Hot Rails for JD Tele

ChipBurns

New member
I have a JD Tele that I'd like to put Hot Rails on. This guitar is great but it was made in Mexico so the pickups aren't the best. I'd like to increase the clarity, sustain and punch.

The JD model uses a Strat pick-up in the neck position so I'm guessing the pickups I want are:

SHR-1N, Strat, neck
STHR-1B, Tele, bridge

Can someone verify the SHR-1N is the correct choice for the neck?

Any general comments on this combination/approach?

Thanks in advance
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

welcome to the forum!

if you want a hot rails set in your jd tele then you have the correct pups. hot rails for strat neck, hot rails for tele bridge. if you are looking for a hot modern sounding tele with strong output then its a fine set. i have a trio of hot rails in a strat and it sounds great.

i didnt know they made a jd tele in mexico, only japan and usa. learn something new everyday
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

Thanks Jeremy.

You might be right, my JP may be from Japan, I just know it's not from the USA. That's why the next step is to get a replacement pick-guard, the original equipment guard 'crackles' sometimes
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

Might be worth upgrading the bridge to one of these too:
TB-5140-001-web.jpg

if you are going for high gain pickups, you will enjoy the extra stability and beef as well as reduced vibration of that bridge
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

I don't know if 'Hot Rails' can be described as clear, though. It is a pretty hard rock-focused pickup. It would sound good, but nothing like a Tele. If you are looking for a hotter Tele pickup that still sounds like a Tele, there are better choices.
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

Tapped QP's, Strat neck and Tele bridge would be very versatile with some trick wiring.

4 way switch with series/parallel, tone neck phase, two mini toggles to tap each pickup
and no-load volume pot.

And definitely the bridge suggested above

Tone machine extraordinaire!
 
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Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

Just curious, but wouldn't a JD Tele come with a JD bridge? It's my favorite Tele pup.
 
Re: Hot Rails for JD Tele

Only the MIA variant.

i didnt know they made a jd tele in mexico, only japan and usa.

MIJ has bound body and horrid pickups. MIA has birdseye maple neck.

Hot Rails pickups could sound odd through the half-out-of-phase element of the JD Telecaster circuit. It would be worth checking the magnetic polarity and coil wind direction relationship between the stock single coil pickups.
 
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