getting stronger harmonics?

jmv

jmv

New member
So, one of my guitar heros, Monte Montgomery, has some of the biggest loudest ballsiest harmonics i've ever heard. For once i'm actually able to listen to his songs and pick out some of the things he's playing and in trying to recreate the songs i'm having a big problem of very little harmonics cutting through, whereas in his playing they are way more prevalent than the 'regular' notes. For example, the "G" harmonic on the 5th fret of the g string... i can barely get it to come out even just sitting and playing it over and over, much less in context. I can't think of any other position to play this harmonic in either, which has helped with a few other situations.

What can i do to affect my harmonics?? Playing suggestions, strings, guitar, what??

Thanks for any help!!
-Jason
 
Re: getting stronger harmonics?

Hey bro ,I am a harmonic nut so maybe these can help :
1) Thicker strings
2) (if used) picks made out of differnet materials. Pickboys carbon has more harmonics than a jazzIII
3) Lighter touch
4) Balanced guitar amplification.sometimes a booster
5) Chorus is big factor.It really pushed the harmonic content mostly
aaand ,ofcourse ,a better guitar

If it's an electric ,PATBs are the harmonic kings of pickups.
 
Re: getting stronger harmonics?

i think technique has a lot to do with harmonics. whenever i go for a natural harmonic, i usually lay my finger really lightly and pick the string with a quick but not so hard attack. the reason being is that the quick attack will get it ringing out well, but if you hit the string to hard, it'll vibrate too much against your finger and deaden out. or somesuch:D
 
Re: getting stronger harmonics?

Make sure you don't have the mids and highs dialled out of your amp too much.
Even if the strings are singin' away and you cut those frequencies from the amp, they are never going to sound good.
 
Re: getting stronger harmonics?

Thanks for the input. He does use a lot of compression, so maybe that is one aspect of it. However, i think the root of the problem is either with me, the strings, or the guitar... because the harmonics don't come out much at all when playing unplugged. Its a gibson standard les paul with ernie ball pure nickel 9's. For lots of this stuff, i'm playing with fingers. Perhaps part of the reason he can pull it off so well is playing on his acoustic with thicker strings (and a wound G, to boot). Well, that and monster technique. But, i don't have an acoustic and i probably couldn't play the crap on an acoustic anyway.

I think i'll try and focus on a lighter touch. I probably was trying to go for it too much to bring it out, and getting the string to hit stuff through too much movement and choke off its sound.
 
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