Let's discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

[gemini8026]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

interesting reads here fellows,

could it be a neck angle issue? String height? Im curious WHY pinch's seem "easier" or more profound on a bolt-on guitar!

[jammermatt1]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

Gemini, I'm not really sure why, it has puzzled me as well. My thinking is that with the neck-thru's the whole deal is just lower, I mean the top of the fretboard seems closer to the body that for a bolt-on or a LP, or anything else. I think perhaps physically, your hand is just higher above the strings or something, and you have to pay special attention to drop your hand a bit in order to make good contact. Just a guess, though. I've heard you can raise the action to get better, but who wants to do that? It's a Jackson after all.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

I don't have any problems with pinch harmonics, but I dig in pretty hard when I do them. One good way to develop the technique is to practice getting them on an acoustic. I know it sounds nuts, but if you can get pinch harmonics on an acoustic then you should be able to get them at will with a guitar on it's bridge pickup.

Pete

[shredmonster]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

Yo Jammer & Gemini: I am going to take a wild guess at this and I could be 100% wrong.

Me and a friend were having a discussion on bolt on vs. neck through design and the diff. in sound due to construction.

We thought perhaps with a neck through you have one piece of wood going all the way through the body and two wings attached to the neck to form the body part. 1) We thought you get less vibration from the body on a neck through because really there is no whole body piece - just 2 wings attached to the neck piece that runs all the way through and 2) The neck vibration is less on a neck through or flows in a different direction due to the fact that it is held on each side by a body wing which may actually dampen the sound somewhat.

With a bolt on we thought perhaps you get more vibration due to the body being a whole piece of wood and hence more body vibration. The neck then - the way it is attached - has more freedom of movement and hence can vibrate more and in different directions since it is not constrained by the body as would be a neck through.

Whatever the case I have noticed a definite difference in the sound - a neck through being darker sounding and a bolt on brighter.

[electrico777]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

but how is it then that a neck trhu guitar has more sustain?

[mhalsey]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

[ QUOTE ]
but how is it then that a neck trhu guitar has more sustain?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh lawdy, you've gone and done it now! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Guess which discussion will now follow? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I get great pinch harmonics on my 2 bolt-on Jacksons. A lil' less on my set neck Epi LPC. My only problem is sustaining the PH when I add vibrato. Just need more practice.

[shredmonster]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

[ QUOTE ]
but how is it then that a neck trhu guitar has more sustain?

[/ QUOTE ]

hahahahahahaha! There's a discussion for the ages!

Actually I have done a lot of research and reading of opinions on the net from both guitarists and bassists.

From what I have been able to tell I think it comes down to the guitar itself most of the time. The PC1 that I have has lots more sustain than my SL2 did. My friends Warrior has just as much sustain as my PC1 but not more. They you have guitars that are semi hollow, etc..

The evidence seems to be more anecdotal. Some guys swear their bolt ons have more sustain and some guys feel neck throughs do. I don't think either. I think it comes down to every specific guitar - its electronics, neck, etc...

[mhalsey]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

Admins, kill this thread while everyone's still friends. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Soap]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

[ QUOTE ]
I don't have any problems with pinch harmonics, but I dig in pretty hard when I do them. One good way to develop the technique is to practice getting them on an acoustic. I know it sounds nuts, but if you can get pinch harmonics on an acoustic then you should be able to get them at will with a guitar on it's bridge pickup.

Pete

[/ QUOTE ]
Agreed. So true. A good point and I forgot all about it too.
It was the acoustic that I refined my pinched harmonics.

[Davey]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

Matt!

you should send the guitar to me, for inspection. sounds like it's a build fault. i'll set things straight [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

hehe

by the way.. sustain is a compromise between:
build,
build quality
action
the player
amp
amount of gain
mojo
and gods mood at the moment of playing

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

+ 2 for Pete and Soap.

I started practicing pinch harmonics on an acoustic, before I even had an electric guitar. It caused me to have (and still have) a very hard attack when doing pinch harmonics. And the neck-thru vs bolt-on debate is one better left unspoken! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[xenophobe]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

[ QUOTE ]
interesting reads here fellows,

could it be a neck angle issue?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what it is.

Imagine your pick attack is as pictured blue. Having guitar necks at different angles... as well as hand placement, strap button locations, and how high/low your guitar rides is going to adjust your pick attack.

Adjusting the angle of the neck, or how the guitar rides on the strap is going to affect how your strum relates to the artificial pinch spots...

Some guitars will "fit" your style better, others you'll need to adjust your hand to find the right spots.

Pretty simple really. Hope this helps:




http://home.comcast.net/~bartelt1508/blah.jpg

[jammermatt1]

Re: Let\'s discuss Soloist pinch harmonic issues

Interesting diagram Xeno. Must study it some. Thanks