neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

[dr.barlo]

Re: neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

There is a very noticable difference, a neck HB in a LP type guitar with 24 fret sounds brighter more defined (strat like if you will) than that on a 22-fret guitar. Frankly speaking I don't like the tone out of that 24 neck position. I find myself decreasing the tone on the guitar to make it at least sound more like regular good old neck HB tone.

I went through a bunch of SD and other pickups to get that a2 22fret neck HB tone out of a 24 fret guitar. PGns, PGbs, 59ns, A2pbs, A2pns, ant necks,... None of them solved the problem. Ended up getting a custom wound HB from Tim White, specifically for that 24 fret neck position. More bass, less definition less highs. He did it! I have been happy ever since.

I am not saying it sounds exactly like a 22fret neck HB, yet the closest I have ever heard so far. That man has a very long waiting list, thus it would be a great idea to contact SD custom shop. I am sure that could come up with something like that. In fact, I would be surprised if such a request was not placed before.

B

[Hardtailed]

Re: neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

All that talk is interesting, but let's put things into perspectives: as soon as you're not playing the open string or on the 12th fret, that "node" on the 24th fret is not on the 24th fret anymore, so positioning your pickup in function of that is pretty much a waste of time...

[Kent S.]

Re: neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

All that talk is interesting, but let's put things into perspectives: as soon as you're not playing the open string or on the 12th fret, that "node" on the 24th fret is not on the 24th fret anymore, so positioning your pickup in function of that is pretty much a waste of time...

Yeah, but all the other harmonic fractions are still shifted by the same amount ... so it's not just isolated to the 24th fret harmonic ... It's the entire shift that we are referreing to here, and that changes the entire tone regardless of what notes are played. Now if you can, like dr.barlo, find a pup that you're happy with in that *forwarded* position, then great ... on darker sounding guitars that slightly forward position can be used to advantage also; again I'll say... the tone change and accented harmonic fractions aren't just related to certain positions.

[Lightning]

Re: neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

Previously posted in post 10. Ok if it is only 4 inches between centers of LP pickups and 3 1/2 between centers of a 24 fret then just math would tell you there is a 12 1/2 percent difference in the sound that will come out of your amp. I have no problem hearing the difference.

[Kent S.]

Re: neck pickups with 24 fret guitars

so are you saying there is a node on every fret from the 1st to last and from the last to the bridge?

Even though this has been answered, I'm going to add something ... the harmonic nodes can be manipulated by string length ... First just finger different nodal points gives you your harmonics ... this is what happens when you hit your 12th,9th,5th,and 4th (kind) harmonics. Now, finger the first fret, and pick those same harmonics over the 13th,10th,6th,and 5th (kinda) frets ... by moving the fingering of the harmonics you've kept the same relationship to the fundemental as it moved (+1oct., P5th from that,+2oct.,M3rd from that). So the intervals sound the same harmonic intervals. Now then finger the second fret,pick the harmonic over the 7th fret ... what note is it ... that's right its +2octs from the fundmental, not a 5th above the +1oct. The point is that there is harmonic node or partial node that is accented somewhere along that string at any given point in relation to any given note fretted or open ... we tend to be able to hear more harmonics when a string is wound and open, as well as under higher tension as the upper harmonics tend to ring longer, and hold there relative levels longer in the sustain. It similar to picking over any section of string strum over the fingerboard ala Keith Richards and you'll get this really full soft sound accenting the lower harmonics as well as the even ordered ones, strum back in front of the bridge (or pick in front of the saddles) and you get an instant Sitar meets Koto sound, suitable for driving people nuts (upper harmonics, and odd ordered ones) ... the point was not that the pup placement includes a 24fret harmonic, that was only a reference, the point was that that pup sense the different harmonics that are accented (again this was said) just as does picking in various places on the string length,the harmonics that occur toward the middle of the effective string length are the loudest, and closer related to the fundmental ... influences the tone more so than the ones moving closer to the bridge side [the fretting hand is muting the other side,as well as note having pups mounted on the fingerboard itself] being farther related from the fundmental as well as being lower in volume, therefore tending to contribute less to the overall tone. Again the 24th fret harmonic was citied only as a reference.