# Suckass Pinch Harmonics



## dmguitarist99 (Dec 23, 2009)

So, I just bought my new Jackson, and I can't get any PHs out of it. I'm playing through a 5150 and my last guitar which was a Schecter Hellraiser with the same pickups *EMGs* had awesome PHs. What should I do in order to fix this? A better battery in the compartment? Raise/Lower the action? raise/lower the pickups?

Help?


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## Arminius (Dec 23, 2009)

Intonation has a lot to do with it. Also, is the scale length different? The "sweet spots" are different between my blackjack and my rg.


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## dmguitarist99 (Dec 23, 2009)

well it is a 6er so it's a 25.5''. On my Schecter though I could hit them no problem and all over the board, on this one I'm lucky to find 1.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 23, 2009)

Aysakh said:


> Intonation has a lot to do with it. Also, is the scale length different? The "sweet spots" are different between my blackjack and my rg.



+1

Also, have you tried EQing your amp a little differently, sometimes even a small adjustment will help the pinch harmonics really scream.


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## dmguitarist99 (Dec 23, 2009)

Well the action is super low on it already, it came from the factory like that. I did put some new strings on it, and they're not really "broken in" but what would you guys suggest for the most part? Maybe just messing with the EQ mainly?


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 23, 2009)

dmguitarist99 said:


> Well the action is super low on it already, it came from the factory like that. I did put some new strings on it, and they're not really "broken in" but what would you guys suggest for the most part? Maybe just messing with the EQ mainly?



Intonation has nothing to do with how the action is set, but rather how each string lines up with the frets. If you replaced the strings with a set with a different gauge, I can pretty much guarantee your guitar needs to be re-inotated.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Dec 24, 2009)

Can you get a pinch harmonic acoustically? If you can, maybe you're doing it on the wrong pickup(s). If neither the bridge nor neck yields pinch harmonics, then I would adjust the pickup height.


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## etiam (Dec 24, 2009)

It's also possible that your strings can be set too low, actually. As with an acoustic, if your string action is too close to the 'sounding board', or pickups in this case, you can actually diminish your output, which could be affecting pinches.


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## TonalArchitect (Dec 24, 2009)

SchecterWhore said:


> Can you get a pinch harmonic acoustically? If you can, maybe you're doing it on the wrong pickup(s). If neither the bridge nor neck yields pinch harmonics, then I would adjust the pickup height.



I would ask if you can do them acoustically at all. Maybe you had only sorta the correct technique and the compressed-ified EMGs had compensated. 

Remember, almost all techniques should be equally viable without distortion. 


Other than that, try moving your picking hand slightly up and down the strings as you look for the nodes. Maybe you're a little used to the other guitar and because of the scale length the nodes are different.


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## Hollowway (Dec 25, 2009)

TonalArchitect said:


> Other than that, try moving your picking hand slightly up and down the strings as you look for the nodes. Maybe you're a little used to the other guitar and because of the scale length the nodes are different.



Definitely sounds like this. I find that my 80's Kramer squeals PHs all over the place, and I never really had to work at doing it. But my SL-1 is a bit tougher just because of how I hold it and where my pick ends up along the string length. And they both have JBs in the bridge, OFRs, same amp, etc. 

What won't affect PHs is action (unless the pup pulls too hard on the strings, but you'd know that by now) or intonation. PHs have to do with causing a node to form on the string and having it vibrate based on that. Even an out of tune guitar with horrible intonation will have nodes, as that's just a matter of physics. 

But try it acoustically and move your hand toward the neck and bridge as you try the PHs, and make a mental note of where they sound off, and then you'll have to train yourself to pick in that area. It's probably within an inch or so of where you are currently picking. Much beyond that and you'd probably be into another nodal area.


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## fantom (Dec 28, 2009)

dmguitarist99 said:


> well it is a 6er so it's a 25.5''. On my Schecter though I could hit them no problem and all over the board, on this one I'm lucky to find 1.



A lot of 6 strings are 24.75" scale, not 25.5". Unfortunately, both Jackson and Schecter use 25.5". That isn't the problem! Still, try moving your picking closer/further from the bridge. Turn off your amp and listen for them acoustically, as suggested already. Try doing touch harmonics to find the sweet spots before you go to pinch harmonics.

Also, I had trouble with a BC Rich Mockingbird at one point because the body seemed "shifted" away from the neck (the bridge seems closer to the neck to me). I had to reach around the guitar more than normal to get my hand in the same position over the string. Maybe you have a similar issue.


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## skeletor88 (Jan 8, 2010)

Yeah man, try raising your action to start with, sometimes it can be that simple. Before I got my Agile, I was playing a les paul that wrenched out more pinches than Mr Wylde. As soon as I got my Agile, I thought I couldnt get pinches out of it because it was my first 7 string, my first 27" scale guitar, my first FR and overall an Interceptor is a world of difference from an old epi LP and I just had to get used to it:S

But after a few months of playing every day for about 2 hrs or more,, I still couldn't get them! So I just raised the action a tiny bit and the squealing began.

Good luck with getting it sorted.


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## Rogueleader (Jan 8, 2010)

I didn't see if this has been mentioned already but have you tried you new strings? Its nearly impossible to get good pinch harmonics out of old, grimy strings.


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## cob (Jan 11, 2010)

It's been said plenty, try it acoustic. Also, try it on your bridge pickup more. If you have active pickups(aren't all emg's active anyway?) make sure the battery isn't losing it's punch, that can diminish a lot on your guitar. More gain always helps but you don't want so much that you drown out the notes. And eq helps, i find that my lower strings get more scream if my tone is off and my higher strings need full tone. More trebs more mids.

Just a list of things to tinker with. Maybe one will help


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