For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

[Butch Snyder]

Please give me your thoughts. In my current gig, I need much more of a Fusion type tone than standard Classic Tele tone. Right now, my Tele has a Fender Custom Shop Broadcaster in the bridge, a Texas Special Strat pickup in the middle, and a Fender Twisted Tele neck pickup. Great pickups but not for my use. I also have a Fender CS Texas Special Tele set that I have used in this Tele. Nice pickups but again, not quite fat enough or enough push to them. I'm thinking thinking the Hot Rails for Tele set would fit the bill; especially with 500k pots. Anyone have experience with the set?

 

[Stratman]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

Other than it a very tight fit on the bridge...

It sounds as good (Clear) as Barden pups, with a little more soul.

Neck and bridge pups work well together.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I'm pretty sure the Hot Rails will work well for fusion. Myself, I found the STHR1b too far removed from that archetype tele tone. Too restrained on the top end, too hot and too humbuckery, for that classic fendery twangy blues/rock sound. I realize it could all work very much in your favor if you're after push and fusion tone.

 

[jeremy]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

a buddy of mine has hot rails in the bridge of all his guitars and he gets great tone. i think id work fine for you. dont know much about the neck pup

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I have the neck position model in a G&L Tribute Series ASAT Classic. It sounds excellent. Smooth, full, fruity. A perfect compliment to the Li'l '59 in the bridge position.

I freely stole the idea to combine these pickups from the Chapman Guitars ML-3 RC. Google for YouTube demos by the man himself.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

It sounds excellent. Smooth, full, fruity.

Fruity? Never heard that one before. That's just interesting enough to get me to try it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I pulled the trigger on the set. Now, I wonder if 250k pots will be a little dark. I have a set of 500k pots. I guess I can stick them in if the 250k pots are too dark.

Also, FWIW, the body is poplar and the fretboard is rosewood.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

Other than it a very tight fit on the bridge...

It sounds as good (Clear) as Barden pups, with a little more soul.

Neck and bridge pups work well together.

Hmmm, installed mine today and they're really dark and a little muddy; even with 500k pots. Of course, I have my amp EQ'd for a classic Tele sound.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

Buddy of mine has a set in a Tele I traded him.

The bridge pickup is killer, but it is indeed kinda smooth even for a humbucker, and pretty modern-sounding, IMO. I like it, personally.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I turned the mids down a little and the treble and presence up a bit on my amp. Made a nice difference; but the modern tone of these pickups just might mot be for me. My CS Texas Specials are good output and very organic-sounding. I just need something a little hotter and fatter. Maybe an STL-2/STR-2 set?

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I'd like some more feedback on these or other pickup models that might fit my use. In all honesty, I have a Tele that's doing more of the traditional vibe; so I'm wanting a pickup set that acts and sounds more like an SH-1/SH-5 combo. That's my favorite humbucker combo. Thoughts?

 

[unshokie]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I really like the Quarter Pound for Tele in the bridge.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

If you want fat fat fat, then the Hot Rails will do the job. But it has huge mids and may end up sounding a bit muddy. You may be able to EQ your amp to make it work, but you might also want to try the Quarter Pound for Tele, as previously suggested. It has a tap to get back to that regular Tele tone.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I'm going to change the wiring from series to parallel in both pickups and see how it sounds.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

Having installed them a couple of days ago, I tried them the following ways:

1. Series w/250k pots: too dark and thick for me.
2. Series w/500k pots: a little brighter; but not in a good way
3. Parallel w/250k pots: Made them noticeably brighter and more usable; but I still didn't like them. I guess I am a classic Tele guy who likes more vintagesque tones.

I now have them for sale in the Trading Post area.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I only had rails in my strat: i would guess you need 500k pots, .22 cap and no-load tone and even steel bridge saddles (brass always sounded too round for me in a tele even with vintage pups - i miss the telesque attack with brass, not treble)

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

Hot Rails for Tele would give you the sound your looking for I think? Personally I'd rather have the lil 59 for Tele, I find it much more versatile than the Hot Rails & the adjustable pole pieces are a nice addition to a bladed bucker?

 

[shawnlanefan]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I have not tried the lil 59, but I have most of Duncan's tele pups, including the '53 tapped JB custom shop, and the Donahue (both those are great). I didn't care for the Hot Rails, didn't like the lead tone. Its just a blastin' on chords kinda sound to me, no real bite to it. I've got a tapped 1/4 lb. I could live with that, but its not tele sounding, more like P-90ish. Definitely cool, got some bite to it. I like the STL-2 Hot for tele the most I guess. The one problem with those is it seems like you can't get them grounded too well. As soon as you touch the strings theres quite a bit of buzz. I wish the 53 tapped JB was a little hotter. I wish they could come up with something like the ssl-6 custom for strat, but tele-ish. Anyway, !/4 lb, or STL-2 get my vote.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: For Those Who Have Tried The Hot Rails for Tele

I'd try the 59 out, it can pull off a very wide range of tones. Another good one to check out is the Dimarzio Chopper T.