Hot Rails for my Strat???

G

GuitarDoc

Bacteriaolgoist
I posted in another thread, but I decided to start my own thread about this. I have a question about the Hot Rails since a couple of you guys have some experience with it.

I just got a like-new Squire Strat (Indonesia) at a yard sale ($60 for guitar, very good Fender stand, a Fender California cord, Frontman 15 amp, another amp, distortion pedal, gigbag, etc.) and plan to replace pups. Heard a lot of good things about the Hot Rails, but I'm concerned about the high resistance/output. Does it sound distorted all the time? Does it get decent cleans? Does it clean up by rolling down the vol? Does it have enough inherent high end to roll down the vol without it sounding muffled and muddy?

Actually, this guitar plays and sounds pretty good but the bridge pup sounds thin and I think I'm going to want a pup with lots more mids and warmth, but I don't want to sacrifice clarity. I want to go with a single-sized bucker in the bridge so I can keep the SSS look (even though it is routed for HSH).

Any other single-sized humbuckers that will give me a warmer, more middy, thicker, more meaty sound and still give me some good highs/chime? But not as bright as, say, a classic strat like a '57.

I really don't care much for the full-sized SD '59 bucker due to the mid-scoop, but on paper the stats for the Little '59 look pretty reasonable (less highs, more mids, more output than the full sized '59).

I'm not a Strat guy, but I like the snap and clarity (even when distorted) of a Strat so I want to give it a try.

The existing pups are kinda wierd...two small magnets on either side of the slugs. Not what I would expect a Strat pup to look like...the slugs being the magnets.

So what can you tell me about the Hot Rails or any other suggestion?

Also, can you change magnets on the single-sized buckers, like the Hot Rails or Little '59, or Lil Demon, etc?
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

The HR neck model is actually pretty close to PAF-class for a neck pickup. Definitely not what e.g. a DD neck model does.

The HR bridge isn't that hot either, although this one is much more than PAF class.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

I have an indonesian squire with a hot rails in the bridge. Its a fairly warm pickup IMO, and does some awesome distorted tones. I would say split it has very useable clean tones. In full humbucker mode, I am not a huge fan of the cleans (I tend to avoid cleans using the bridge pickup in general though, so take that with a grain of salt). In order to get a bit more treble and clarity from that guitar, I actually ended up settling on 1 mega Ohm pots for volume and both tones. It really brought out a quality in the hot rails that I like.

In the same guitar, I'm using a cool rails in the neck. I actually really like its clean tones, and it is by no means thin sounding. It plays nicely with the hot rails bridge, so thats a plus too. I don't have any experience with a cool rails in the bridge though, so that's not entirely helpful...
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

Oh! Also, no mag swaps in the hot rails or any of the other single sized 'buckers. They're epoxied, so it is more or less physically impossible.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

Hey Doc; Maybe consider Cool Rails too. They're one of my favorite pickups in a Strat. Especially if you want "snap and clarity". Or "punch 'n spank". Great under rated pickups.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

Thanks guys for your helpful comments.

How does the Cool Rails compare to the Hot Rails split or in parallel (I plan on installing a spin-a-split, or series/parallel switch, or, heck, maybe even both)?

Also, how does the Cool Rails compare to a Little '59?
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

SD told me back around 2000 that the HRs were modeled after the Invader. Having had an Invader in the 80s, I think the middle/neck position HRs have more character than that, but I don't care for the bridge position HR...too dark. They clean up nice when split and in parallel.

The cool rails also cleans up nice when split, but I found that neck model tubby where the hot rail neck is a little better defined.

The little 59 would be my preference if I didn't need a smoking hot drive like the hot rail. It has more tone and really has a neat character that isn't even really like a 59 ( another example of a 'rail' not matching the full-sized name ). It cleans up nicer than the cool rails, which is sort of a no-brainer.

Are you looking for a 'rail' in the bridge slot?


Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

The HR bridge is nothing like the Invader. The neck even less.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

I had a hot rails in my Strat for yeeeeeeeeeears and I can't wait to put it back in.

Your Strat will still sound like a Strat.

You will be able to play clean with no problems and every amp under the sun will love you.

Before I had way too many guitars to choose from, I had a problem with needing guitars to do everything from Jazz to Metal and everything in between and my Strat with a Hotrails in the bridge and stock middle and a duckbucker in the neck did it all.

I don't recomment the duckbucker as a neck pickup with the hotrails though because the output is significantly different.

Good luck,

~LD
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

Had the hot rails in the bridge of my strat for a long time.

It was good for distorted sounds, but IMO nothing really matches the clarity of a single coil when distorted. I'd go for one of the high output single coils SD offers if it were me.

The hot rails does have decent clarity when distorted though. It's really heavy in the midrange but doesn't have the same snarl as a p-90 or (for example) the pearly gates (full size though, never tried the single). I think they make a lil pgb for strat w/ ceramic so that might be a good one to consider as well.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

Wow! I love you guys for your diversity, but it's making my decision even harder...

Razix likes the distorted tones but not the clean tones unless split; (and that's ok because I plan on splitting it)
Darth thinks it is too dark and prefers the Little '59;(the Little '59 is definitely one I am considering)
uOpt doesn't seem to think I need to worry about it being too hot; (I've never really had a problem with any full-sized bucker being too hot, even the DD and Alt8)
"Lucy" loves it and thinks the cleans are fine; (that's a big plus 1 for the HR)
jimijames feels like a high-output single is the best way to get that clarity. (but I want the best of both worlds...thickness of a hummer and clarity of a single)

Darth...I'm not necessarily looking for a "rail" in the bridge, but I do want a humbucker that I can split/parallel when/if I want Strat tones out of the bridge position. I don't need "smokin hot", just more warmth, mids, meat than a traditional/classic Strat bridge pup

So I'm kinda leaning toward the Hot Rails but also strongly considering the Little '59.

Any other comments. Try to convince me to get one or the other. Keep in mind that I AM going to split it for that extra snap and clarity of a single coil (I know it's not quite the same as a Strat single, but close enough for this guitar).
 
Last edited:
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

As much as I don't care for the general voicing of DiMarzios, I think you might have better luck with their single-sized options. They've been leading the market in most variety of single-sized hums and 7-string models for, what, two decades?


Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

What is the basic difference in the voicing of DiMarzios? I've never played any of them before. I've been a SD zombie since I've been replacing pups in my guitars.
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

GuitarDoc said:
What is the basic difference in the voicing of DiMarzios? I've never played any of them before. I've been a SD zombie since I've been replacing pups in my guitars.
Click to expand...

Depends on your ear. Some people think they are more modern and sterile. Apparently Vai and Satch and Timmons and Petrucci and Lukather and Morse think they are alright.

I have the original Blaze 7-string model and don't care for that one. I do like the AT-1, the LiquiFire and the Humbucker From Hell. The set they make for the EBMM Axis is also nice, but OEM


Sent from my armored battle station using Tapatalk
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

OK, so I've read alot of very positive reviews about the DiMarzio Air Norton S and Fast Track 2 (both single-sized buckers for Strat). They say they are warm with lots of mids, and they split to sound very singlecoilishy (that's a good word). I may even decide to get both and put the Fast Track in the bridge and the Air Norton in the neck with a switch to split both of them.

Any thoughts about these?
 
Re: Hot Rails for my Strat???

So you are going DiMarzio because there were too many opinions on the hot rails?

The HRs are very interesting and versatile, that's the explanation.
 
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