandes Sustainer have two different sustainer drivers. The 401 carries a single coil-sized sustainer driver. But it has humbucker which is optional. So, you can make both single coil and humbucker sounds from one sustainer.

Conversely, Fernandez Sustainer 101 has a humbucker-sized driver and so it sounds like a humbucker mostly.

Price –

In terms of price, Fernandes Sustainer 401 is pricier than 101 because the former has more diversity than the latter.

So, which Pickup you should buy?

You can try both the 401 and 101 models of Fernandes Sustainer for your bass or electric guitar. If you want to remain within a cost-effective budget then Fernandes Sustainer 101 is your call. Also, if you want something extra, like a knob, then go for Fernandes Sustainer 401.

FAQs –

Question 1: What is Fernandes’s Sustainer?

Answer: Fernandes’s sustainer is electronic and it mostly works for musical instruments. It comes with pickups and other several features to organize tones and create tones for the sake of music. Well, its other main purpose is to control the group of notes and provide the right sound range.

Question 2: What does a sustainer pickup do?

Answer: A sustainer pickup serves almost the same purpose as any other ordinary pickup but there are some modifications to it. The sustainer pickup mainly works with the help of the battery. It creates a magnetic field and helps the strings of your electric guitar to sound with perfect range and tone.

Question 3: How does a Fernandes Sustainer work?

Answer: A Fernandes Sustainer comes with some specific settings. It runs on battery. You will get a pickup or two, some switches, and knobs sometimes. You need to set the setting of the sustainer first and then play your musical instrument.

Last Updated on December 12, 2022 by Perry Garner