Hot Rails too hot?

[futurcorerock]

I put some hot rails into the bridge pickup slot on my standard mex strat. They sound great but i'm a bit concerend that they're a bit too hot.

Typically, if I want noise-free distortion, I've got to take a lot of the levels out of my pedals, otherwise my guitar will squeal very loud when i'm not playing. I've got my amp running at (4) and the issue still comes up.

Would it be the wiring? I self-installed the pickups myself.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

If there's noise all the time regardless of if you have distortion on, then there's a problem with the way you wired them. Hot Rails are supposed to be pretty quiet.

Also, you have to realize that with a new pickup, especially one as powerful as the Hot Rails, you'll have to tweak your amp and effects to compensate. The settings that worked with your old pickup won't necessarily work with this one.

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

If there's noise all the time regardless of if you have distortion on, then there's a problem with the way you wired them. Hot Rails are supposed to be pretty quiet.

Also, you have to realize that with a new pickup, especially one as powerful as the Hot Rails, you'll have to tweak your amp and effects to compensate. The settings that worked with your old pickup won't necessarily work with this one.

I know about the setups, going from single to a humbucker is a HUGE difference.

There isn't noise all the time. Usually when the distortion is on it puts out a very high pitched squeal, much akin to when you stand next to your amp with your guitar... only i'm a bit farther away and the distortion is nowhere near as loud.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Turn down the level on some of the pedals until you fix it, if you run the signal too hot through a cheaper pedal it will make a feedback like sound that you described.

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Turn down the level on some of the pedals until you fix it, if you run the signal too hot through a cheaper pedal it will make a feedback like sound that you described.

Currently i'm running a Boss ME-50, so all the pedals are combined onboard.

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Would the fact that my pot is 250k play into this?

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Possibly. But it usually has more to do with the tone (and it's minor).

You might try lowering the pup as well.

Definitely tweak your settings in the ME50. Bring the gains/outputs down for the distortions.

The HR IS a hot pickup; hence the name.

I will say that when I had the POD 2.0, it was difficult to play through it with LesStrat because of the hot pups (HR/CR/HR).

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Well, if you're talking about a really high pitched squeal then the pickup is microphonic. If it's brand new, and you haven't mishandled it, then it may be a warranty situation. If it's used, then any major manhandling, or overheating of a pickup can bring about microphonic squealing, and it can be re-potted. But without hearing the noise I can't tell if it's microphonics or if there's some other relationship, like it's vibrating in the pickguard, or the hot OD signal causes your strings to vibrate, etc.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

I put some hot rails into the bridge pickup slot on my standard mex strat. They sound great but i'm a bit concerend that they're a bit too hot. Typically, if I want noise-free distortion, I've got to take a lot of the levels out of my pedals, otherwise my guitar will squeal very loud when i'm not playing. I've got my amp running at (4) and the issue still comes up. Would it be the wiring? I self-installed the pickups myself.

You're running too many levels / pedals. Daisy-chaining more than say 5 pedals is a sure-fire way to give yourself a lot of headache. Get a multieffects.

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Well, if you're talking about a really high pitched squeal then the pickup is microphonic. If it's brand new, and you haven't mishandled it, then it may be a warranty situation. If it's used, then any major manhandling, or overheating of a pickup can bring about microphonic squealing, and it can be re-potted. But without hearing the noise I can't tell if it's microphonics or if there's some other relationship, like it's vibrating in the pickguard, or the hot OD signal causes your strings to vibrate, etc.

It's a new pickup.

Based on some third party descriptions of the issue, i'm pretty sure it's microphonic.

So about warranty... this was purchased in February, so where do I go from here?

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

It's a new pickup. Based on some third party descriptions of the issue, i'm pretty sure it's microphonic. So about warranty... this was purchased in February, so where do I go from here?

1) I doubt microphonic is going to be the problem. What are you running, a full stack? Even then, Arch Enemy, Fu Manchu, many bands use this pickup, and I don't see them dropping it, so evidentally it's not "microphonic". Let me get this stright, though, you're saying it's microphonic therefore you're having amp problems? Just making sure.
2) It could be your mutiple stages of gain (i.e. too many pedals). Such a configuration is prone to problems in the first place.
3) Have a pro check your wiring, it could be something unseen grounding out or whatever.

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

1) I doubt microphonic is going to be the problem. What are you running, a full stack? Even then, Arch Enemy, Fu Manchu, many bands use this pickup, and I don't see them dropping it, so evidentally it's not "microphonic". Let me get this stright, though, you're saying it's microphonic therefore you're having amp problems? Just making sure.
2) It could be your mutiple stages of gain (i.e. too many pedals). Such a configuration is prone to problems in the first place.
3) Have a pro check your wiring, it could be something unseen grounding out or whatever.

I'm only running one pedal through a 120 watt halfstack. The levels are around a normal distortion setting for alternative/punk rock. I've tested the setup with other guitars (humbucker and single coil) and it seems that this pickup is creating the issue

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

I'm only running one pedal through a 120 watt halfstack. The levels are around a normal distortion setting for alternative/punk rock. I've tested the setup with other guitars (humbucker and single coil) and it seems that this pickup is creating the issue

Sorry, I could swear you said "pedals".

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Sorry, I could swear you said "pedals".

I'm using a Boss ME-50, just like you

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

I'm using a Boss ME-50, just like you

Dang. Stock patches are doing this? There's gotta be something wrong with something else then, IMHO, unless the ME-50 is dying (but with BOSS's reputation for pedals, unless it fell from several stories up, i wouldn't think it was their pedal).

Well good luck bro.

By the way, got any good words to say about the ME-50?

 

[futurcorerock]

Re: Hot Rails too hot?

Love it. Superior tone control