Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

[Diocletian]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I think its all in the hands, all my pinch harmonics sound the same on every guitar, and they come out loud.

To an extent I agree with this. I have an A2Pro in an Epi Les Paul and I have no problem doing pinch harmonics with them.
That said, when I play my Jackson with the Bill Lawrence 500XL in it, the harmonics seem to fly out of it with the absoloute minimum of effort.
So I think it's certainly a mix of both technique and pickup.


However, the OP posted he DOESN'T like how the A2Pros squeal when he tries these - which confuses me. Isn't that "squeal" exactly what you're looking for in a pinch harmonic?

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

It's about frequency range!
If you can get decent Pinch harmonics on an acoustic ,,or unplugged ,but the amplified ones are weak , you have to look at your amplification/cable/ PU.
There are certain PUs with broader frequency range. PATB-1 is a very Harmonicly rich PU .So are PATB-2 and 3.
EMGs have very Uniform harmonics , DMZ EVO is a real screamer , BKP Miracle Man has unique Harmonic structure , Q-Tuners are extremely sensitive to harmonics and can produce evn the highest ones on the highest registers on your fretboard.

Single coil hot wound PUs can produce very nice harmonics even with less gain too.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

Oh BTW, think of Satch - his pickups are far from being uber-high gain monsters, yet he gets all sorts of insane harmonic trickery from his guitars.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I find that lowering the pickup helps me get better harmonics.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I find that isn't even a remote issue if you do pinch harmonics using the fingernail of your index finger rather than your thumb. I never understood why people use their thumbs anyway...

Because that's usually how people accidentally "discover" pinch harmonics, and therefore that's how they teach others, and it goes on and on.

 

[apj]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I think output has nothing to do with it. People do pinch harmonics almost clean. It's totally technique and the guitar itself. Some guitars just don't sing. I've had a 335 with a 59 in the bridge, it screamed harmonics. Had a JB in a lp, same thing. I put that JB in a PRS and couldn't get any harmonics out of it.

 

[ken361]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

good setup helps

 

[Karmadog777]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I could tell you hotter pickups with more gain definately help
also what the original poster said about the"sound" of the squeal he dont like, I use ALOT of pinch harmonics and I can tell you that the sound of a harmonic squeal with my CC (A-2) axe is definately not as sharp and metal sounding as a squeal off a A-8 or a ceramic pup.

Technique+pickup+amp gain = desired result , there is no 1 single element that will be the magic pill

as you can tell from all the different responses everyone has an opinion that works for them,but is not the answer for some others

I guess thats why us guitar freaks just call it MOJO

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I find that isn't even a remote issue if you do pinch harmonics using the fingernail of your index finger rather than your thumb. I never understood why people use their thumbs anyway...

I do both, I could never understand why people would want to limit themselves stylistically by using one method exclusively... Different strokes for different folks, I guess

 

[Karmadog777]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

guess thats why Vai like to pull them off with his tongue
fingernails and thumbs are for sissies

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

guess thats why Vai like to pull them off with his tongue
fingernails and thumbs are for sissies

I use my thumb

 

[Karmadog777]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

now why would you go and post that after that last post ,Chrissy ?


:nana:

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

now why would you go and post that after that last post ,Chrissy ?


:nana:

Im not man enough to use my tongue

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

^^ afraid of getting shocked because the guitar is electric, eh?

 

[B2D]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

Seriously?
The scale length difference between the LP and JS1000 is .75 inch.
It might matter if we were talking about a normal scale length guitar versus a proper extended scale (28 inches or more).
I can barely tell the difference between 24.75 inches and 27 inches for harmonic node spacing and pulling off pinch harmonics, let alone .75 inch. .75 inch is nothing.

That's like saying 1/16th of an inch is nothing when it comes to nut width. But does it make a difference when it comes to how a guitar feels? Sure it does.

Remember, our hands are very sensitive and operate on relatively small measurements when it comes to the fine points of technique on musical instruments.

I prefer 25.5 scale instruments and personally I find that harmonic spots are easier to locate and touch off on that scale (especially below the 5th fret) partially because of the spacing and partially because of what that scale length does to string response overall.

On a Les Paul or similar scaled instrument, I can still get harmonics when I want them but I have to be a bit more exacting with my technique and finger placement to get them on command.

As for actually getting them to come out... there's three stages. 1) Your technique has to be right to get them to sound off 2) Your instrument and strings have to be able to vibrate and resonate well enough to get that harmonic to sustain itself (dead wood and old strings = not helpful) and 3) The pickups have to be able to reproduce the harmonic in the first place. Some will work better than others, especially under gain/volume and amp type. Experiment to see what works best. Duncan JBs, and DiMarzio Evolutions and FRED probably reproduce harmonics the best out of any pickups I've personally heard, but there are lots out there. I've even heard vintage Strats that have real well-made pickups that just gush with harmonic content.

 

[B2D]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

^^ afraid of getting shocked because the guitar is electric, eh?

My mom tried to use that line when I was 7 or 8 and I asked for an electric guitar to learn to play. i can still hear her voice...

"Why don't you learn piano instead? It's safer... electric guitarists get shocked a lot. That's why there are so many dead rock stars."

:laugh2:

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

My mom tried to use that line when I was 7 or 8 and I asked for an electric guitar to learn to play. i can still hear her voice...

"Why don't you learn piano instead? It's safer... electric guitarists get shocked a lot. That's why there are so many dead rock stars."

:laugh2:

hahaha so many dead rock stars form getting shocked......I wish that was the reason......

 

[Vincent Vespa]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I do both, I could never understand why people would want to limit themselves stylistically by using one method exclusively... Different strokes for different folks, I guess

I will actually use my middle finger to get the thumb sound... I guess that's just me, though!

It is good to have different ways to play everything, though.

 

[Player_Won]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

I have a lower end ESP Ltd guitar and have just replaced the stock "Designed by ESP" pups with some Seymour Duncan Distortions and I have to say my pinched harmonics are popping out much easier and with more sustain so I would say they have had a fairly big impact for me. I think having pups which don't lend themselves to pinched harmonics really made me work hard on my technique so that is aslo a factor to consider.

 

[dave74]

Re: Can A pickup help increase pinch harmonics?

pick + side of thumb-pad for me