How do you do that, exactly? I get all my artificial harmonics, which I am fond of, with the flesh of the right side of my middle finger as I pick. I hold the pick with my right hand thumb, index and middle finger but I get all my (reliably squawky) harmonics from the edge of my middle right hand finger while up-picking.
I haven’t played along to the recording yet, but I did find a You Tube instructional video showing the full bass line to that song, most especially that sweet song-changing groove.
I’m working on pinch harmonics, but haven’t developed any level of consistency with them—still working on finding just the right amount of thumb contact in just the right place on the string.
I’d check YouTube; I assume there’s a gazillion how to vids on them.
If it put the pick down, but hold my thumb and forefinger as if I was holding a pick, then strum or pick a string, I am using the corner of my thumb to contact the strings.
Now, if I pick up the pick, I hold it so only a bit of pick extends past that corner of my thumb. By “pinching” - bringing my thumb and forefinger in a bit closer in towards my hand - I control how much pick extends. More pinch = less pick and more thumbflesh is involved in the string contact. That’s it.
I’ll add:
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Pinch harmonics are generally much easier to find using your bridge pickup.
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They can be quite a bit quieter than a regular picked note, so using an amp tone with a bit (or a lot) of compression will make them more audible.
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It can matter quite a bit where on the string you are picking. Pinch harmonics sound at locations offset by a specific interval from the fretted note. Experiment with pinch-picking at varying locations on the string closer and further from the bridge. The harmonics will pop out at a reliable picking location for a given note. e.g., on my SG, if I fret the G string at the 9th fret, a pinch harmonic sounds if I pinch-pick near my neck humbucker pole pieces.
Yeah, I kinda forgot I do all that, too. Man I’m old.
I have to say, one effect I have never gotten my brain wrapped around is compression. I mean, I clearly don’t grok with any pedals besides an always on distortion because, well, it’s what I keep coming back to. But especially a compressor. Other than groove, the only thing that matters to me is touch dynamics. If I want evened-out volumes across my playing, I even out my playing ;). I can see EVH liking to boost tapped harmonics and hammer-ons, but I don’t okay that stuff (anymore).
Playing with a compressor, to me, is like playing with a condom on. Drives me crazy.
But, dude, you are playing with a compressor: a tube amp with a drive pedal. That compresses the dynamic range. It also does helluva lot of other stuff, but quiet things do get somewhat louder. I think you enjoy that the tone starts barking if the input barks, but that doesn’t mean gentle playing is soft, it’s just clean-ish. I think? I’m still new to this tweed deluxe stuff, but it still applies to my Bjr if using a similar approach.
Wow, I’ve got a lot to learn.
And all this time I thought they said “Pluck”.
.
Tonight, I learned how to date some of the older Japanese guitars.
Alvarez K.Yairi for example, I’m looking at a listing with a neck block number 53090343.
Japan dates using the reign of the Emperor.
Showa 53 is 1978
This was the 43rd guitar manufactured on Sept 3.
This particular guitar was sold as a Yairi 1979 50th Anniversary. It has a emblem on the neck indicating there were 900 made.
I made a low ball offer. Hoping the dealer wants to clear end of year inventory. It’s worth a shot. 
Handy table of Japanese years.
http://seinenkai.com/articles/dates.html
I know manufacturers use a lot of numbering schemes. This may help with some Japanese guitars.
Interesting article about Gibson’s history.
I didn’t realize Gibson bought Epiphone in 1957. The two lines of guitars were comparable quality in the early 60’s. Until Gibson shifted Epiphone’s production overseas in the late 60’s. Creating a low cost line of guitars for consumers.
https://reverb.com/news/reverb-experts-vintage-gibson-flat-tops
Yep - that’s it.
EtFlagon - Hah!
Well, I’m a bit stunned. The seller accepted my low ball offer. I’ve been watching this listing since last summer. Figured WTH. Maybe he doesn’t want to carry the inventory over into 2108. I didn’t think he’d accept without at least counter offering.
