Controlled feedback

N

namklak

New member
Players,
I'm looking for that magic moment of melodic feedback, which I always struggle finding. And I'm not talking about the squeal of unpotted pickups, I want a note related to the one I'm playing.

For gigging I use the H&K GM36 and the HD500X as midi controller and input effects like wah, OD, EQ, etc - no amp modeling. I play in a 7 piece so cranking my amp to 10 is not an answer for me - although I can play loud(ly). I am using an SG with a Pearly Gates in the neck and a JB in the bridge, and sometimes use an LP Special with stock P-90s.

On a side note, at band practice I use an old Digitech GNX3000 into a solid state power amp, and I can get that to feedback rather easily. And that's at a fairly low volume. Is it a natural compression in either the Digitech or the power amp?

Do I need a compressor in the chain?

I mostly use mild to moderate saturation, although I occasionally set the amp to mimic the Soldano buttery saturation. So just cranking the gain isn't necessarily an answer.

Have any of you found some amps feedback better than others? I could potentially spend up to $1k for an amp if that is the solution.

Help me Mr. Wizard?

Thanks!!!
 
Re: Controlled feedback

The only way I can get it (and I can control it extremely well now) is with my 800 up loud....volume really is a big factor for what your talking about.

Certainly the JB isn't holding you back.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

The slab body of the SG works against you...solid body guitars were invented to get rid of feedback in the first place. Semi-hollow guitars like an ES-335 are MUCH easier to get feedback from if you can't play super loud.
 
Last edited:
Re: Controlled feedback

That late-70s stadium rock "harmonic feedback" is really all about standing in front of a cranked amp and letting fly. The sound waves in the air will naturally sustain the vibration of the string, creating more signal to drive the cones which feeds into the string, etc. A little compression helps, but a tube amp naturally gives you some of that squish when you overdrive it (instead of chopping off the top and bottoms of the waveforms at max gain like solid-state transistors do).

Getting these kinds of tails at "bedroom" levels is difficult to impossible. Basically you'll be cranking your compressor to give you maximum sustain, and that requires that you play with impeccable technique because the compressor will sustain anything the guitar produces, not just what will naturally feed back, and you'll probably be bellying up to your speaker anyway to encourage that.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

My band did a few songs years ago where I used controlled feedback. One being a heavy version of Sweet Emotion. I found the best way to get feedback on demand and controlling it is to touch the headstock to the amp and control the level of feedback with your volume knob.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Boost your gain and your mids. Guitars live in the mids and I've found that feedback is easier to get with those up towards noon or all the way, than it is if you've got them scooped-out. Certain amps seem to be better than others at generating sweet feedback. I had a GM, and borrowed one last year for a show. I never had much issue getting feedback from the GM all by itself (without pedals).
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Admittedly when I got my GM I started real dark, trying to get Duane's bass plexi tone - sound guys hated it because I wasn't cutting thru. I've been adding more and more presence and mids - apparently I need more yet.
Thank you all for input and will check back to see if anymore came in...
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Short of something like a Fernandes Sustainer, pure volume and standing in the right place is about it. A compressor, like the Vise Grip, helps with sustain, but not really feedback. The right guitar, in the right place, and at the right volume is generally the non-electronic option.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

I'm a pedal nut and think you should own a T Rex Mudhoney. It's a hard pedal to categorize, but it sounds like a cranked amp ready to explode while sustaining.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Funkfingers said:
The FB-2 seems vastly less artificial than the old DF-2 Super Feedback & Distortion.
Click to expand...

there are still unnatural artifacts/oscillations in the early minutes of the demo.

joe satriani uses a dedicated feedback pedal at times but i dont know what that is.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

More gain on the amp plus turning your guitar's volume knob down further to compensate and keep it in the mix. When you want a given note to feedback, roll the volume knob up as the note decays. This increases what's going to the amp enough that it puts out more, and the amp generates the loop, without the volume swell you'd normally get. It's tricky to nail down, but once you do, you'll have it.

And position/angle with the speakers is a major factor, solidbody or not.


You may also look into raising your pickups a bit more.


Lastly, you may be able to kickstart the process by tweaking the profile/height of a couple of frets past the note you most-likely want to go harmonic. One of my guitars has such an issue where the 8th fret/2nd string G will degenerate into the harmonic rather quickly, and once it goes into feedback is the sweetest tone ever. Wiggle the string and it takes on a vocal quality. And that's a mahogany solidbody as well. If all my guitars did that, I'd have real trouble picking a favorite.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

I thought in the past I had seen pedals that do this - but wondered if I was dreaming. Seems like a pedal could do this, I'll research the suggestions... Seems like just adding a mid-boost might do this - any suggestions on center freq of mid boost?

DrNewcenstein said:
More gain on the amp plus turning your guitar's volume knob down further to compensate and keep it in the mix. When you want a given note to feedback, roll the volume knob up as the note decays. This increases what's going to the amp enough that it puts out more, and the amp generates the loop, without the volume swell you'd normally get. It's tricky to nail down, but once you do, you'll have it.
Click to expand...

That actually makes sense as to why that'd work - nice trick, but like you said, it'd take practice.

Thanks to you all
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Red Label hit it on the head... Crank the mids! With my amp... a hot rodded 800 essentially... I run it at a fairly low stage volume. I can get great feedback and all... but stage possition is very important (or practice room lol)... try getting in the way of your bass player's cab. That works for me, and the headstock on the amp trick is gold! Also bang the guitar a bit... it ain't candy, it won't break lol. Feedback like the squealies are something that will be different with every guitar and/or rig.. you just gotta get em out.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

Honestly it's about volume. My Les Paul will squeal at lower volumes but the glorious rock god feedback you're thinking of comes with high volume.
 
Re: Controlled feedback

LLL said:
A different, natural way of getting a singing feedback sound is to lightly touch the string 12 frets above the note you're on; just touch the top of the string (don't fret it).

There's probably other nodes as well; experiment.

Only "drawback" to this is as soon as you touch it, the effect is instantaneous... versus the gradual change you'd get
doing it the standard way.
Click to expand...

But that's just a harmonic, not feedback. Totally different sou nd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top