3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

[JipThePeople]

I am trying to decide between 3 hot rails vs. 2 hot rails (bridge/middle) with a coll rails in the neck. I am afraid the cool rails will result in too much volume drop vs the hot rails. What about cool rails in middle and hot rails in the bridge and neck?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

A calibrated set of Hot Rails pickups should answer your problem. Output should remain reasonably consistent from switch position to switch position.

The exact degree of "jump" between two Cool Rails and a Hot Rails will depend upon how you adjust their heights relative to your strings.

The final decision depends on your priorities; hot bridge PU sound or not quite so hot neck and centre PU sounds.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

I'd go with the HR bridge and neck, and CR middle. Should work nicely. I don't see the point in Hot Rails in the middle - you want something with a little less output, or at least tonally different, so you can get more variety from your guitar.

My Jackson SL3 had a JB bridge with Hot Rails in the middle and neck. I never used the middle, it was like a poor version of the bridge or neck pickups - somewhere in between, not quite as good. Like Purgatory!

I'd even think of getting a Vintage Rails for the middle, if you're set on Rails.

 

[saladin]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Go for 3 Hot Rails, I've done and it sounds great!

 

[Crunchy]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

I asked a similar question directly to SD (except with a JB for the bridge, cuz it's HSS) and the response from Frank Falbo was that a Hot Rails in the neck combined with a Vintage Rails, Duckbucker or Cool Rails in the middle (wired in parallel) will be a great combo due to the fact that the lower ouput of the middle will suck a bit of power out of the bridge or neck high-output, so when combined it should not get too dark, muddy or flat as it would with Hot Rails combined with Hot Rails. Also, when you just run it straight you will still get a little Strat quack:naughty:

 

[Crunchy]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Plus, I believe it is easier to deal with volume drop-off issues than with clarity of sound issues...you know?

 

[baritone]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Whatever you choose, you can really compensate for volume changes by adjusting the height of each pickup. I keep a JB Jr., which is really hot, in the bridge position and a Duckbucker in the middle. The Duckbucker is raised up pretty close to the strings, and the JB Jr. is set to a "sweet spot".

 

[Crunchy]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Whatever you choose, you can really compensate for volume changes by adjusting the height of each pickup. I keep a JB Jr., which is really hot, in the bridge position and a Duckbucker in the middle. The Duckbucker is raised up pretty close to the strings, and the JB Jr. is set to a "sweet spot".

How do you like that Duckbucker? I am just about to install, in my maple necked Strat HSS, a full size JB bridge, and a Hot Rails neck but am tweeking on whether to use a Duckbucker or Vintage Rails in the middle. What's your take? Do you experience any drop out between poles when string bending?:scratchch

 

[baritone]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

The Duckbucker is a really cool pickup. It has a really glassy treble response with a tiny bit of ceramic magnet bite on top. The volume drop on bends occurs with regular single coils, especially in the middle position, but we kind of get used to it. With the Duckbucker, it's even more noticeable, due to the tiny detection points of the poles. I don't feel the need to switch at this point, but if I was starting fresh, I would make the Vintage Rails my go-to pickup for Strat tones.

 

[Crunchy]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

The Duckbucker is a really cool pickup. It has a really glassy treble response with a tiny bit of ceramic magnet bite on top. The volume drop on bends occurs with regular single coils, especially in the middle position, but we kind of get used to it. With the Duckbucker, it's even more noticeable, due to the tiny detection points of the poles. I don't feel the need to switch at this point, but if I was starting fresh, I would make the Vintage Rails my go-to pickup for Strat tones.

I think you just provided me with the most convincing feedback yet. I was really looking for this issue to be resolved...thanks much!:thanks:

 

[baritone]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

no prob - let us know how it turns out

 

[JipThePeople]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Thx for all the replies. I really love the sound of the JB in my ibanez but I have how the mini JB looks! Is the Hot Rails sound similar to the mini JB?

 

[Jeff5]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

I've had both and they are very different pick ups. I honestly haven't played them in awhile, but the JB is more..JB like. Brighter, sweeter, more highs. The hot rails is thicker, darker and more aggressive. It's not necessarily hotter, both are pretty hot pick ups. I can't quite equate it to a humbucker, but suffice to say a Hot Rails and JB sound totally different.

 

[JipThePeople]

Re: 3 Hot Rails in a MIM Strat or 2 hot rails and 1 cool rails?

Sounds like the Hot Rails w/b better in a strat than a JB since HR is darker. Thx.