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Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

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  • Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

    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.

  • #2
    Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

    Yes, most of SD's pickups are out of phase with Fender pickups. Happy you sorted it out!
    Administrator of the SDUGF

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    • #3
      Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

      How do you like the sound with the Hot Rails in there?

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      • #4
        Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

        Originally posted by Dave Locher View Post
        How do you like the sound with the Hot Rails in there?
        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.

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        • #5
          Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

          You can rewire the switch, so its split in the #2 position. Google for Autosplit.
          I get the feeling the A8 will blow your skirt up more so - Edgecrusher

          Smooth trades with Jerryjg, ArtieToo, Theodie, Micah, trevorus, Pierre, pzaxtl, damian1122, Thames, Diocletian, Kevinabb, Fakiekid, oilpit, checo, BachToRock, majewsky, joyouswolf, Koreth, Pontiac Jack, Jeff_H

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          • #6
            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.
            Administrator of the SDUGF

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            • #7
              Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

              Originally posted by Mincer View Post
              Actually, split isn't really as good of a soundas a Hot Rails in parallel.
              I agree. Parallel remains hum-cancelling, and to my ears, is just a slightly more harmonically rich sound.

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              • #8
                Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                dont think you can auto parallel with a normal 5 way though

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                • #9
                  Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                  True. That would require a Superswitch.

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                  • #10
                    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

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                    • #11
                      Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                      I would think that a Little 59 is about as far as a classic Tele-sounding pickup as the Hot Rails is. It is similar, in that what it does, it does well, but it isn't a great pick if you also need traditional Tele tones.
                      Administrator of the SDUGF

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                      • #12
                        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.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                          Interesting that you found the Little 59 too dark. I am not questioning your ears, but it is funny to me how we can hear things differently. As long as you found the one that works for you, that is cool!
                          Administrator of the SDUGF

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                          • #14
                            Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                            Originally posted by Ewizard View Post
                            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.
                            “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

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                            • #15
                              Re: Just installed Hot Rails in my Tele

                              Originally posted by Lewguitar View Post
                              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.
                              Wow, I didn't even know there was a CS version of this. What is different?
                              Administrator of the SDUGF

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