Cool rails gone darker...

[busu]

Hey guys, lately it seems like my neck mounted Cool Rails is way darker than it should be, or that it was to begin with. Any ideas why that would happen, and if there is any remedy to it, other than replacing it? What I mean by "darker" is not enough highend to break through a mix, compared to the other two pickups om my strat.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

have you been eq-ing your setup more for your bridge and middle pickups?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

it is in the neck, so it's naturally warmer than the other two pickups. Other factors could be pot selection or changes to the EQ of any effects or amplification. A pickup isn't just going to magically get darker.

Any more info on the guitar? Other pickups? Control layout? Is only the Cool Rails too dark?

 

[busu]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

have you been eq-ing your setup more for your bridge and middle pickups?

Yes, I eq for the bridge usually, since I use that quite a bit. The problem is that I noticed it get darker with time...

 

[busu]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

it is in the neck, so it's naturally warmer than the other two pickups. Other factors could be pot selection or changes to the EQ of any effects or amplification. A pickup isn't just going to magically get darker.

Any more info on the guitar? Other pickups? Control layout? Is only the Cool Rails too dark?

It's an alder strat with a JB Jr-b. and a Vintage rails-m.There's only one tone for all, since the other is a blender pot. The Crails is the only dark one...

 

[beandip]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

our ears adapt over time. It's not the pickup that became darker (unless it's caked up with guitar gunk or a wiring problem), but your ears have adjusted to a different sound. I used to HATE the bridge pickup on anything. Strat, tele, LP whatever, I didn't like it. To me, it had no "body" and depth. Now, I don't use anything else. I have a hard time getting a good sound out of the neck pickups, or center position, because it's not what my ears like.

Try swapping it out for something else, you might like what you find.

 

[busu]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

I'm trying to figure out what would be the culprit for this; the tone and cap can't be since the others have not gotten any brighter. The wiring seems to be OK... I must be losing my mind...
I wonder if the wiring to, or the blender pot could have something to do with it.

 

[busu]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

Anyone else? Any ideas? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

if its wired a 250k pot, which is standard for strats, it will sound very muffled.

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: Cool rails gone darker...

Rail pickups lose high end when they aren't very close to the strings. Try raising the pickup as much as you can and it should brighten up. Then experiment with different heights. I have a hot rails neck that did the same thing. Raising the pickup did the trick & brought the highs back.