Installing hot rails in a strat

[ChickenFingers]

Greetings, I am a total 100% NOOB to modifying guitars, I'm totally in the dark here and need some help. Basically I have an older style SD hotrails pickup that I would like to install in a strat in the bridge position (well a yamaha strat copy). I know nothing about wiring/electrics, but can solder, should I take it to a professional or try and do it myself??

The hotrails has 5 wires, red and white, green and black, and a stranded ground wire which may have been added by the previous owner, as the pickup has been wound in copper foil for shielding purposes I'm guessing.

The guitar is a EG303 cheap yamaha strat copy, S-S-S, single tone and volume, 5 way selector switch. The stock pickups have 2 wires, one attached to the metal plate and the other coming from the pickup, all three pickup wires go right to the toggle switch.

So, how do I wire this up, and should I shield the guitar cavity while I'm at it.

Any and all help would be appreciated, thanks! h:

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

Hi, first of all post smaller pics
Second get a super switch with which you can wire the hot rail as single coil in the position 2
The hot rail is so much hotter than the other that it will overbear them. I always had a hard time to get setting on my amp that work with the HR and those normal pups.
Third: "For standard series humbucking operation on a 4-Conductor wired humbucker the White & Red wires are soldered together and taped; Green is ground and Black is Hot Output. The bare wire is also grounded."
That means the Black to the switch where the old was and the Green+Bare to the ground (metal).
If you get a Superswitch you have to tape off white/red and connect it to the superwitch (look at infos supplied with the Superswitch).
Hope that helps!

 

[pinto79]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

The switch he's got there can split the rails. Red and white that are put together go to one of the unused lugs on the opposite side of the switch. I'm tired and can't think of which one exactly, but if memory serves, it would be connected to the second lug from the far right in pic 2. the black would go to the same location as the white from the single and the green and bare to ground. If position 2 sounds wrong, switch the black and green wires.

 

[RW James]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

Hey Chicken Fingers,

Welcome to the forum and the beginning of a great adventure. I started with Seymour Duncan just as you are, a Hot Rail in the bridge of my strat copy. You'll love it. But more will follow.

Anyway go to http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/1hum_2sing_1vol_1tone_5way.html and look at the wiring diagram. I'm not sure if the 5way switch is the same as yours, but it will give you an idea how to wire up the Hot Rail.

It will be hotter than the old pickup -- but that's what you want -- right? If it's too hot, you can drop it away from the strings a bit to try to balance it. (Looks like you can raise that middle pickup a bit anyway.)

Have fun... and check back if you run into problems... everyone here is eager to help.

And yeah resize those photos... we love pictures, but it's more fun to be able to see them without scrolling.

 

[ChickenFingers]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

Thanks for the help everyone, I posted large pics so you could see the detail of how the guitar is wired, although on my monitor the pics look small. I definitly want a high output sound for the bridge for the metal/alternative, I will probably look for an equally hot neck pickup for that grungy crunch.

That last scematic is what I was looking for, I don't know why I couldn't find it myself when I was searching, hahaha. While the guitar is apart, I put aluminum foil tape on the inside of the cavities for some shielding, I know copper is better, but no time to wait for that. Any suggestions on what neck pickup would be a good match in terms of output to the hotrails? (Or maby another hotrails there, might be too harsh) Anyhow, I'll be trying to wire it up tomarrow and let you knwo how it turns out.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

LesStrat is rather fond of the Hot Rails.




<------------------

HR/CR/HR

 

[ChickenFingers]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

Question, how do I test to see if pickup works right before I screw and restring everything back together??

Also, I shielded the cavities and back of pick guard with aluminum foil tape, why not??

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Installing hot rails in a strat

Get a new selector switch. A standard 5-way or a super depending on the versatility you want. But 5-ways like those are POS and are only used so that a machine can solder wires to it, usually causing cold joint solders after a bit of use. The selectors with the poles each on a different side are easier to read and are usually of better quality, and are cheap.