A Question On Pickups

[METALSUSTAIN]

hey

ive recently discovered whammy harmonics and pinch harmonics

i can do them and i am told that some pickups can pick them up better than others

are these active pickups ?

or does the pickup just need a high resistance ?

for example would a 21k humbucker (a 'motherbucker') pick up harmonics very readily

thanks

[Metalgoth]

You've got it right, the answer is higher resistance pickups. I prefer bridge pickups about 16k, and can get plenty of harmonics out of them. Messing with your amp settings will also go a long way. Hot pickups, high gain amp and the right touch will result in harmonics that are obnoxiously loud and useful.

[METALSUSTAIN]

hmm i see

thanks

so 27k would get outragiously loud harmonics ?

[GregP]

Higher resistance doesn't equal more harmonics. What's needed is good technique, and an amp that responds well to harmonic excitement. You should be able to get decent harmonics out of an acoustic... so it's even more about technique than about gear.

Zakk Wylde does well with his EMG actives... Billy Gibbons does well with... well, anything you put in his hands, but primarily PAF-level humbuckers. Van Halen did well with a PAF, too...

In any event, it's mainly technique. But the right pickups will help. However, the "right" pickups aren't always going to be higher resistance pickups... it just doesn't correlate that way. Higher output pickups will be more likely to excite your amp, and higher resistance pickups generally have more output. So, Metalgoth isn't totally out of left field or anything... indeed, the second part of his statement is just fine... it's just that he's attributing the harmonic generation to the DC resistance rather than the combination of 1. touch, 2. amp, 3. OUTPUT level of pickups, which in turn goes back to point 2.

It might seem like a niggling point, but there are pickup technologies with far less resistance (Lace, EMG) but equal or greater output. The DC resistance can get you in the ballpark for output in traditional passive copper-coiled pickups, though.

[Metalgoth]

Sure, I'm no expert. I've tried many things, and I prefer fairly standard pickups with about 16k resistance. It gives me the performance I want both clean and overdriven. I don't like EMGs clean, and I don't like lower resistance pickups when cranked up. Curious about Alumitones...

[METALSUSTAIN]

hmm yeah

sounds quite a delacate thing in terms of electrics , thats what my electronics techer said when i wanter to build an effects pedal

the really squeally harmonics seem to be orientated to emgs , Zakk has got emgs as mentioned so has Alexi laiho although his are passive with a je1000 booster so i suppose there sorta active .

but then dimebag had bill laurences or the dimebucker

but i suppose technique comes before getting a new pickup maybe

i like the strengh and vercitility of it =]

but thanks for the feedback =]

[radrobgray]

also playing loud (wear earplugs) makes a difference too, the slight feed back will help with the harmonics.

[METALSUSTAIN]

hmm i see

an excuse to play loud

thanks for all your help

although as a little project i might change the pickups anyway

[radrobgray]

hmm i see

an excuse to play loud

thanks for all your help

although as a little project i might change the pickups anyway

if you want an excuse to play loud get a tube amp

[crafty]

EMG's have a very low internal resistance and low magnetic pull on the strings. The Lawrence L-500XL uses blades to minimize dropout and even the response of every string, as well as being a very refined design. These characteristics lend both pickups to easy pinch harmonics.

[WAK Guitars]

Yeah I have a Bill Lawrence in one of my guitars and I love it. A good pickup!

[METALSUSTAIN]

is it to do with the amount of pull on the strings ?

less pull means more vibration so the harmonics can ring out more ?

is the dimebucker close to the Bill Lawrence pickup ?

wait , the Bill Lawrence is cheaper

is the seymour duncan any better than the bill laurence ?

Edited August 8, 2007 by METALSUSTAIN

[crafty]

Order of quality:

1. Wilde L-500XL, made by Bill and Becky Lawrence.

2. Seymour Duncan Dimebucker, a reverse-engineered version of a custom-made L-500 for Dime.

3. Bill Lawrence USA L-500XL or XL-500, made by a company claiming to be the original Bill Lawrence pickup company with a questionable record of quality.

The Wilde pickup costs about half as much as the Dimebucker, but it'll take you longer to get it. The BL-USA is also even cheaper, but the quality can be inconsistent.