HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

Scatabrain

New member
Long story short, in my excitement I bought and installed the neck pickup in my bridge position in my STRAT. At the moment I can only budget one but will eventually just get the B.

But for now...

I like how it sounds. My favorite pickup in the guitar has been my stock neck pickup. And I wanted a hum bucker in the bridge. I figure I'd have the best of both worlds. I can cover Hendrix to Megadeth.

Now that I know there is a difference in the hot rails B and N, I wonder if what I did is unique and cool, or less than it could be.

I do prefer a beefier sound overall and I tend to turn the tone down more than not. Although I do like the new N in the bridge with the tone dimed as well. I didn't care for the stock neck pickup at all with any tone choice.

I see the difference between the 2 is DCR. Does the B have an even hotter output suited to a bridge position?

And perhaps this N pickup would be even better than the stock neck pickup that I like a lot. My thought is if I did this, I would also want to add a push pull switch to switch to single.

I think what I'll do is leave it in the bridge position for now and get the B later and try them out.

It's already a huge improvement. I wonder if it could be even better! Love the hot rails.

Anyone have any advice on the (probably) confusing mess I have described? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Cheers.

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Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

the bridge is significantly hotter and thicker than the neck model
 
Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

I think I would like the neck model in the bridge better. The bridge model gets way too compressed for me (that is the point).
 
Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

I've always suspected that a Hot Rails neck and a Cool Rails bridge, are the same pup. You may have just installed a Cool Rails in your bridge. Maybe. ;)
 
Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

I've always suspected that a Hot Rails neck and a Cool Rails bridge, are the same pup. You may have just installed a Cool Rails in your bridge. Maybe. ;)

The tone profile looks different. The DCR is similar.


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Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

But wouldn't the tone profile be derived from playing one in the bridge, and the other in the neck?
 
Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

But wouldn't the tone profile be derived from playing one in the bridge, and the other in the neck?

It seems like the tone profile charts for the B and the N on their pages are separate. Evidence - sound samples unique for each.
 
HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

Bought a proper amp today. A Bassbreaker 18/30. Man the pickup sounds great. I agree that the hot rails N in the bridge is probably exactly where I want to be for the style I am going for.

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Re: HOT RAILS STRAT - NECK in Bridge

I've always suspected that a Hot Rails neck and a Cool Rails bridge, are the same pup. You may have just installed a Cool Rails in your bridge. Maybe. ;)

One thing you can plainly see on the old models, before they buried the magnet underneath the circuit board, was that all the Cool Rails have a shorter magnet, while all the Hot Rails have a taller magnet.

You're correct that the Hot Rails N and Cool Rails B have statistically compatible DCR specs. So yeah that's a fair way to look at them; to see the HRn as a tall magnet alternative of the CRb and vice versa.
 
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