Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

[Odyssey84]

Just wondering if anyone's tried either of the ideas listed below in a Strat style (Floyd equipped):

Hot Rails (series) + 2 Quarter Pound - I'm thinking coil tapping the Hot Rail wouldn't balance well with the quarter pounds, so series with with a treble bleed on the volume pot would be needed.

Hot Rails + 2 Vintage Hot Stack Plus - Hot Rails in series on its own, parallel or tapped when used with the middle.

Looking to make sure there's balance in the bridge/middle position. Any other ideas welcome as well.

Blackstar LT Drive
Wampler Pinnacle
Voodoo Amps modified combo (6L6GC power tubes)
TC Electronic Corona Chorus
Line 6 M5

Thanks All - have a great Thanksgiving!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

Either could work really well, depending on your needs. They could both cover the same genres, the only difference would be if you prefer the tone of the Hot Stack Plus's or the Quarter Pound.

The Quarter Pound would match better in output, but splitting won't ruin the the Hot Rails output match with the QP. If that bothers you though, you can always use a 4k7 resistor in series with the ground link you use to split the bridge or I there is a tappable option for the QP if you order it from the SD website.

Also, the Wampler Pinnacle is a darn good distortion.

 

[Nagisa]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

Sorry I haven't tried those combos but I just wanted to note I liked the hot rails much better with a 500k pot - don't forget to switch your pot if you're running single coils now

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

I will add that there aren't many pickups that can keep up volume-wise with the Hot Rails. I will agree with 500k pots, though- unless you have an especially bright guitar. I am not aware of a Hot Rails that can be tapped, but it can be split, though. I think it might sound better in parallel, however.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

I agree about parallel sounding better, but I'd recommend splitting it if the OP wants a noiseless middle position if he goes with the QP neck and no middle. That's what I'd do.

I'd have it wired as such: standard 3-way wiring with master volume and tone with the tone being push-pull for a split bridge and tapped neck

 

[Odyssey84]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

Thanks for the inputs All. I stand corrected on the Hot Rails - I did mean split. I was thinking a split or parallel Hot Rail would be overtaken by a QP. Parallel with the Vintage Hot Stack Plus I believe would work.

I've also used the Hot Rail on its own with a 500K pot and it was very ear-pleasing. I'm not sure that it quite gets the credit it deserves. When I rolled off the volume, a good amount of the high end was preserved, even without a treble bleed on the pot. I have a wiring diagram I believe from Suhr guitars that takes the pickup types and pots into account - vintage voicing is what Anderson calls it. I've tried it in one guitar and it appears to work really well. It is a bit of a maze though.

As for the Wampler Pinnacle - it's something else. Evidently it's the closest to the brown sound out there. Not something I can achieve, but it just sounded flat out amazing when I tested it. Had to grab it. Sent an email to Brian Wampler and got a quick reply. Brian strikes me as similar to Wayne Charvel and Trace Davis (Voodoo Amps). The love what they do, love to talk about it, and will talk to anybody. Very genuine people.

One last item - how many have tried using a buffer in front of their amps or drive pedals? The Blackstar LT pedals are buffered bypass and appear to make a real difference (there's a whole lot of others as well - including the Wampler Tumnus Deluxe). Not that they boost the signal, but the buffer seems to make the sound project through everything in the signal chain. I've had to back off the gain on drive pedals and my amp.

Once again - thanks for the input and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[gregory]

Re: Hot Rails + Single Coil ideas

Yes, a QP will definitely overpower a Hot Rails that isn't wired in series.

Have you tried the Hot Rails wired in split or parallel yet?

The SSL-4 and STK-S7 are quite a bit different from one another. What do you want out of the neck and middle spots, exactly?