Hot rail tele bridge help

[Xtyfighterx]

Hello my first post here.

I have a classic vibe telecaster I wanna swap the bridge pickup out to a hotrail and leave the stock neck pickup.

1. Do I need 500k pots? 1 or 2?

2. I wanna do a push pull pot to go from series to parallel is there a diagram for this I can follow?

3. Should I change to a 4 way or 5 way switch? Or stick with a 3 way.

I don’t want to mess with the neck pick up tone much my main concern. Since I wnana use this guitar for Heavy distortion on the bridge then switch to the neck and play blues. Any info would be great I think I found a diagram but no one confirmed if it actually works.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

No one?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Welcome to the forum!

1. You can, but it is up to you. Some like it with 250k pots, some swap out at least the tone to 500k. Pots are cheap, so experiment!
2. Are you talking both pickups in series or parallel, or just a switch for the Hot Rails.
3. Depends on what the answer is to #2. This is a diagram for a 4 way switch to go between series and parallel with both pickups.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Ok I’d rather just do it once and be done my friend is doing the install so I don’t wanna take up all his time switching pots and stuff just curious what he beat out come has been two 250k two 500k or one of each.. The only pickup that I want parallel with the push pull would be the bridge pickup which is the hot rail.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Basically I wanna do just the bridge parallel in case I want more of a twangy tele sound which is rare but would like that option and coil splitting these I guess isn’t great.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

OK, I'd keep the 250 volume, and maybe switch in the 500k tone. Use a push/pull, and wire it like this diagram. , except instead of going to the volume, go to the switch.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

So this will allow me to go from regular to parralel by pulling the pot?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Yes, it will put the Hot Rails in parallel. It won't switch series/parallel between the 2 pickups.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

It will just allow my bridge to go from Series to parallel with the push pull. Then my neck will always stay in series

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

I found this diagram will this do what I want it to do.

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Have you heard or played a Tele with a hot rail in the bridge?
I had one for a number of years. I felt the teles bridge plate really negatively affected the sound of the hot rail. The pickup was just too hot and razor like to be inside a metal plate. (Prone to feedback, cold & clangy high gain sound) I eventually swapped it out for a Chopper T which was less, more manageable gain, and warmer sounding. Just something to think about.

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Well it’s toclate already bought the pick up. Only time I’ll be using the bridge is under high gain situations. If it’s to bright/sharp then the tone knob should darken it a bit. I’ve been listening to tons of sound clips I think it sounds great with distortion that’s why I wanted it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Well, I would doubt it would be too bright or sharp- those aren't adjectives one uses with the Hot Rails. It will, however, be big, bold, monstrous, like a bowl of solid lead (in a good way).

 

[Xtyfighterx]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

Ya I picked this one becuase of how well it sounded under heavy gain. The little 59 is nice to but didnt have the bite the hot rail had.

 

[AxlOz]

Re: Hot rail tele bridge help

I have a hot rails in my tele bridge position. Its not too bright at all, in fact its really quite warm and lacks the sweetness in the highs that single coils dish up nicely (because its a bucker..). Its very hot though, very puncy.

My best fun times with this pickup were running into a Sovtek Mig100, with some 70s/80's rock style tones - lotsa gain, sounded amazing. I also liked it with a JCM800 for similar reasons.
I didn't like it through an AC30 or my Fender Blues Jr - it sounded too honky.

You'll get some differences in noise/output/tone by adjusting how high it sits in the bridge plate. Play around with this to taste once its installed and you should find a sweet spot.

Edit - should add - I've ran a 4-way series/parallel option switch and also tried both 250k and 500k pots. Honestly, there's not a lot of difference with this pickup. The 500k pots brightened it up a little, but not a night and day difference.
I haven't tried coil tapping to split between single/hum settings on it though. I bought it for its fat humbucker tones, so its wired for that.