help with Hot Rails

[iker]

Hello.
I have a J5 Telecaster which comes with a Fender Enforcer pickup and I want to replace it with a Hot Rails for Tele ( I already bought it). The thing is that I don´t know how to install it because the Enforcer has 4 wires and the Hot Rails has 5. On the other hand, this Telecaster has two volume knobs ( no tone knob) and I would like to keep them the same way. Lastly I don´t know if it is necesary to install a ground wire for the Hot Rails pickup.

I have seached any wiring diagrams but none of them has conviced me so I´ll really apreciate any help you can gice me about this installation.

Thank you very much.

Iker.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: help with Hot Rails

I'm gonna take shot here, since no one else with real knowledge has replied yet...

Although there are five wires on Duncan humbuckers (of which the HotRails is a stacked version) - the red and white will be wired and taped together, and the green and bare are also wired together.
So, unless you're splitting the coils or anything fancy, you have three wires in effect, not five.
The green and bare go to ground (so that's your grounding issue sorted), black goes to wherever the "hot" lead went on your previous pickup. Red and white go together, then nowhere, just tape them off.

I hope that helps. I'm not a wiring guru, and I know nothing at all about teles, but that's how I'd try it if it was my guitar.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Welcome to the Seymour Duncan User Group Forum iker!

The Hot Rails is not a stacked humbucker.

The J5 wires to the pots first and then the pots are connected to the switch.

Connect the green wire to the bridge pickup volume pot terminal. Same location that you will remove the hot lead from the Fender pickup.

Solder the red and white wires together and tape them off.

Solder the black and plain wire to the pot chassis or other ground point.

You'll be good to go from there.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Welcome to the Seymour Duncan User Group Forum iker!

The Hot Rails is not a stacked humbucker.

The J5 wires to the pots first and then the pots are connected to the switch.

Connect the green wire to the bridge pickup volume pot terminal. Same location that you will remove the hot lead from the Fender pickup.

Solder the red and white wires together and tape them off.

Solder the black and plain wire to the pot chassis or other ground point.

You'll be good to go from there.

Well, there you go, I've learned something today! :1: I'll be removing a Hot Rails tomorrow, let's hope it goes okay after my helpful "advice" in this thread. :eyecrazy:

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Welcome to the Seymour Duncan User Group Forum iker!

The Hot Rails is not a stacked humbucker.

The J5 wires to the pots first and then the pots are connected to the switch.

Connect the green wire to the bridge pickup volume pot terminal. Same location that you will remove the hot lead from the Fender pickup.

Solder the red and white wires together and tape them off.

Solder the black and plain wire to the pot chassis or other ground point.

You'll be good to go from there.

don't forget, if it's out of phase with the neck pickup, you can swap the green and black wire's places.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Hang on - I was basically correct then wasn't I?
This is encouraging.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: help with Hot Rails

You were right on the basics but when combining SD pickups with Fender singles you usually have to use the green as hot to get the phase right.

We learned that in the advanced class!

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: help with Hot Rails

You were right on the basics but when combining SD pickups with Fender singles you usually have to use the green as hot to get the phase right.

We learned that in the advanced class!

stuff i didn't know either! thanks robert

 

[BigJoe77]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Wait...there's something slightly off about this.

IIRC, the only SC size bridge pickup in the J5 line is the SD Hot Rails. The Enforcer is a full size bucker. So, is the plan to replace the entire bridge and bridge pickup? Are you adding the Bigsby bridge setup to mirror his or going with a standard bridge?

When you complete this, can you post before and after pictures so we can see what you ended up with. (I'm fascinated by switching back from the full size bucker to the single coil size pickup to see what it does.)

 

[Diocletian]

Re: help with Hot Rails

You were right on the basics but when combining SD pickups with Fender singles you usually have to use the green as hot to get the phase right.

We learned that in the advanced class!

Well, I just replaced my Hot Rails with an SSL-1. I assumed where black on the HR had been, would go to black on the SSL1, but it didn't work right - the phase was off.
It wasn't a problem cos my Jackson has a rear control cavity, but I've got the same issue with a strat copy and I just cannot be bothered taking all those screws and stuff off! I'll do it eventually. :28:

 

[iker]

Re: help with Hot Rails

Thank you all guys, I really needed advice, and YES, my plan is to install the bigsby to my j5 Telecaster. Let´s see what happen, I hope not to make any mistake.