I just installed a new Hot Rails in my Deluxe Nashville tele. At first I soldered the black wire to the switch and green to the pot. It was out of phase. Very weak sounding in position 2. Also iverly loud in position 1. Switched the black/ green wires and voila!! Instant goodness.
Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
- Thread starter Mspin
- Start date
Dave Locher
New member
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
How do you like the sound with the Hot Rails in there?
How do you like the sound with the Hot Rails in there?
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
My initial impressions favorable. It pairs very well in the#2 position with the Middle pup. On it’s own it sounds full. It cleans up very nicely when rolling off volume in the overdrive channel. It has a very nice bell like quality in the clean channel. Further down the road I would be interested in beiNg able to coil split it on this guitar. I am guessing I would need to add a switch to the control plate.
My initial impressions favorable. It pairs very well in the#2 position with the Middle pup. On it’s own it sounds full. It cleans up very nicely when rolling off volume in the overdrive channel. It has a very nice bell like quality in the clean channel. Further down the road I would be interested in beiNg able to coil split it on this guitar. I am guessing I would need to add a switch to the control plate.
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
Actually, split isn't really as good of a soundas a Hot Rails in parallel. I would try it in parallel first, and then, if you don't like it, try it split. But I always thought parallel sounded vastly better (at least on Hot Rails). Bonus is that it stays hum-cancelling.
Actually, split isn't really as good of a soundas a Hot Rails in parallel. I would try it in parallel first, and then, if you don't like it, try it split. But I always thought parallel sounded vastly better (at least on Hot Rails). Bonus is that it stays hum-cancelling.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
I agree. Parallel remains hum-cancelling, and to my ears, is just a slightly more harmonically rich sound.
I agree. Parallel remains hum-cancelling, and to my ears, is just a slightly more harmonically rich sound.
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
I had a set of Rails in my Tele and I just recently swapped them out. As far as a hot humbucker sound goes, they are about as good as it gets. I wanted a more Tele like sound, so I went with the Lil-59's set to replace them. The Lil-59 is not my favorite. In series mode, it is rather dark, but I like how it feels to play. In parallel mode, it is just off, it thins out and gets brighter, but the feeling goes away and it verges on too peaky or chirpy. I will be on the hunt for another bridge pickup soon. I have a Jerry Donahue in my other Tele and it is the SHIZNIT, hands down the best Tele pickup ever made. As much as I would like to have one in every Tele, I like having guitars that all have their own thing going on.
Back on point though, the Hot rails are a very good all-around pickup. I used them in parallel mode as well and they work very well that way. They get brighter, spank a little, and get a little chirpy even, but they are really more suited for series mode. I won't get rid of them if that is any indication. I just need to get another guitar to put them in
I had a set of Rails in my Tele and I just recently swapped them out. As far as a hot humbucker sound goes, they are about as good as it gets. I wanted a more Tele like sound, so I went with the Lil-59's set to replace them. The Lil-59 is not my favorite. In series mode, it is rather dark, but I like how it feels to play. In parallel mode, it is just off, it thins out and gets brighter, but the feeling goes away and it verges on too peaky or chirpy. I will be on the hunt for another bridge pickup soon. I have a Jerry Donahue in my other Tele and it is the SHIZNIT, hands down the best Tele pickup ever made. As much as I would like to have one in every Tele, I like having guitars that all have their own thing going on.
Back on point though, the Hot rails are a very good all-around pickup. I used them in parallel mode as well and they work very well that way. They get brighter, spank a little, and get a little chirpy even, but they are really more suited for series mode. I won't get rid of them if that is any indication. I just need to get another guitar to put them in
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
The Lil' 59 is actually darker and less punchy in the guitar I was comparing them in. The Rails are by far the best humbucker pickups for a Tele I have come across. They sound like a hot humbucker. The Lil' 59 sounds good in series mode, very good in fact, but it just has this thing about it. For me, it was too dark and lacked the definition that the Rails have. What I do appreciate about the Lil'59's is that they are lower output and you could at least do good cleans. In parallel mode, the Lil'59 is better between the two, it just isn't inspiring to me though and the feeling went away. The Rails weren't much better in parallel mode though; they sound ok, but still don't do Tele twang. In parallel mode, the Lil'59 is more twangy and chirpy than the Rails. This is my experience with them in the same guitar. I am not jumping to sell the Lil'59's, I just need to find the right guitar for them.
