Recessed bridges vs non recessed and picking

Playing Technique
#1

So I mostly play guitars with floyds, and as you can probably imagine that means most are recessed so the bridge is basically flush to the body. However, I also play Les Pauls with TOMS or even guitars like Caparison that have basically a top mounted floyd but routing for pull-ups. Now I seem to have really no issues playing either (maybe one would be better if I was trying to break speed records or something but I can shred), but I was wondering if anyone had thoughts if one is better than the other for picking (really alternate but any works), if certain mechanics works better with others etc. I think I’m just trying to be mindful of not preventing injury etc.

I know for example Steve Vai is reaaaalllly into recessed bridges for picking (though alternate picking isn’t as good as his legato imo), and I think Frank Gambale’s old Ibanez models even had the pickups recessed to be as low as possible, and I can’t figure out why one would prefer one or the other.

I myself don’t anchor my hand but it rests on the bridge, and especially for quick picking I do what Pebber Brown called SARAD picking, aka it’s really just my thumb and index finger moving as opposed to wrist or elbow-I think Yngwie may do this kinda.

I can pretty much pick slant either way but definitely do DWPS as my default, but without ever discovering MIM and just practicing with Petrucci and Batio and Gilbert dvds I learned to 3nps alternate pick easily so I think that means I can switch slant very easily? Just giving context for my style.

Thanks!

#2

My original thought is that if you use a technique like Yngwie’s, where the ring finger or pinky rests on the guitar top as an anchor, a non-recessed bridge can negatively affect the picking feel. But if you use a technique like Paul Gilbert’s, where the hand rests on the bridge in a floating position, then the difference between recessed and non-recessed bridges is much less noticeable.

I’m not a native English speaker, so I’m using translation software to communicate with you.

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#3

Thanks! I think that definitely makes sense, since my handles float/rest only because I can’t somehow avoid the bridge without purposefully raising my hand, but I don’t actually anchor…and like I mentioned both seem fine to me if anything I think more about neck angle for the left hand when it comes to preferences.

#4

You should be fine assuming nothing you do is painful.

I don’t know this person but it’s sarod picking no? I wanted to find out more about it, I think Roy M says it’s what he uses and supposedly not covered by CTC at all.

#5

that’s probably the correct writing, but yeah maybe I could even try to make a video not that I’m a master, but it came very easily for me but I’m old enough where I got most picking down probably by luck that I was efficient with it haha.

#6

Here’s a little quick short I made about the SAROD picking I do

SAROD Picking

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#7

@jco5055 seems like just general finger motion, which I feel I do and sometimes see on video. Not sure why they had to give it another name lol.

I never broke my thumb but I can do it, I dunno if there’s a correlation there (or maybe flexibility?)

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#8

yeah unsure about the breaking your thumb thing, I tested my other thumb and it seems I can do it also, but I could imagine some might not have the finger flexibility to do it though(?)

#9

I would think this is more a matter of muscular control rather than flexibility. Maybe @Tom_Gilroy could chime in if he’s interested.

Flexibility I think really comes into play with trailing edge picking.

The only correlation I have is that I started doing more thumb movement picking after I got into climbing and did lots of pinching with the hands (much stronger thumbs).

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#10

I would agree. Some joint mobility will be required in any picking movement, and I’m sure some people will have issues that prevent them from executing particular movement patterns (arthritis, etc), but minimal flexibiltiy is required here. The positions are not extremal.

I’ve never understood the fascination that Pebber’s followers had with the “sarod” and “scalpel” picking techniques he presented.

There are different variations in picking technique in different instruments too, and the sarod is no exception. These two players clearly have different techniques

and it should be blatantly obvious that John McLaughlin doesn’t pick like this at all.

More than that, Pebber’s criticisms of @Troy’s material made it pretty evident that he really didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Also, there seems to be a fascination with thumb/finger motion among some different cohorts of players, to the point where it’s revered as some sort of transcendant ideal. People have been extolling the mysterious virtues of “circle picking” for decades.

Personally, I think this is misplaced. I can do fast thumb/finger motion and I don’t perceive that it confers any unique advantage over other forms.

Again, I agree. I’ve had a small number of students who’ve told me that they find trailing edge grips uncomfortable, or even painful. Some (small) degree of hyperextensibility of the thumb seems to be necessary.

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#11

I think its an aesthetic appeal more than a mechanical one. It certainly looks really cool to get insane speed only moving the thumb and index finger. I wish I could get mine going like Alcatrazz era Yngwie or Takayoshi Ohmura, for this reason, but with the exception of 2 string sweep moves, I can’t get the motion going faster than moderate speeds.

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