Action vs. Harmonics

[JacksonShredHead]

Have you guys ever noticed this when setting up your guitars?
So someone messed with the action of my guitar yesterday because they thought they should (and it made me angry) and they thought they could get it as low as possible. They did get it lower but I couldn't get the pinched, artificial harmonics out of the guitar after it was set like this. I raised the action just a little and they were there again. So have you guys ever noticed this before? It might be common knowlage, and I have done my own setups for a long time but I never knew that the action effected the harmonics so much utill this yesterday.

 

[Stringmachine]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

I too find it much easier to get them out with the action raised a bit. I dont know why, though.

 

[nuntius]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

More tension on the string IMO.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

10 points, nuntius :clap:

Part of it is also the minimally different hand position, though...you can anjust to compensate

 

[kdawson]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

Cool. I do a lot of artificial harmonics and my action is always set a bit higher than most of my friends guitars. They tend to work the frets to death until the strings are down really low. I could never be bothered with this or be willing to pay for a pro to do that kind of a setup (also, there is a real lack of techs I would trust here), so I just lived with the factory setups on my guitars, most times.

I've gotten used to this type of setup over the years and tend to like that feel of really being able to "grab onto" the strings, vs. playing a guitar where you can hardly tell there are strings on it at all.

To the point, it's nice to know there is another more technical, legitamite reason to have higher action, other than just my personal preference (not that it really matters; my preference would win in any case!)

 

[Sozos]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

If the string tension is not much, the string after pinching stops vibrating so you get no sound

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

i find fret size and neck radius to be more of a factor with my pinch harmonics rather than action height. i can do pinch harmonics on a LP or ibanez like flat neck big fret guitar with no problem same with a typical 9.5" med jumbo fret strat or tele. but with vintage frets i have to try a bit to do it on a 9.5" radius and on a 7.25" vintage radius...forget it lol.

-Mike

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

I really don't have a problem when doing articificial harmonics on a different radius or fret size, action as well. My KE2 has a little bit of a lower action and a much flatter radius than my V but I do them just fine on both guitars. I do have to admit that when it gets extreme like on my friend's japanese squier (as low as it can get without slamming against the frets) I have more trouble doing them, or on my best friend's brother's guitar where the action was set extremely high (but then again that guitar wasn't player friendly with the fat neck and .08 strings).

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

i cant play on low action guitars. It just feels a bit cheaper, it prevents you from muscling your own tone and bends into it as much as a high action guitar. It also helps you be more expressive and tone down your speed (if that's what you want).

 

[rombola]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

why i cant play pinch harmonics on myt schecter c1???? the action is set not too high but not to low just regular ??????

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

that c-1 should pull off pinch harmonics without even trying man. i have one and it's one of my main guitars and i don't even have to try with that, i do them by accident sometimes with it when i didg in a bit lol. with a 14" radius and big frets it should be easy for you...what string gauge do you use (not that it matters much)? it may be a setup issue or it may be the way you are trying to do them perhaps...it's hard to say without picking up the guitar myself or watching you do it.

-Mike

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Action vs. Harmonics

yeah, before i had trouble getting any pinch, now i can get pinch harmonics clean with my strat.