All about Pickups

[Zhul]

After playing my Samick greg bennett e-guitar, i realised i can't do any pinch harmonics on the 6th strings for example. When i asked my teacher, he said that i should change my pickups. Does the sound also depends on what pickups u use?? I want to know and would anyone recommend me some good pickups? How bout Seymour duncan or ibanez pickups? My pickups are single coil. I want a sound that is metal.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Similar problem here. I find it difficult to nail pinch harmonics on my thinner treble strings, but it's a breeze on my thicker bass strings. I'm using 2 moderate output singlecoils and 1 moderate-high output humbucker.

I'm not sure if it's only the pickups, though. I've noticed that it is easier to get pinch harmonics on some picks rather than others (easier with my Jazz IIIs than my Fender mediums).

 

[mockingbird]

It depends. Sometimes all you might need is to crank the gain a little more.

I can't speak for single coils as I'm a humbucker player. I'd say one of the best pickups to nail pinch harmonics would be B.C. Rich's BDSM humbuckers, which used to come as stock on the older BCR models. These days they come with Rockfield (usually the Mafia model) pickups, which aren't as "hot".

Otherwise, you could consider active pickups.

 

[teleplayer]

No, it's not about pickups. It's about your guitar's action and the set-up and your technique. I am not good at doing pinch harmonics but I can do some. I have a telecaster with a high output bridge humbucker and a single coil (low output) and another HH guitar with a pair of humbuckers which are 8k and 9k for neck and bridge respectively.

I would say that the third, forth and fifth strings are the easiest to do and if you are using the bridge humbucker, it is easier. And it's not about the output of your pickup. I find it easier to do a pinch harmonic on my moderate-output humbucker as compared to the high-output humbucker. and it's not impossible to do a pinch harmonic with a low-output single coil pickup, you can still do it even though it's in the neck position.

to TS, if you really really want to change pickups, then change it. But make sure that your guitar has an ideal action which is your preferred action. It will be easier to do a pinch harmonic with an ideal action. If you want a "metal" sound, get a "metal" amp. and if you are changing from humbuckers to humbuckers, it won't make a big diff if you are using shitty amps. but if you are changing from strat-kinda pickup to a humbucker, it would make a difference.

 

[jmb23]

try turning the gain higher and use ur bridge pickups.
make sure your guitar action is not too low and minimal bow on your bridge.thats whats my setup is and is pretty easy to do harmonic except on the high e...

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Would raising the pickups closer to the strings help?

 

[jmb23]

Would raising the pickups closer to the strings help?

not too much of a difference unless the bridge pickup is placed really low.raising too high also no good coz later got fret buzz

 

[teleplayer]

not too close lor... haha. and also, try max-ing your treble. it would help. but not much. haha.

 

[dickhead]

wa lao, its the technique la, why blame the gear@@

 

[Whitestrat]

After playing my Samick greg bennett e-guitar, i realised i can't do any pinch harmonics on the 6th strings for example. When i asked my teacher, he said that i should change my pickups. Does the sound also depends on what pickups u use?? I want to know and would anyone recommend me some good pickups? How bout Seymour duncan or ibanez pickups? My pickups are single coil. I want a sound that is metal.

Actually, you can get harmonics with any string. It's about technique. But some pickups are easier to coax into harmonic mode than others. I'd advise you change guitar teachers...:twisted:

If you're using a single coil equipped guitar, then the DiMarzio Tonezone S is your best friend... That, or the Fast Track 2. Both are for the bridge. Both will give you plenty of power, bite, harmonics, and chugga chugga.

 

[Whitestrat]

Similar problem here. I find it difficult to nail pinch harmonics on my thinner treble strings, but it's a breeze on my thicker bass strings. I'm using 2 moderate output singlecoils and 1 moderate-high output humbucker.

I'm not sure if it's only the pickups, though. I've noticed that it is easier to get pinch harmonics on some picks rather than others (easier with my Jazz IIIs than my Fender mediums).

Because you have to be more precise when picking harmonics on your thinner strings than on the thicker strings.

C'mon guys, I can do pinch harmonics on CLEAN!:twisted: No gain required. It's all about technique! Practise! Stop blaming your pickups, picks, set up whatever! Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins do pinch harmonics with their fingers! (THAT I can't do though... I got poor finger technique)

Stop typing here and go practise!

 

[boyl]

pinch harmonic requires precision.

you have to know where to do it, apart from how to do it. the pinch harmonic position of, say, a 5th fret will be different from a 7th fret.

you have to know where each one is. a good guide will be to imagine the length of the string after it is fretted. pinch harmonics will be at positions where it is divisible, for example, a quarter of the length or a fifth of the length. each will have different pitch.

to make it easier to coax it from your instrument:
1. use bridge pickup
2. open your tone control. the more open it is, the easier
3. increase gain (but as mentioned above, you can do it even with clean sound)
4. use compression with high attack and sustain

(try to follow it step by step, if you're good enough you can do it just by following step no. 1)

 

[Whitestrat]

(try to follow it step by step, if you're good enough you can do it just by following step no. 1)

Actually, if you're good enough, you can do it on any pickup in almost any position... (except the dead spots though, like 5th fret or was it 7th fret? can't rememeber, on the neck pup).

 

[theunknown]

i can do pinch harmonics on clean and on my acoustic as well. still try to learn how to do it w/o picks. my friend can. haha

but i still want to change pickups for the fun of modding. haha.

 

[penta-tonic]

there are a few kind of harmonics, natural harmonics, pinch harmonics, octave or harp harmonics. go work on them and after that harmonics will be a breeze. then take note of users who use the above. pinch harmonics would be zakk wylde or dimebag. natural harmonics check out andy timmons' hellipad. harp harmonics check out tommy emmanuel or steve morse.

 

[Zhul]

hey guys thanks for the help! i haven't been changing anything for my guitar except the strings and the output jack since last three years ago.. so i need to seriously change the pickups... i got the technique on diff type of guitars so why my guitar is the only one which can't really do the pinch harmonic... that is why i need to change it duhh... and don blame on my teacher either.... sometimes its not only bout the techniques... the gear needs maintenance too once in awhile.... to those who recommended me some cool stuffs, seriously i salute u! thanks guys!!

 

[teleplayer]

go set up your guitar(if you are uncomfortable with your guitar's action etc). that's a very good maintenance. No need to change pickups. You can use this opportunity to train your pinching technique.

 

[junhao405]

Let say u want to do it easier.. Rasie the pickup height, it will make ur pickup more sensitive but too high will not get clean tone.. based on experience..

 

[Breen]

Just to reiterate what has been said. You can do pinch harmonics on literally any guitar. Don't have to be a downstroke either.

Pickups do help to let it really jump out of an amp, but physically, it can be done on any wood and wire.

I've not read this thread, but we should all get the best out of our equipment.

 

[foxxylady]

i got the technique on diff type of guitars so why my guitar is the only one which can't really do the pinch harmonic...

Different guitars got different scale lengths.
So the spot where you might usually do the pinch might differ.
The truth is, you can even do a pinch harmonic on an acoustic (though it won't be loud)

It still boils down to technique.

Either that, or your pick up is set at too low a level.