It’s from Blue Angel Music in Pensacola, FL. Good seller. He had 21 pictures documenting the condition.
There’s a few dents in the finish. Nothing major. It’s a DY50 Yairi 50th Anniversary sold in 1979. Original Hard Shell Case.
I own a Yairi made in 1992 and play it regularly. Great tone.
here’s a three photos from the listing. I’ll post a couple more after it arrives.
Looks like burl mahogany to me. Yairi’s didn’t usually have wood this nice. I’m getting more and more excited that it’s actually mine and at a good price.
you can see a little damage in the close up of the top and the pick guard has shrunk. Nothing unusual for a guitar made in 1979.
I never spend more than $1,000 on a vintage guitar. I can’t afford the high dollar vintage Gibsons. I really like Yairi’s and they can often be bought for under $700.
Anniversary Emblem. 58th of a 900 Run
original hard shell case
ace, that’s quilted mahogany. Nice! Burl mahogany is far less desireable for instruments because it cracks easily with temp changes and produces inconsistent/unpredictable tone vs straight grained wood. Quilted mahogany is typically straight grained, but with extra “medullary rays” in the grain of the wood.
I would verify it’s mahogany and not dark-stained maple. Quilted maple is a bit more common. Either way, that looks like a great score. Congrats.
Quilted. Thank you. 
The listing didn’t indicate the type of wood. I know he had listed it a bit high. It hadn’t sold since last summer. I guess my lower offer looked good with a new year coming up.
It probably is dark stained Maple. Alvarez Yairi has always been a solid mid-priced guitar. They try to get musicians that can’t afford a Gibson or Martin.
I double checked the listing. Cedar top and mahogany sides/back.
I’ll research and confirm the 1079 DY-50 anniversary model used mahogany and not maple. The seller may have assumed it was the better wood.
Look up pictures of “The Tree,” a legendary mahogany tree with extensive quilting, turned into a bunch of back and sides prized by modern luthiers.
Link to article about The Tree: The Legend of ‘The Tree,’ a Mythic Source of 500-Year-Old Mahogany Coveted by Slash, Andy McKee, and More | Acoustic Guitar
Folks who can afford this stuff really get over-the-top gushy about it. The hype is a bit too Guitar Aficionado for my taste.
Heheeh, I understand what you mean about playing with a compressor pedal, WordMan. Lots of bass players use them to flatten out the dynamics in their playing without introducing distortion, but I hate them. I prefer to have the amp convert the extra energy into overdrive, not have a pedal dynamically lower the gain and keep the sound clean (ewwww).
aceplace57, a friend of mine had one of those for years. Even when the lower bout was held together with packing tape, it was a good player. When he finally got it repaired, (a perfect, seamless job), it was a great guitar. Who knows, it may be the same guitar. Either way, nice buy!
I spent all the gift cards I got this year and a bit of my own money to pick up a used Fender Mustang Bass. I normally don’t really like P/J setups, but with the short scale, it thumps like hell and still moans nicely. I plan to use it on New Year’s Eve.
I have a compressor that I have used sparingly when I want to 1) hear the sound of pick attack without it becoming an ice pick in the ear, and 2) get enhanced sustain.
Just like any other effect, make the effect work for you instead of becoming a slave to it. Also, play music, don’t play the pedal.
I hear you, but meh. If I want more sustain, I make it a point to choose and stick my notes better
And yes, clearly, I find effects distracting. I want to be “mindless” when I play, and effects take me out of that. Besides, the grainy decay of a great guitar through a pushed tube amp is all I ever I want to hear.
I’ve considered this course on pedals. Primarily to learn how to set them up and use them.
For $38 it can save me a lot of time learning the basics. They cover a range of pedal effects.
Then spend the rest of my life figuring out how to best apply them to my music.
I’ve taken a couple courses from truefire. They have some good teachers.
It’s on sale.