Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

[Noopz]

Hey guys

As the title says I've just put a hot rails in my strat (bridge).

I was expecting a totally knockout sound but instead got something that doesn't sound that hot and is basically naff sounding.

I have an ENGL Screamer 50 which my old EMG81 loaded ESP roared through, and that was going easy on the gain. No matter how hard I go on the gain I can't get a 'metal' sound without sticking my ts808 in front of it. It's definitely not the amp... the amount of gain it has is stupidly high.

So I'm thinking that this may be my fault due to wrong installation (1st one I've done).

I basically:

-soldered the red and white wires together and put tape over them.
-soldered the black wire onto the switch where the old bridge pickup was soldered.
- soldered the green and bare wires to the volume pot (where the wires from the stock pickups are going to)

I soldered the red & white together as I have no need to use this pickup as a single coil.

Can anyone think what I've done wrong? Or am I just expecting too much coming from an EMG equipped guitar.

Cheers

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

It could be that EMG had such a great output that the HR sounds lost. Try to raise the pup height.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

Sounds like you got it right.... could the volume control or switch be bad?

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

You could try a different guitar with a passiv humbucker and compare the non-emg guitar with your HR guitar.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

welcome to the forum!!

a passive single coil size bucker wont ever match the output of a hot active full size bucker.

how close do you have the hot rails to the strings?

 

[Noopz]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

My old BC Rich bronze series with ubercrap passive pickups sounded way more brutal than this thing.

What would happen if the red and white wires became separated?

The rails are level and are raised halfway between the strings and body.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

press the string down at the last (22nd or 24th or whatever) and raise the pup a little closer

if the red and white seperated youd have a much brighter thinner and weaker tone than you should

 

[joeydude]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

pickup height comes to mind. play with that. itll affect tone aswell as volume

 

[Noopz]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

I'll play with the pickup height later and see if that helps.

Thing is I'm sure it's working right as there is no hum when that pickup is selected.

I will check the wires failing that.... bit of a pain seeing as I just put new strings on it too!

Just a note as well....the instructions mentioned that the pickups may be out of phase, could this be an issue?

 

[mindbender]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

I thought the same thing when I put my hotrails in. I was expecting a brutal humbucker sound but didn't get it. I even sent it back to SD, I was so sure something was wrong. I got it back with a note saying it was perfectly OK. Installed it again, same thing. I must say though, it has become one of my most beloved pickups in a strat. It can ROAR with the right amp settings. It just doesn't have as much gain as I was expecting. And you certainly can't compare it to an EMG, that's just not fair to the poor hot rails :blackeye:

 

[Imp]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

something's wrong somewhere. have you access to a multimeter? knowing the impedance (across green/ground and black) of the pickup is right helps us diagnose

 

[metlking]

Re: Just installed a hot rails in my strat.... doesn't sound to 'hot'

I just put one I had laying around in a strat, I usually use a JB. I was suprised at how comparable the two are in regards to output. Ugly as hell tho in my opinion. I'd like to see a faux cover made for one that resembles a stock single coil......