Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

lsms

lsms

New member
Hey guys!
Looking for new pickups for my strat. Some basics: I play everything from rock, blues to metal. I have a fender amp and a strat. I want a neck pickup with warmth and a bridge that stays clear, but both sound good distorted or clean. I will go for a HSH setup. We've got some options here but I am looking for feedback, opinions etc.


N- 59 or Pearly Gates
M- Hot Rails
B- Custom or Full Shred

So what I'm thinking is that if I go with the pearly gates I wont need a hotrails, I could go with vintage rails, quarter pound, hot stack, etc
(not a huge fan of the cool rails) (But if I go for a cooler bridge, I will want the hotrails hot texas-y tone haha)
I want the tone of the custom in the bridge with the clarity of the full shred. maybe and invader or custom custom?


Thanks so much guys! have a great one
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Synapsys said:
Full Shred / Vintage Stack / PG would be my choice.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion in my opinion!
Alnico II Pro in the neck position could also be another candidate if you are after a warm sounding neck pickup.

lsms said:
I want the tone of the custom in the bridge with the clarity of the full shred. maybe an invader
Click to expand...

If you are after clarity I would stay away from the Invader though...not that it's a bad pickup, but for what you describe it's totaly not recommended.
Personally I would not put a hot rails in the middle position either, there are a lot of options out there for the middle position (as there are for the bridge and neck), but I really would not choose the hotrails in the middle myself. I'd go for something like a stack (vintage or hot if you like that), duckbucker or vintage rail. If the middle really must be hot, a hot stack or a quarterpound (if you don't mind it not being humcanceling) are better choices than a Hotrail in my opinion.
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Hot Rails Neck model could work (JB Jr. Neck would be better), but that isn't even remotely close to "Hot Texas".

Another option:
http://customshop.seymourduncan.com/pearly-gates-for-strat/

I like the sound of the PGn split, but don't think it will work well with a hum-cancelling single in split mode (side-by-side or stack). Maybe an SSL-2 or DiMarzio True Velvet. If you don't split the PGn, then maybe a Duncan STK-S4n or DiMarzio Area 61.
 
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Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

If you want a Texasy tone don't get a rails pickup. An SSL-5 would be perfect for that kind of thing, honestly humbuckers sound pretty bad in the middle position, but that's just my opinion.

Personally I would go for an Alnico 2 Pro - SSL-5, in the bridge a Full Shred or a Custom would both be great. Full shred has more clarity, Custom has more balls, both are excellent.

I generally prefer alnico magnets so I would probably go with the FS but the Custom is the only ceramic pickup that I really like. You really can't go wrong.
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

I put an SSL-6 in the neck for what I thought was "Hot Texas Strat" tone and it gave me the tone I wanted, but it really wasn't "Hot Texas Strat". While I do run 9-46 (custom light), the SSL-6 is still too hot and neither are part of the recipe as I understand it (vintage output pickups, heavy strings and strong hands). Maybe the SSL-6 (or SSL-5) isn't too hot for the middle since the position is weaker than the neck, of course.

FWIW, I don't think an anemic B string and overly-exaggerated G string using a vintage stagger is necessarily the way to go about getting it either.

YMMV.
 
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Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Thanks so much for the input guys!
Right now I'm thinking Alnico 2/PG neck, quarter pound/hot stack, and a full shred.

BUT WHAT ABOUT A DIMEBUCKER?????

Haha. I know its clear, but it also has similar tone to the custom. Maybe just right?

Also I love seeing the Chris Cornell respect on here. he was my main dude. RIP to him, Dimebag and all the other greats... <3
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

My thought is an Alnico II Pro (warmth for rock & blues), Vintage Rails, and Custom. A Dimebucker might work, but also might really overpower the other pickups. The 3 I picked would be versatile, and sound great in the in-between positions. You can even put a switch in there to split the humbuckers, too.
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Use 5 pickups instead of HSH!!!

Hot Rails
JB Jr
Lil Demon
Lil 59
PG-for-strat
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Adieu said:
Use 5 pickups instead of HSH!!!

Hot Rails
JB Jr
Lil Demon
Lil 59
PG-for-strat
Click to expand...

DUDE THATS CRAZY!! Haha but its honestly a GREAT IDEA!! You could get EVERY TONE ImAGInABLE !!! Never thought of that before.. so cool and thanks a bunch!
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

The problem is that you won't get any good Strat tones with that combination.

