Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

[Jack_TriPpEr]

I recently replaced the stock bridge pickup in my floyded, basswood Ibanez RG with a Dimarzio Super Dist.

The issue I discovered, is I can't get consistent, strong pinch harmonics on the low E and A strings with this Super Dist. I can get nice screamers on the D and G strings, but not the A and E. I'm pretty sure it's not my technique because I can get them consistently on the A and low E strings of my Epi LP Custom, which has same gauge strings (9 gauge sets) and stock Epi pickups. One difference btw the guitars is that the Epi has small frets and the Ibanez has jumbo frets.

I've already tried the following to alleviate the issue but with no luck:
- replaced the low E and A with two fresh strings (from a 9 gauge set)
- raised the pickup height
- increased the gain level.
- lowered the action
- disconnected the tone pot
- replaced the standard 0.32 gauge A string with a 0.28 gauge string

Dimarzio suggested that I try replacing my 500K volume pot with a 1 Meg Ohm pot. There's a lot of soldered connections on my volume pot, so changing it out will be a real PITA, and I am worried about the 1 Meg Ohm pot making the guitar too bright.

Any suggestions?

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

It could be a number of things.

Your pickups could be too close to the strings
Your action could be too low
Your technique

Try the harmonic on different parts of the string. Try moving closer to the bridge and then closer to the neck. You just may not have found the sweet spot yet for those strings.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

It could be a number of things.

Your pickups could be too close to the strings
Your action could be too low
Your technique

Try the harmonic on different parts of the string. Try moving closer to the bridge and then closer to the neck. You just may not have found the sweet spot yet for those strings.

Did all that already.

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

Did all that already.

When I have trouble with harmonics, its usually my technique. I have the most trouble when my thumb nail is too long

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

I mentioned in the first post, that with my current technique, I'm nailing screamers on the A and Low E string consistently on another guitar, same string gauges.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

Bump. I need to figure this out before my 30 day return period on the pup expires, and it takes time to order, ship, install and evaluate a replacement pot if that is the ultimate answer.

[Securb]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

I have a Super Distortion in my Telecaster and just plugged it in for my own curiosity. I was able to do pinch harmonics all over the neck. I also use .09s and the Tele has a 250K volume pot. I really don't know what to tell you. If the stock pickup was responding the way you liked it put it back in and send back the Super Distortion. There could be a laundry list of issues that are causing your problem ranging from a defective pick up to the wiring scheme used during the install.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

I have a Super Distortion in my Telecaster and just plugged it in for my own curiosity. I was able to do pinch harmonics all over the neck. I also use .09s and the Tele has a 250K volume pot. I really don't know what to tell you. If the stock pickup was responding the way you liked it put it back in and send back the Super Distortion. There could be a laundry list of issues that are causing your problem ranging from a defective pick up to the wiring scheme used during the install.

Ok, thanks. That does give me an idea actually: re-inspect my soldering work.

[AlexR]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

Getting harmonics is all about technique. The electronics just pickup whatever you're doing and turn it into an electric signal. If you can get them on other strings then its proof that the electrics (pots/caps/wire) aren't stopping them from happening. I'd even say its not the pickup, for the same reason.

Play the guitar unplugged.....I can hear when I'm getting ph's even without amplification, so you should be able to tell if they're sounding or not.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

...Play the guitar unplugged.....I can hear when I'm getting ph's even without amplification, so you should be able to tell if they're sounding or not.

Excellent point, thanks. I'll check that out.

[audiocheck]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

I find that too hot of a pickup actually makes me play different. It feels as though there are no dynamics and it throws me off a bit. I don't set my amp louder then the rest of my band, so I use my technique to get me above the band, when I need to. This maybe what you are experiencing and your technique is suffering from it. If you are already used to hot Pups, then never mind what I wrote.

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

Did u try raising the pole pieces a little?

[uOpt]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

Dimarzio suggested that I try replacing my 500K volume pot with a 1 Meg Ohm pot. There's a lot of soldered connections on my volume pot, so changing it out will be a real PITA, and I am worried about the 1 Meg Ohm pot making the guitar too bright.

That is an utterly ridiculous suggestion. At best of times exchanging just one pot and leaving the capacitor and the other pots is very much a fine-tuning exercise and would never fix something people are actively unhappy with. In this specific case it's even more ludicrous since a 500k tone pot full open already does almost nothing. Changing it to 1 Mohm is a waste of time.

I think you need to check unplugged, this guitar against a guitar that works for you.

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Do I need to change the pickup? or tone pot? or something else?

I played it unplugged as AlexR suggested and I could hear the harmonics were present when I was making my pinch harmonics. Then I decided to plug it in and play around with pickup height and action settings one more time before taking it to the bench and examining my prior soldering work as Securb suggested. After only a few minutes of playing it through the amp, I hear ... snap ... crackle... pop... the sound cut out completely. I flipped it over and saw that the hot lead from the bridge had come disconnected from the pickup selector switch. Ah ha! So I have to conclude I did a poor solder job a few days ago when I installed this.

I re - soldered it (and checked my other soldering work), plugged it back in, and wha-la... strong, consistent pinch harmonics on the A and low E strings.

Thanks everyone for helping me figure this out.