Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Hey guys Been browsing for a new bridge pick-up for my Telecaster lately, as the stock Alnico equipped pick-up isn't really cutting it for me. I have been looking at the Seymour Duncan Hot Rail: http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/sthr-1b-hot-rails-for-te/8235 Now, I tried a Hot Rail equipped Strat style guitar a couple of months back, and really liked the tone of it, I was also amazed how much better the distortion sounded through it. Has anyone had any experience with this pick-up? Like it? Hate it? Also, any other suggestions? By the way, I play through a Vox Pathfinder 15R at home, and a variety of Fender amps at college. Cheers guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members adlo76 Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I have one that I had in my main working guitar for about 6 months. Good stuff. Punchy and hot. Not as wirey and twangy as a vintage style Tele pup though and that's what I prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cross.bones Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I've got it and I like it! Its not like a humbucker though. For instance, and I know its not 100% comparable, but I have an ibanez S520 with a duncan JB in the bridge and a mexican tele with the hotrail in the bridge and when I plug the tele in its much more shrill. Which I would expect to some point as the S is all mahogany. It does retain the twang when the tone and volume is all the way up though. I have 500k pots and you can use the tone knob to get it a bit thicker sounding. I do like how quiet it is with it being humbucking. Look at the little 59 too if you want that higher output humbucker sound. My brother has that in his Tele custom and that is a crazy pickup!! Thats just after I shielded it which made it even quieter!! *edit* FYI I had to modify the bridge gap to get it to fit as it was too square. I've heard of this happen to others too. Just to let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I've got it and I like it! Its not like a humbucker though. For instance, and I know its not 100% comparable, but I have an ibanez S520 with a duncan JB in the bridge and a mexican tele with the hotrail in the bridge and when I plug the tele in its much more shrill. Which I would expect to some point as the S is all mahogany. It does retain the twang when the tone and volume is all the way up though. I have 500k pots and you can use the tone knob to get it a bit thicker sounding. I do like how quiet it is with it being humbucking. Look at the little 59 too if you want that higher output humbucker sound. My brother has that in his Tele custom and that is a crazy pickup!! Thats just after I shielded it which made it even quieter!! *edit* FYI I had to modify the bridge gap to get it to fit as it was too square. I've heard of this happen to others too. Just to let you know. Sweet, Thanks for that How much did you have to modify the gap? Was it just a smalling bit of filing needed? I will see if I can try out a guitar with a Little 59 in. Looking at some videos of it, it sounds pretty awesome. Thank again mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cross.bones Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Sweet, Thanks for that How much did you have to modify the gap? Was it just a smalling bit of filing needed? I will see if I can try out a guitar with a Little 59 in. Looking at some videos of it, it sounds pretty awesome. Thank again mate. It was literally mm's not a lot just on the corners of the current bridge. You may have no problems, mines a strange beast parts wise because of when it was made. MIM with some imported and some MIA parts. See that bridge is a toploader which isn't standard!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rxkid75 Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Haven't tried the hotrails, but I've got a little 59 in my tele at the moment and I'm pretty satisfied. It's probably the guitar I pick up the most recently. Not as twangy as my stock tele pickup but has enough of that tele sound for me when I need it, and can rock out when I need some classic rock tones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Haven't tried the hotrails, but I've got a little 59 in my tele at the moment and I'm pretty satisfied. It's probably the guitar I pick up the most recently. Not as twangy as my stock tele pickup but has enough of that tele sound for me when I need it, and can rock out when I need some classic rock tones Sweet! Yeah, according the some of the videos on YouTube, it seems a pretty sweet lil' pickup. Its also a tad cheaper than the Hot Rails pickup. all good news, but we will see if I get the oppertunity to play a guitar equipped with one soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cross.bones Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Sweet! Yeah, according the some of the videos on YouTube, it seems a pretty sweet lil' pickup. Its also a tad cheaper than the Hot Rails pickup. all good news, but we will see if I get the oppertunity to play a guitar equipped with one soon. TBH I got the hot rails cos I got it cheap. I like it though don't get me wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Wait, Can the Hot Rails be connected to a Push/Pull pot for splitting? I was just reading the wiring instructions for the Hot Rails and the Little 59, and it mentions push/pull splitting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cross.bones Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Yea they are both splittable. I'm gonna upgrade mine to a 5 way eventually. Then I can have bridge then split, then bridge and neck then split and neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Yea they are both splittable. I'm gonna upgrade mine to a 5 way eventually. Then I can have bridge then split, then bridge and neck then split and neck. Excelent I know nothing about wiring guitars, but i'm going to buy a push/pull pot when I buy my new pickup (If I get a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail or Little 59), and see if I can wire it up... haha. I can see it going wrong, but what the hell eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cross.bones Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 Excelent I know nothing about wiring guitars, but i'm going to buy a push/pull pot when I buy my new pickup (If I get a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail or Little 59), and see if I can wire it up... haha. I can see it going wrong, but what the hell eh? I think there are full instructions on the duncan website!! just make sure all the joints are nice and shiny. Especially the earths. When I first stared I used to put massive blobs of solder on the pots and ended up heating them up too much and the joints would go bad and I would get loads of buzz. Learnt fast what the issue was!! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I think there are full instructions on the duncan website!! just make sure all the joints are nice and shiny. Especially the earths. When I first stared I used to put massive blobs of solder on the pots and ended up heating them up too much and the joints would go bad and I would get loads of buzz. Learnt fast what the issue was!! haha Haha thanks! Its not as though anything BAD can happen right? Like, if something goes wrong, just un-solder it and start again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alecto Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I had a Hot Rails in my Tele and I was really satisfied with it. The trebles can be pretty sharp, but that could have also been due to the Tele itself (one-piece maple neck, hard ash body). It has a super tight low end, and sounds great clean and distorted. I had no problems installing it in my MiA Tele. The only potential downside is that the Hot Rails is very high output: Seymour Duncan says it's one of the highest output pickups he makes. A friend of mine much prefers the DiMarzio Chopper T instead; more of a Tele bridge PU on steroids than a screaming SC-sized humbucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I had a Hot Rails in my Tele and I was really satisfied with it. The trebles can be pretty sharp, but that could have also been due to the Tele itself (one-piece maple neck, hard ash body). It has a super tight low end, and sounds great clean and distorted. I had no problems installing it in my MiA Tele. The only potential downside is that the Hot Rails is very high output: Seymour Duncan says it's one of the highest output pickups he makes. A friend of mine much prefers the DiMarzio Chopper T instead; more of a Tele bridge PU on steroids than a screaming SC-sized humbucker. Hey, Thanks for that! I have tried the DiMarzio ToneZone T, and wasn't really that impressed with it to be honest. I will look up some videos of the DiMarzio Chopper T a little later. Can it be split? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dangordan Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I have little 59's in both my MIA and MIM Teles. Versatile, smooth and can still get tele twang working the tone knob. Perfect fit and easy to install. Tried Hot Rail and didn't like it in Tele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metal0822 Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 pretty much every humbucker can be split nowadays, its just the classic styles that do not. if you need to know, any pickup that comes as a 4 lead or 5 lead is splittable.as for your dilemma, ive only ever played a tele with the hot rails (out of the choices you are trying to make) and i thought it sounded great. but i like really trebly tones. it nailed a nasty thrash tone really well, better than a full size humbucker IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 pretty much every humbucker can be split nowadays, its just the classic styles that do not. if you need to know, any pickup that comes as a 4 lead or 5 lead is splittable. as for your dilemma, ive only ever played a tele with the hot rails (out of the choices you are trying to make) and i thought it sounded great. but i like really trebly tones. it nailed a nasty thrash tone really well, better than a full size humbucker IMO. Thats sweet, thanks for the Info Yes, they are very good pick-ups. I was very impressed with the one on the Strat I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keithtoxic Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 I've had a hot rail on my tele for the past year and I love it :] It's basically noiseless, I get 0 hum on my amp. I have a push/pull switch for it, and wiht it up and in middle position it gets one of the best cleans I've ever heard, twangy and full. I can play perfect pop punk and metal with the switch down, has the perfect ammount of distortion, thick but clean and distinguishable at the same time. I got mine at a shop where if you buy the parts there and they don't have to do any woodwork or something they'll install it for free. I think I payed like 85 or 90 for the pickup and switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 It's basically noiseless, I get 0 hum on my amp. I have a push/pull switch for it, and wiht it up and in middle position it gets one of the best cleans I've ever heard, twangy and full. I can play perfect pop punk and metal with the switch down, has the perfect ammount of distortion, thick but clean and distinguishable at the same time. I got mine at a shop where if you buy the parts there and they don't have to do any woodwork or something they'll install it for free. I think I payed like 85 or 90 for the pickup and switch. Thats great Keith! I'm after a real nice tone of distortion for Pop Punk. I think I will get myself a push/pull knob for this pick-up (If I end up buying it), and replace the tone pot on my guitar with it. Cheers mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 211dave112 Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 my take on single coil sized humbuckers in "general". (stay with me, i've had a few beers but i'll try and stay concise) everyone says p90's are like a nice mid way between single coils and humbuckers, which they are, you get the humbucker style power and beefy-ness with a bit more cut. love 'em i think single coil sized humbuckers are also somewhere between single coils and humbuckers but in a different way to p90's. they have that humbucker power and full-ness and typically "humbucker-y" mids yet they def have a bit more top end and snap than full size humbuckers. YMMV but that's what i've found on my guitars and others i've tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 my take on single coil sized humbuckers in "general". (stay with me, i've had a few beers but i'll try and stay concise) everyone says p90's are like a nice mid way between single coils and humbuckers, which they are, you get the humbucker style power and beefy-ness with a bit more cut. love 'em i think single coil sized humbuckers are also somewhere between single coils and humbuckers but in a different way to p90's. they have that humbucker power and full-ness and typically "humbucker-y" mids yet they def have a bit more top end and snap than full size humbuckers. YMMV but that's what i've found on my guitars and others i've tried. Thanks for that, Dave Yes, when I tried HotRails before, they did seem to have quite a bit more of a high end than normal humbuckers, but that being said... I didn't actually know they were 'humbucking' pickups back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metal0822 Posted November 5, 2009 Members Share Posted November 5, 2009 i see what youre saying. and i agree with the order being,single -> p90 -> rails -> humbucker. basically the p90 sounds closer to a single and the little buckers sound closer to a humbucker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dougie.Douglas Posted November 6, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2009 i see what youre saying. and i agree with the order being,single -> p90 -> rails -> humbucker. basically the p90 sounds closer to a single and the little buckers sound closer to a humbucker. Thats sweet. I'v never actually tried an P-90... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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