Try something like this instead (in order from neck to bridge):

SSL-2
Chopper
SSL-2 RW/RP
SSL-6 (or another SSL-2)
Hot Rails

However, string pull from all the extra magnets could be an issue. It can be mitigated by using Areas or Lace Sensors in place of the singles (beginning in the neck position).

I'm not sure which would be the better order at the bridge between the rails and the single.
 
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Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

My suggestion:

Pg neck
Hot Rails Middle
Custom Bridge


Now - Tap all three of those bad boys with mini switches! I had a Tele kind of like this....

The neck in HB was down and dirty Blues and Rawk.
Single coil neck goodness when split

The Hot Rails was an awesome all around rock rhythm sound hum bucking,
and when split was a great start single coil tone (and the right hotness) to mix with the PG split or not for quack/notch tones

The Custom will metal all day long, or less than that with the volume control.
Again - hot enough that when split gives a great Single coil sound that won't be too quiet.
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

gregory said:
The problem is that you won't get any good Strat tones with that combination.

Try something like this instead (in order from neck to bridge):

SSL-2
Chopper
SSL-2 RW/RP
SSL-6 (or another SSL-2)
Hot Rails

However, string pull from all the extra magnets could be an issue. It can be mitigated by using Areas or Lace Sensors in place of the singles (beginning in the neck position).

I'm not sure which would be the better order at the bridge between the rails and the single.
Click to expand...

Would string pull off 5 singles or small stacks really exceed that of, say, 2x A8 humbuckers?

Btw that was my duncans list, based off the notion that OP seems to be seeking humbucker tones. For stratty versatility, some Fender CS singles added in could really mix it up
 
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Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

I don't have a meter, but I believe three singles with A5 poles and two ceramic-loaded mini humbuckers would easily pull on the strings more than two humbuckers, regardless of the magnets they use.
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

lsms said:
Hey guys!
Looking for new pickups for my strat. Some basics: I play everything from rock, blues to metal. I have a fender amp and a strat. I want a neck pickup with warmth and a bridge that stays clear, but both sound good distorted or clean. I will go for a HSH setup. We've got some options here but I am looking for feedback, opinions etc.


N- 59 or Pearly Gates
M- Hot Rails
B- Custom or Full Shred

So what I'm thinking is that if I go with the pearly gates I wont need a hotrails, I could go with vintage rails, quarter pound, hot stack, etc
(not a huge fan of the cool rails) (But if I go for a cooler bridge, I will want the hotrails hot texas-y tone haha)
I want the tone of the custom in the bridge with the clarity of the full shred. maybe and invader or custom custom?
Click to expand...

Rock, Blues to Metal? With clarity? My suggestions would be Bill Lawrence L500XL/SD Dimebucker in the bridge, L250/L45S in the middle, L500R in the neck. Seriously, the Dimebucker/L500s can handle anything–not just Pantera cover pickups.

BUT from the pickups you mentioned, big plus for Pearly Gates in the neck–great pickup! I've had great luck with the Hot Rails in the middle position; however, with this setup I think a Lil Screamin Demon would be a better fit. Not as hot and definitely has more clarity than any HotRails I've used in the middle. Custom or Full Shred would not be my choice, I'll leave those suggestions for others.
 
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Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Aceman said:
My suggestion:

Pg neck
Hot Rails Middle
Custom Bridge


Now - Tap all three of those bad boys with mini switches! I had a Tele kind of like this....

The neck in HB was down and dirty Blues and Rawk.
Single coil neck goodness when split

The Hot Rails was an awesome all around rock rhythm sound hum bucking,
and when split was a great start single coil tone (and the right hotness) to mix with the PG split or not for quack/notch tones

The Custom will metal all day long, or less than that with the volume control.
Again - hot enough that when split gives a great Single coil sound that won't be too quiet.
Click to expand...

That's the exact way I was thinking to go with it! And I know the hotrails sounds KILLER split, and I'm sure the others would sound great too. Thanks a bunch man!
 
Re: Full Shred, Hotrails, Pearly Gates, Etc

Three push pulls and a standard 5-way.

One push pull would split both the Demon and the Hot Rails.

One push pull would swap the JB Jr for the Hot Rails.

One push pull would swap the Lil 59 for the PG.

I wasn't impressed with the split tone of the JB Jr. If the Hot Rails split tone is the same as the split tone of the P-Rails, then I'll have to respectfully disagree with the sentiment expressed in previous posts. I bet a partial split would be good, however.
 
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