What can I do to avoid undesired harmonics?

[AD Chaos]

Hello everyone

I was wondering if you people know of a specific thing one can do to avoid getting harmonics from the guitar when not wanted (even when playing palm muted rhythm chords).
I am getting all this harmonics with a relatively new neck-thru guitar that I'm not very used to yet.. Don't know if the neck-through construction is in some part to blame for this
By placing the right hand low -near the bridge- and playing carefully I avoid most of it, but I'd like to know if you may have some extra advice for me.

Many thanks

 

[AHChris]

Hello everyone

I was wondering if you people know of a specific thing one can do to avoid getting harmonics from the guitar when not wanted (even when playing palm muted rhythm chords).
I am getting all this harmonics with a relatively new neck-thru guitar that I'm not very used to yet.. Don't know if the neck-through construction is in some part to blame for this
By placing the right hand low -near the bridge- and playing carefully I avoid most of it, but I'd like to know if you may have some extra advice for me.

Many thanks

I would tape all strings I don´t need. This can help A LOT.

 

[AD Chaos]

tape them? as in with adhesive tape??

 

[muckypup1]

I sometimes will wrap a hair band around my guitar neck to shut it the fuck up, and sometimes I will just tie a piece of cloth around it to stop the noise, but editing these noises out can work

 

[raybrochill]

I like to use painters tape because it doesn't leave any of that sticky BS on there.

All of the previously mentioned things work well too. I've used socks, velcro, and a cymbal felt!

 

[muckypup1]

haha socks is what I use when I can't find a band!

 

[updog]

I use a rainbow-colored toe-sock that I tie around the neck. It's been a big help in my current project.


I'm not sure how I've acquired it in the first place. It's kind of bothering me.

Here's a picture so your tones can be as shitty as mine:

 

[SocialNumb]

Fap glue at the bridge and neck.

 

[Sloan]

fap glue.

LOL

 

[chdrummer]

I use the tie that comes with monster cables. Easily adjustable!

 

[AD Chaos]

Damn it I shouldn't have asked
Never know when you people rrr joking

But seriously now, I've seen Greg Howe with a color-matching hair band wrapping the first fret of his orange Laguna (not that he gets much compliments on his guitar sound, btw).

 

[Fox Mulder]

^Also, go easy on the gain if you aren't

 

[abt]

Hello everyone

I was wondering if you people know of a specific thing one can do to avoid getting harmonics from the guitar when not wanted (even when playing palm muted rhythm chords).
I am getting all this harmonics with a relatively new neck-thru guitar that I'm not very used to yet.. Don't know if the neck-through construction is in some part to blame for this
By placing the right hand low -near the bridge- and playing carefully I avoid most of it, but I'd like to know if you may have some extra advice for me.

Many thanks

Are you talking about harmonics or the other strings ringing out in sympathy?

If you mean harmonics then try changing the pick angle so it is flatter. Make sure your palm mute is actually muting the stings, if you touch too lightly or too far away from the bridge you'll get harmonics.

Also try moving the location of the pick up and down the string. Harmonics are caused be exciting the upper partial frequency of a note. These are mathematically related to the fundamental frequency of the note, so 1/2 1/3 1/5 etc. This ratio relates exactly to the length of the string, for example a natural harmonic at the 12th fret is exactly half the string length so you get an octave. By moving your pick forward or back you can avoid these ratios.

Most people complain that they can't get harmonics!

 

[ze kink]

The sound might be coming from the springs resonating if your guitar has a tremolo bridge, and/or also from the strings ringing out behind the nut. I use hairbands in the headstocks of my guitars to prevent the strings from resonating. I used to have some foam I stuck there, but I ran out of it, so I use hairbands instead. And I can move the hairbands to over the fingerboard too for doing tapping stuff.

 

[ttrentt]

Depending on what you mean by harmonics, I keep my guitars as quiet as possible if these rules apply to you:

(1) Behind the nut on the headstock, put a piece of foam, to stop the strings from ringing. Especially from "djenty" style parts, these will ring out very loud

(2) If you have a Floyd Rose style Bridge, there are two things I do. I cut 1inch strips of Ethernet cable and stick them inside the springs to stop the springs from ringing. I also then put foam under the springs as a secondary device. These springs can ring very loud and annoying

(3) If you have a fixed bridge guitar, put a piece of foam BEHIND the bridge in front of the tailpiece. (This should make sense). Basically, anywhere you can "pluck" the spring and hear a noise needs to be stopped.

 

[AD Chaos]

I do have a big FloydRose tremolo on this gtr. The harmonics I'm talking about are the ones produced when picking in between the neck pup and the beginning of the fretboard (as if I were going for pinched harmonics). Yes this guitar is prone to squealing a lot -which is a plus at first-, but it can turn to an annoying problem if not palm-muting carefully.

 

[Machinated]

EMG foam under the strings that arent being used

 

[abt]

The harmonics I'm talking about are the ones produced when picking in between the neck pup and the beginning of the fretboard (as if I were going for pinched harmonics).

Yep, read my post. Playing in this position is close to 3/4s of the open string length. Unless you push the pick through the string cleanly you'll create harmonics when the vibrating string touches the pick.

Try this, make sure no strings are ringing then play a note above the 24th fret (or where that would be if you have a 22 fret neck). Do hear any harmonics? Repeat but this time play the note a couple of times so that the string is vibrating before the pick hits it.

Test different pick angles.

If you playing in this position you could also be creating a harmonic with your palm. Test to see if it still happens without your palm touching the strings at all.

Why do you want to play so close to the fretboard anyway?