Pickup Feedback - The Good Kind

[Justaguyin_nc]

Ok, I am pretty new still to all this... I happen to have a guitar with Humbuckers in it that has a natural feedback which to me sounds nice at certain times and can be controlled in the most part... Actually the first set of pickups I have noticed this on and to my liking..

Question: Is it because they are cheap pickups? Settings? Will supposedly better pickups stop this? (dunno if I want it stopped)

When playing alone... it kinda keeps the sound going when you adjust to another area.. I am just curious as to why this usually happens as I would have thought my cheap single coil pickups would also do it but they do not.

[duhvoodooman***]

From what I understand, cheaper pickups are generally more prone to feedback than better ones. But if (1) you like it and (2) you can control it, sounds like not such a bad thing at all! As you mention, it can be a very effective tool for sustain.

Guitar construction also makes a big difference. Hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars are generally much more prone to feedback than solid bodies. My Dot certainly shows this to be true. I've read comments about certain hollowbodies (vintage models, in particular) where uncontrollable feedback was such a problem that the guitar was essentially unplayable at higher volumes.

[Spudman***]

Absolutely what Voodoo says.

You can still get that sweet feedback with better pickups. It just may happen differently than with your current set up.

[Justaguyin_nc]

ok thanks guys.. I have seen some players will even turn towards their amps and get right on top of them..I am assuming this is to create feedback and the better pickups need this type of abuse to get it, or is that just showmanship? Im enjoying the feedback but they are cheap pickups.. kinda makes me want to buy another guitar just like it to make sure I have one with and without the feedback.. (oh heck...more money spent)

[Plank_Spanker]

If you like the feedback from the pickups, then it's all good.

I'm one of those that "gets up on top of the amp" to get the feedback going. We don't play with thunderous stage volume and I need to be close to the amp to get that guitar singing.

[Nelskie]

And to the gentleman above who features Mr. Frank Zappa as his avatar. Zappa used to modify his guitars with a special circuit to enhance its feedback characeristics, which he, in turn, would twist and fandangle into some of the most amazing sounds ever released on this planet, or other alternate universes.

Should you choose to exploure the above comment further, you may want to immerse yourself in a copy of Zappa's un-dubbed, all-live-recorded "Guitar" release (1988 - Barking Pumpkin Records). I equate it to a Salvadore Dali painting done with a guitar & amp. Pure genius.

BTW - it's not recommended for children or Republicans.

[Plank_Spanker]

I'll have to find that.

[SuperSwede]

And to the gentleman above who features Mr. Frank Zappa as his avatar. Zappa used to modify his guitars with a special circuit to enhance its feedback characeristics, which he, in turn, would twist and fandangle into some of the most amazing sounds ever released on this planet, or other alternate universes.

Mr.Zappa was truly a fantastic guitarist! You can see his son Dweezil demonstrating Frank´s SG if you go to http://www.guitarplayertv.com/ and click artists/dweezil. Amazing stuff!

[Tinky-Winky]

I wonder why cheap pickups would feedback more. Since feedback is just the strings being vibrated with the sound from the amp, I can't see what the pickups have to do with it. Maybe it's because guitars with cheap pickups in them have body wood or hardware that is resonates more from external sound waves, or something like that.

[Plank_Spanker]

I wonder why cheap pickups would feedback more. Since feedback is just the strings being vibrated with the sound from the amp, I can't see what the pickups have to do with it. Maybe it's because guitars with cheap pickups in them have body wood or hardware that is resonates more from external sound waves, or something like that.

I guess that "cheap pickups" might lean a tad towards the microphonic side with less than well accomplished (or complete lack of) potting, but that's usually not the sweet harmonic feedback that makes you smile. Pickups have a great deal to do with feedback. Low output pickups resist feeding back - they're just not hot enough to send those subtle string vibrations to the amp. Hotter pickups are more than willing to do this - you don't have to work too hard milking that feedback out of the rig.