Why do some guitars squeal better than others?

[16S]

Is there one over-riding factor that makes good squealy pinched harmonics easier to pull off? I am sure technique, set up, strings, gauge, pick ups, amp, eq, etc...are all contributing factors .......but the main factor?? I have 5 guitars at home: LTD, ESP, BC Rich, Ibanez and Traveller: some squeal easier than others, some are real difficult to get a good pinched H out of...??????

 

[DestroyTheColossus]

I've found this too. Both I and the other guitarist in my band play Ibanez guitars and they are just a pain to get a clean pinch harmonic on. Gibson has been easier to get pinches on, but i just dont like the way those guitars play. I have no idea what causes this difference though. It would be nice to know if there was something to change to make it easier on my guitar.

 

[Wolfeman]

It should have nothing to do with the guitar itself, maybe pickups but setup/wood type/ yadda yadda isn't going to change anything. It's all in your right hand. And just to make them more 'audible', the more gain you have the more pronounced they will be. I've always noticed they are more pronounced when I crank the gain or use a boost. And they have always been louder with higher output pickups.

 

[The Unavoidable]

Well as far as I know, Pinch harmonics consist of alot of overtones, so naturally the more distorsion/overdrive the more audiable/piercing they will be.

But general things that affect the PH ability of a guitar is string tension, string height, and pickups. The lower the strings, and the looser they are the easier it's going to be to get them to squeel. And add some EMGs or other high output pickups you got yourself some squeeling pig action!

 

[JJO]

Exactly what i think All my guitars squeel but my emg equipped one squeels the best. Amp-Overdrive/distortion and pick up output do the trick.

 

[16S]

PUPs i think you have something there. Thinking on the pups i have: Duncan JBs and Dimarzio Blazes are not real hot output & both are passives. I dont have any EMGs. In my warlock i have Dimarzio Dsonic which is quite high output and it is the warlock that squeals best. String tension is low on this guitar which makes it easier also.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Dude it's definitely mostly hands.

Check out KSE's pinches, I think they have the best ones in metal.
The one after the first chorus in Rose of Sharyn is like a fuckin laser beam.

 

[JJO]

Dude it's definitely mostly hands.

Check out KSE's pinches, I think they have the best ones in metal.
The one after the first chorus in Rose of Sharyn is like a fuckin laser beam.

Like i said. Those are my observations... but i don't think hands is mostly IT. I am confident about my pinch harmonics but on a stratocaster, medium overdrive, don't get the pinch that i really want. So i definatly stand my point on the amp and pups making the biggest difference.

 

[Scissors61]

My pinched harmonics improved a huge amount when I started concentrating a lot less on my picking hand, and more on the fretting hand. I watched a video of some guy on youtube who had awesome pinches, and he said to use 3 fingers (one on each fret) to get a more powerful vibrato.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Like i said. Those are my observations... but i don't think hands is mostly IT. I am confident about my pinch harmonics but on a stratocaster, medium overdrive, don't get the pinch that i really want. So i definatly stand my point on the amp and pups making the biggest difference.

Well of course if your playing a strat with medium OD they are not going to sound the same....
If you play a strat and want good crunch and pings you'r in for a shock....you'r in for surprise.

It's pretty simple , humbucker + Moderate amount of gain + proper technique + decent fret height = squeals.

 

[Josh Burgess]

Well of course if your playing a strat with medium OD they are not going to sound the same....
If you play a strat and want good crunch and pings you'r in for a shock....you'r in for surprise.

It's pretty simple , humbucker + Moderate amount of gain + proper technique + decent fret height = squeals.

Loose strings play a big part of it too from what I've noticed. The less string tension there is, the more they ring out... emg's obviously help too with the preamp kicking out the harmonics...

 

[16S]

...ok so explain:

Ibanez Universe: humbucker -check
Moderate amount of gain - check
proper technique - same technique as on warlock below
decent fret height -check
= poor squeals

BC Rich warlock: humbucker -check
Moderate amount of gain - check
proper technique - same technique as on ibanez above
decent fret height -lower and more buzzy than ibanez
= good squeals
??????

 

[Chryst Krispies]

...ok so explain:

Ibanez Universe: humbucker -check
Moderate amount of gain - check
proper technique - same technique as on warlock below
decent fret height -check
= poor squeals

BC Rich warlock: humbucker -check
Moderate amount of gain - check
proper technique - same technique as on ibanez above
decent fret height -lower and more buzzy than ibanez
= good squeals
??????

You gotta search around for that sweet spot.

 

[16S]

Do you think some guitars have many "sweet spots/a broader sweet spot" while others have one very narrow one??

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Do you think some guitars have many "sweet spots/a broader sweet spot" while others have one very narrow one??

Well I mean it's just like any other thing that translates from guitar to guitar, there's going to be differences, you might not EVER get the exact same squeal sound on all your guitars, just like they never will sound the same through the same amp with same settings etc.

SO
The sweet spot is going to vary from one guitar to the next just like all these other factors...
I'm no expert on squeal mastery, I know how to play em and where on all my guitars and most guitars with a decent squeal environment. Just fuck with it and see what's the dealio on all your guits.

 

[Noumenon]

From what I've experienced, the amount of distortion, volume and what pickup. I.E. the neck pickup is harder to get a good squeal out of.
And like Chryst said; the sweet spot. Some guitars are much easier, even with the same setup.

Another thing, I find sqeuals being easier on the g-string than the high e for some reason, might have to do with the mass of the string.

 

[JJO]

From what I've experienced, the amount of distortion, volume and what pickup. I.E. the neck pickup is harder to get a good squeal out of.
And like Chryst said; the sweet spot. Some guitars are much easier, even with the same setup.

Another thing, I find sqeuals being easier on the g-string than the high e for some reason, might have to do with the mass of the string.

Probably because your way of picking and placement of the hand is going over those "sweet spots" automatically while you have to search for them on the other strings. At least that's what i think cuz i have seen people like having trouble with those strings and go easy on other strings.

Btw: Give a strat an emg... and serieusly, i can squeel with a strat! So i still come back on the amp, pickups. And ofcourse technique is important, that's with everything you want to play right?

 

[16S]

Btw: Give a strat an emg... and serieusly, i can squeel with a strat! So i still come back on the amp, pickups. And ofcourse technique is important, that's with everything you want to play right?

So you think the main factor is EMGs?

The sweet spot is going to vary from one guitar to the next just like all these other factors...

and Chryst aknowledges every guitar is different - so what is the main contribution ....EMGs?

.....Are your squeals easier, more consistent on EMGs???

 

[Noumenon]

well... I can squeal with passives too, but it's easier on EMGs

BTW. is anyone doing the up-picking-squeal with you index finger? Saw an instruction video by some guy that did that, so he never have to change to a down-down picking just to fit in a squeal, awesome, but soo hard :S

 

[JJO]

I don't wanna say EMG is the only pup for it to make it easier. I guess you just have to push your amplifier a bit harder when not playing through active pick-ups to get the same idea. But if i had to make a choice i'd buy emg's anyway cuz they just make fantastic pups anyway

And btw yes, i once had an ibanez with standard pickups. Changed them for active ones and Bam it already worked sweeter. I now have active ones(emg 81,s) and one with passive pick-ups. The passive tone from them is damn great, but i do have to work harder for my pinches. And must be honest here that the squeals i get from them are actually cooler. Just have to work harder to get them. But it's not a good comparison since the guitars have different tunning and string tention, and ... euh everything else Go with the ibanez example