The Lil' 59 is actually darker and less punchy in the guitar I was comparing them in. The Rails are by far the best humbucker pickups for a Tele I have come across. They sound like a hot humbucker. The Lil' 59 sounds good in series mode, very good in fact, but it just has this thing about it. For me, it was too dark and lacked the definition that the Rails have. What I do appreciate about the Lil'59's is that they are lower output and you could at least do good cleans. In parallel mode, the Lil'59 is better between the two, it just isn't inspiring to me though and the feeling went away. The Rails weren't much better in parallel mode though; they sound ok, but still don't do Tele twang. In parallel mode, the Lil'59 is more twangy and chirpy than the Rails. This is my experience with them in the same guitar. I am not jumping to sell the Lil'59's, I just need to find the right guitar for them.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
Spring for a Custom Shop version of the Jerry Donahue. It's very similar to the regular one but more three dimensional and lively. I have one in my Tele Custom, with a Strat neck pickup.
I had a set of Rails in my Tele and I just recently swapped them out. As far as a hot humbucker sound goes, they are about as good as it gets. I wanted a more Tele like sound, so I went with the Lil-59's set to replace them. The Lil-59 is not my favorite. In series mode, it is rather dark, but I like how it feels to play. In parallel mode, it is just off, it thins out and gets brighter, but the feeling goes away and it verges on too peaky or chirpy. I will be on the hunt for another bridge pickup soon. I have a Jerry Donahue in my other Tele and it is the SHIZNIT, hands down the best Tele pickup ever made. As much as I would like to have one in every Tele, I like having guitars that all have their own thing going on.
Back on point though, the Hot rails are a very good all-around pickup. I used them in parallel mode as well and they work very well that way. They get brighter, spank a little, and get a little chirpy even, but they are really more suited for series mode. I won't get rid of them if that is any indication. I just need to get another guitar to put them in
Spring for a Custom Shop version of the Jerry Donahue. It's very similar to the regular one but more three dimensional and lively. I have one in my Tele Custom, with a Strat neck pickup.
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
Wow, I didn't even know there was a CS version of this. What is different?
Wow, I didn't even know there was a CS version of this. What is different?
Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele
I think you can only get a custom shop version of the JD now? As far as I know, they don't even advertise that they make a JD model anymore since he went to Wilkinson. I did see that they offer it in the custom shop though. Mine is a standard version though. It has JD's signature in blue script on the base plate. As far as I am concerned, the JD Tele bridge is the best single-coil pickup ever made! It is what I feel makes a Tele a Tele. It has spank for days, it chirps, it quacks, it growls and it roars. When you hear that Tele twang on a country record, the JD is that sound. Hands down the best pickup I have ever come across.
The Lil'59 is really nice, don't get me wrong. It sounds good, and the darkness of it could be because I used 250k pots, but I had 500k's with it too and while it was brighter, it wasn't night and day. I think it just needs a brighter guitar as a base for them. It is well balanced and has that humbucker sound, but to me, it is darker sounding and it is hard to match neck pickups to it. I have the matching Tele vintage stack neck and the difference in volume between them is HUGE. Sound-wise they are compatible but so different in output level that I wasn't happy.
I think you can only get a custom shop version of the JD now? As far as I know, they don't even advertise that they make a JD model anymore since he went to Wilkinson. I did see that they offer it in the custom shop though. Mine is a standard version though. It has JD's signature in blue script on the base plate. As far as I am concerned, the JD Tele bridge is the best single-coil pickup ever made! It is what I feel makes a Tele a Tele. It has spank for days, it chirps, it quacks, it growls and it roars. When you hear that Tele twang on a country record, the JD is that sound. Hands down the best pickup I have ever come across.
The Lil'59 is really nice, don't get me wrong. It sounds good, and the darkness of it could be because I used 250k pots, but I had 500k's with it too and while it was brighter, it wasn't night and day. I think it just needs a brighter guitar as a base for them. It is well balanced and has that humbucker sound, but to me, it is darker sounding and it is hard to match neck pickups to it. I have the matching Tele vintage stack neck and the difference in volume between them is HUGE. Sound-wise they are compatible but so different in output level that I wasn't happy.
