Has anyone ever tried playing rhythm on their neck pickup?

[Fenriswolf]

I know this probably won't apply to a lot of people on here, but I'm fairly polyjamorus, and felt like jamming some stoner/desert/whatever the hell it's called, I don't do genres...but I saw this video where Josh Homme was playing on his neck pickup



and I have a 70s Gibson with a shot bridge pickup so I figured I'd give it a shot. As someone who's been torn on their sound and I don't know if I like the tight aggressiveness of longer scale with thinner strings, the balance of a shorter scale with heavy strings, or the Tony Iommi heaviness of short scale with thinner strings. That shit was surprisingly heavy, I know it's not this forums cup of tea, but if you want a big heavy fuzzy part in your song, you should give it a shot.

 

[Edika]

Most of the classic rock bands played rhythm on the neck pickup and popped the bridge for the extra oomph and cut it provided when playing leads. I wasn't aware of that until recently when I was trying to learn some more classic stuff and found the sound coming out of my guitar a lot more aggressive and trebly. It also finally made sense why the LP's have rhythm on the neck pickup and lead on the bridge pickup on the pocker chip.

For metal, as I gravitate towards thrash and death, I haven't been a fan of playing rhythm on the neck pickup. But I can see how it would work for slower, sludgier stuff.

 

[Fenriswolf]

Most of the classic rock bands played rhythm on the neck pickup and popped the bridge for the extra oomph and cut it provided when playing leads. I wasn't aware of that until recently when I was trying to learn some more classic stuff and found the sound coming out of my guitar a lot more aggressive and trebly. It also finally made sense why the LP's have rhythm on the neck pickup and lead on the bridge pickup on the pocker chip.

For metal, as I gravitate towards thrash and death, I haven't been a fan of playing rhythm on the neck pickup. But I can see how it would work for slower, sludgier stuff.

Ya, the main thing that comes to mind is when I had to rewire my dad's Tele for him. However much you're getting paid for some tech work, I feel like one guitar appropriate jam is our version of a tip.

Personally, I like at least a neck tone, because it makes the leads all creamy when it's on zero, but leads on a tele bridge pickup are icepicky. While I get that treble cuts through the mix, you know what else does, not scooping the mids on a midrange instrument.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Yeah, a lot, but I'm steeped in stoner rock. Also I use p90s a lot, and the neck just has a certain... fatness that the bridge just never does.

 

[Necky379]

When I was much younger and just starting to learn guitar my father said bridge for lead neck for rhythm. He’s been giging since the 70’s so I guess that was how they did it back then. He still gigs and I’ve heard him play with distortion one time after all these years, always clean or light overdrive. I think that influences things.

The middle pickups on my Stef guitars work great for heavy rhythm playing and don’t get messy like a neck pickup in a high gain application. The 81-7 is especially good. Generally I do use the bridge for clear tight high gain rhythm and neck pickup for lead work.

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

I do it! I'm really tired of the same old bridge go high gain chugga chugga 5150 sound so I try different things.

 

[MatrixClaw]

I hear lots of people use the neck pickup with great success in videos, recordings, etc. but the only thing that ever sounds good through them when I'm playing are cleans

 

[Emperoff]

Hetfield has been seen using the neck pickup for rythms quite a lot. Not surprising, because the EMG-60 is a very bright pickup that works fantastic as a rythm pickup for a super-punchy tone.

 

[TheBlackBard]

If it's more doomy sludgy stuff, absolutely. More thrashy/black metal stuff, all bridge.

 

[USMarine75]

Also depends how your rig is set up. Most modern guitarists set up their rig to their bridge pickup. So when you flip to the neck and try to play rhythm it’s too dark and/or muddy. Try using the neck pickup and setting the EQ and gain to that pickup instead. You can get some killer rhythm tones. It works really well for percussive stuff like Architects.

You can also try both HB or middle pickup. I’m a huge fan of the middle single (or middle single with the inner bridge coil) for rhythm as well.

 

[Marked Man]

Nope, doesn't suit my style.

 

[Marked Man]

Hetfield has been seen using the neck pickup for rythms quite a lot. Not surprising, because the EMG-60 is a very bright pickup that works fantastic as a rythm pickup for a super-punchy tone.

He wouldn't have dreamed of using the neck pickup for a main crunch riff in the '80s.

 

[Crungy]

I use the neck on most of my guitars (that have it) for dirty or clean tones. The only one I don't really care for is the stock neck pickup on my Ibanez EX350, it's too muddy/bassy.

My favorite neck pickup is my Epiphone SG's Probucker. It's warmer than the bridge but still seems really clear so it works well for clean all the way to fuzzy/heavily distorted tones. It feels like a bridge pickup but with more bass in just the right way.

After that one as a favorite, it's a toss up between an Ibanez V77 (older 7420 or "newer" 1527), Air Norton 7, or almost any regular Tele neck pickup.

 

[technomancer]

It also finally made sense why the LP's have rhythm on the neck pickup and lead on the bridge pickup on the pocker chip.

This is because Les Paul played clean and used the neck pickup for, you guessed it, Rhythm

 

[Andromalia]

If it's more doomy sludgy stuff, absolutely. More thrashy/black metal stuff, all bridge.

Ditto. If I want to play something classic sounding, I take whatever modern preset I have and play it on the neck pickup. Works really well, especially on 24.75' scale guitars, which is why half the stoner bands seem to be using Gibsons and related axes.

 

[TheBlackBard]

Ditto. If I want to play something classic sounding, I take whatever modern preset I have and play it on the neck pickup. Works really well, especially on 24.75' scale guitars, which is why half the stoner bands seem to be using Gibsons and related axes.

I honestly wish I saw more of them playing some Reverend Senseis. I could be the odd one out, but for me, those guitars are AMAZING for stoner doom.

 

[owlexifry]

accidentally, for most of a song during a set because i knocked the selector switch (les paul) and didn't notice til the end. i guess it probably sounded fatter, less tight, and probably nobody noticed.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Although I generally use bridge for rhythm and neck for lead, I go with whatever sounds best, rather than following any "rules". For certain styles, the neck pickup just works better than the bridge for rhythm.

Pickups also make a difference. Most of my guitars have pretty bright and high-output neck pickups, such as D Activator, Super 2, PAF Pro & DiMarzio/IBZ (voiced like a Super 2), which means they can be more agressive / less muddy than the average neck pickup for rhythm.

Withy my setup, I would routinely use the neck for rhythm when playing doom, stoner and a fair bit of classic rock. I presume Tom Morello uses the neck for most of his rhythm playing, as that's the only way I can get close to his tone with my guitars...maybe it's just my pickup models though.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

accidentally, for most of a song during a set because i knocked the selector switch (les paul) and didn't notice til the end. i guess it probably sounded fatter, less tight, and probably nobody noticed.

A Les Paul always sounds fat and less tight than any other guitar, so you're probably right that nobody noticed

 

[JJ Smitee]

I’m surprised people would only use the bridge for rhythm, as trebly as it is.

I think EVH used the neck a lot: that would explain his toggle configuration.