Singing through guitar pickups

[Jessum]

Hey,
I've been doing some research on the web for a while now about singing through a guitar pickup. You can see it being done here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R38UlCMSVpE (at 1:04)

Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJxTaIyArsQ&feature=related (right off the bat)

Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwsfT8MiZBo (at 1:59)

I've read a bunch of different things. One person said there are pickups called microphone pickups, but I haven't heard anything else about those anywhere else. I don't want microphone pickups to be confused with microphonic pickups, which is quite different from what this person was explaining during my research. Has anyone heard of microphone pickups? And I believe he wasn't referring to acoustic pickups, just electric.

Microphonic pickups have been mentioned a lot, in fact, it seems like some people can sing through their microphonic pickups. My understanding of microphonic pickups is that they are regular pickups, any kind (single coil, humbucker, ect), but they are not potted, or potted very poorly/old enough to lose the wax. Correct me if I'm wrong.

With the lack of real understanding on this that I've witnessed all over the web, I think it'd be good to get some. Plus, I would like to install a pickup on one of my guitars that does have singing capabilities (really love the effect and would love to do that live).

Does anyone have experience with this? Or any knowledge on how this might be possible?

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

You can scream into them and it will amplify it a little, but not much.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

I remember a video of Scott Weiland screaming into the STP's guitarists's Les Paul to record the beginning of Dead and Bloated

 

[Jessum]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

You can scream into them and it will amplify it a little, but not much.

I know, but if you watch those clips, you'll see it amplifies a lot, and they aren't screaming.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

i seen PG do this with mr big during his solo

 

[51501984]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

I saw Phil Collen of Def Leppard do it in `83 , pretty cool

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

We had a song that the guitarist would scream "start the machine" into his pickup, maybe it was my earplugs or just general deafness, but it was always kinda hard to hear. We played really, really loud though.

I've never even tried it myself *writes note to self*

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

i seen PG do this with mr big during his solo

And here!

 

[IanBallard]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

ALL pickups have microphonic qualities or it wouldn't make 1 bit of difference what the guitar is made out of.

The fact that pickups DO "pick up" transient vibrations aside from the magnetization of the ferrous strings, is why different woods, neck joints and other factors make a difference. It's the degree of microphonics that determine how well it performs under high volume/gain.

 

[SamusChief]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

ALL pickups have microphonic qualities or it wouldn't make 1 bit of difference what the guitar is made out of.

The fact that pickups DO "pick up" transient vibrations aside from the magnetization of the ferrous strings, is why different woods, neck joints and other factors make a difference. It's the degree of microphonics that determine how well it performs under high volume/gain.

People like you are the reason I joined. You guys know everything about anything, together.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

I remember a video of Scott Weiland screaming into the STP's guitarists's Les Paul to record the beginning of Dead and Bloated

I remember seeing that as well.

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

the first video looks like the guy is making out with his guitar.

On the other (more serious hand) this band does it at the beginning of this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl64-XHE7zo

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

all i know is pickups pickup electrical signals like cell phone tones a lot better then a human voice. i can't watch those vids right now my speakers are fudged but ill give them a watch

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

All pickups are microphonic to some degree. Actives have the best noise rejection because they tend to be epoxy potted. If pickups were acoustically dead they would sound pretty dull and you wouldn't be able to get harmonic feedback.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

And here!

that is a bad ass double neck!:naughty:

 

[guitarzinc10]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

I have a late 70's Dmz Super Distortion(no wax potting)in an old Les Paul and it is very microphonic. I can talk, sing and scream through it easily and the feedback is insain.

I LOVE this pickup and will never replace it! Without wax potting the guitar is senstitive to everything and really brings my playing to life. I do have to keep the volume off at the guitar between songs to prevent "bad" feedback but during a song I can move around the amp and get the "good" feedback and use it well.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

There's an awesome instrumental 3-piece band from Philly called Stinking Lizaveta whose guitarist frequently whoops and hollers through his pickups throughout their set.

Their bassist also plays a homemade electric upright which is pretty crazy, because it looks like it's made out of found objects and he shreds on the thing.

 

[dvadneau]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

I was able to get free tickets to see Alice Cooper on Monday and Anvil opened for them. One of the things Lips (Anvil singer/guitarist) did that I hadn't seen before was talk into his pickup. It wasn't as clear as the Silverchair example above, but it was more audible than the other examples. It probably wasn't as clear because of the amount of distortion he uses.

He also used a vibrator as a pick, then a slide, then did a VH Poundcake effect with it. They know how to put on a show.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Singing through guitar pickups

There's an awesome instrumental 3-piece band from Philly called Stinking Lizaveta whose guitarist frequently whoops and hollers through his pickups throughout their set.

Their bassist also plays a homemade electric upright which is pretty crazy, because it looks like it's made out of found objects and he shreds on the thing.

I've heard that band, I've downloaded a couple records.