hey guys, i have a HSS strat with the JB hum in the bridge and am gonna change the neck to either the cool rails or hotrails...still decidng between the 2...hoping for any of u with experience on these pickups to help me decide...my middle pickup is the stk-1 ... what should i do? can the cool rails handle high gain well? or can the hotrails handle cleans well? im torn...HELP!:eyecrazy:
cool rails or hotrails ?
- Thread starter balboala
- Start date
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
I've owned and used both at various times for neck. The Cool Rails sounds to me like it's in that gray area between a neck humbucker and a fat single coil... great clean tones and it'll do high gain just fine for a medium output pickup. I preferred using my amp's gain boost with that pickup for the best results for riffing and soloing.
The hot rails is of course much hotter and somewhat midrange dominant. I found that I got the best clean tones from it by using 500K pots to brighten it up a bit and make the treble detail better and rolling back the volume knob 7 or so. It's hot enough to distort a clean channel if you're not careful so using the volume knob takes the edge off a little bit.
I've owned and used both at various times for neck. The Cool Rails sounds to me like it's in that gray area between a neck humbucker and a fat single coil... great clean tones and it'll do high gain just fine for a medium output pickup. I preferred using my amp's gain boost with that pickup for the best results for riffing and soloing.
The hot rails is of course much hotter and somewhat midrange dominant. I found that I got the best clean tones from it by using 500K pots to brighten it up a bit and make the treble detail better and rolling back the volume knob 7 or so. It's hot enough to distort a clean channel if you're not careful so using the volume knob takes the edge off a little bit.
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
thanks B2D. i play mostly metal, rock and experiment on a little blues too...i dont really know much bout pickups...im hoping that what i get would go well with the JB hum in the bridge...after ur reply im now leaning on the hotrails...unless someone else comes up with something good to say bout the cool rails...that goes to show how much i know bout pickups huh..lol
thanks B2D. i play mostly metal, rock and experiment on a little blues too...i dont really know much bout pickups...im hoping that what i get would go well with the JB hum in the bridge...after ur reply im now leaning on the hotrails...unless someone else comes up with something good to say bout the cool rails...that goes to show how much i know bout pickups huh..lol
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
The hotrails in the neck have a quite unique clean sound... very dark and kind of mean sounding. Not quite like the classic nice & lovely, chimey Strat Singlecoil sound... depending on the genre of Metal you are playing, It could be very useful for cleans. The "downside", like B2D said, is that it'll overdrive your clean channel in no time. Rolling back the volume can help, using a 500k or maybe even 1M pot too. You could also think about doing the 50s mod in the volume pot in order to get more clarity when rolling it down.
The hotrails in the neck have a quite unique clean sound... very dark and kind of mean sounding. Not quite like the classic nice & lovely, chimey Strat Singlecoil sound... depending on the genre of Metal you are playing, It could be very useful for cleans. The "downside", like B2D said, is that it'll overdrive your clean channel in no time. Rolling back the volume can help, using a 500k or maybe even 1M pot too. You could also think about doing the 50s mod in the volume pot in order to get more clarity when rolling it down.
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
A lot of hard rock and metal guys use the cool rails and love it. Same goes for the HR...
Personally I'd go for the Hot Rails Neck. It might be better matched in the output department. If you try volume control and pickup height adjustment and it turns out to be too hot for you, then you might try the Cool Rails or maybe even the Lil '59.
A lot of hard rock and metal guys use the cool rails and love it. Same goes for the HR...
Personally I'd go for the Hot Rails Neck. It might be better matched in the output department. If you try volume control and pickup height adjustment and it turns out to be too hot for you, then you might try the Cool Rails or maybe even the Lil '59.
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
IIRC the 50's mod allows you to adjust your volume control and not bleed treble like you normally would - someone else more familiar with it can explain it better.
Pots some in different resistance values, measured in Ohms. 250k and 500k value pots are the most common. 250k pots will make your pickups sound a little softer and take the edge off (good for bright single coils on vintage toned instruments) and 500k pots will impart more treble detail to the sound (good for adding defintition to humbuckers).
IIRC the 50's mod allows you to adjust your volume control and not bleed treble like you normally would - someone else more familiar with it can explain it better.
Pots some in different resistance values, measured in Ohms. 250k and 500k value pots are the most common. 250k pots will make your pickups sound a little softer and take the edge off (good for bright single coils on vintage toned instruments) and 500k pots will impart more treble detail to the sound (good for adding defintition to humbuckers).
Laughing Kookaburra
New member
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
Yes, a cool rails would be the most versatile. You can always pile more gain on via your amp, and the lower output pup will have more versatility in the clean department.
Yes, a cool rails would be the most versatile. You can always pile more gain on via your amp, and the lower output pup will have more versatility in the clean department.
Binnerscot
New member
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
I have both, a Cool Rails has never given me the impression of muddiness in any application. A Hot Rails has often had too much midrange for me. The Cool Rails is not a dark pickup, but not a spanky single coil either.
On the other hand, coolrails are dark (and muddy in some guitars). You can always roll of the volume or tone on a hotrail to clean it up and lose brightness, but you can't add brightness to a pickup that's too dark
I have both, a Cool Rails has never given me the impression of muddiness in any application. A Hot Rails has often had too much midrange for me. The Cool Rails is not a dark pickup, but not a spanky single coil either.
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
Decent amount of bass (but I wouldn't call it dark by any means), clear and crisp mids, and articulate treble. Think a fat, hot single coil.
Decent amount of bass (but I wouldn't call it dark by any means), clear and crisp mids, and articulate treble. Think a fat, hot single coil.
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
The 50s mod basically keeps the high frequencies from getting turned down along with the rest when turning down the volume. This is because usually, when turning down the volume, it'll just sound like everything is getting more and more... muddy. The 50s mod counters this. I think Lew did a thread on how to do it once. Should be in the vault. You just might want to look it up there.
The 50s mod basically keeps the high frequencies from getting turned down along with the rest when turning down the volume. This is because usually, when turning down the volume, it'll just sound like everything is getting more and more... muddy. The 50s mod counters this. I think Lew did a thread on how to do it once. Should be in the vault. You just might want to look it up there.
Re: cool rails or hotrails ?
alright...i got my hot rails neck...had fun with it...but now i feel my middle pickup drowning...as if it wasnt even there....definitely need to change it...so i was thinking of changing the hot rails to the middle and getting a new cool rails for the neck....how's that sound? i think the cool rails would make it a little more versatile...cool rails or lil '59 ? but would it be ok to use a hot rails
in the middle or would it be better to use the bridge model? any suggestions? please? :cool2:
alright...i got my hot rails neck...had fun with it...but now i feel my middle pickup drowning...as if it wasnt even there....definitely need to change it...so i was thinking of changing the hot rails to the middle and getting a new cool rails for the neck....how's that sound? i think the cool rails would make it a little more versatile...cool rails or lil '59 ? but would it be ok to use a hot rails
in the middle or would it be better to use the bridge model? any suggestions? please? :cool2:
