Lace sensor vs hot rails.
- Thread starter Mshiple4
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Silence Kid
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
They're not too close. The Lace is more like a very quiet/better ceramic single coil (quacky but a bit darker than an alnico pickup/softer attack,) higher output for a single but lower vs. the Hot Rail. The Hot Rail is as close as you can get to a high output humbucker tone in that format (in Duncan's stable at least.) It's also quieter.
They're not too close. The Lace is more like a very quiet/better ceramic single coil (quacky but a bit darker than an alnico pickup/softer attack,) higher output for a single but lower vs. the Hot Rail. The Hot Rail is as close as you can get to a high output humbucker tone in that format (in Duncan's stable at least.) It's also quieter.
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Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Quieter than a Lace Sensor? I find that hard to believe.
Quieter than a Lace Sensor? I find that hard to believe.
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Hot Rails are a true hum-canceling pickup; a Lace Sensor is more like a very well shielded single with a clever design, they're both pretty silent but the Red Lace equipped Strat Plus I had custody of did still hum a tiny bit.
Hot Rails are a true hum-canceling pickup; a Lace Sensor is more like a very well shielded single with a clever design, they're both pretty silent but the Red Lace equipped Strat Plus I had custody of did still hum a tiny bit.
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
My strat is wired like a tele(no middle pup, 3 way switch) and currently has hot rails in both neck and bridge. I've been thinking of replacing the neck pup with a lace sensor red. I wonder how the red will sound in the neck. I can't find any videos on YouTube, does anyone have any experience with a red in the red postion?
My strat is wired like a tele(no middle pup, 3 way switch) and currently has hot rails in both neck and bridge. I've been thinking of replacing the neck pup with a lace sensor red. I wonder how the red will sound in the neck. I can't find any videos on YouTube, does anyone have any experience with a red in the red postion?
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Lace advertises the red as being reminiscent of a humbucker; any Lace Sensor is a bit more rolled-off/full sounding than an equivalent true single coil, but I don't know if I acquaint that with "like a humbucker."
Yet at the same time, if I was looking for something with more single coil flavor, I'm a big fan of the Classic Stack Plus series over Lace Sensors. What do you want to change about the Hot Rail?
Lace advertises the red as being reminiscent of a humbucker; any Lace Sensor is a bit more rolled-off/full sounding than an equivalent true single coil, but I don't know if I acquaint that with "like a humbucker."
Yet at the same time, if I was looking for something with more single coil flavor, I'm a big fan of the Classic Stack Plus series over Lace Sensors. What do you want to change about the Hot Rail?
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
I have the blue, gold, red and silver single coils.
They are very low output. I prefer the traditional single coil sounds. The gold and blue are decent for the neck. The silver is very transparent and the red is hottest. Does it sound like a HB? Not really because I replaced the SSS to HSS.
I have the blue, gold, red and silver single coils.
They are very low output. I prefer the traditional single coil sounds. The gold and blue are decent for the neck. The silver is very transparent and the red is hottest. Does it sound like a HB? Not really because I replaced the SSS to HSS.
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
The main reason I want to switch out my hot rails is so I have more versatility tone wise. Both hot rails are great pickups, but they sound nearly identical when I'm playing, when I'm jamming out and I switch between neck, neck/bridge, and bridge there is only a slight change is tone. I want to put a different high output single coil in so I can switch it up once in a while.
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Don't know why I implied the Lace was not a "true single coil" up there for a minute, sorry, must have been drunk. I also called it the "Classic Stack Plus" series, when I meant to say the "Stack Plus" series; the Classic Stack is not high output. But it's worth looking into any of the higher output Stack(s) Plus for what you want.
I think a Stack Plus/Humbucker is a great combination... My main/go to axe is so equipped.
Don't know why I implied the Lace was not a "true single coil" up there for a minute, sorry, must have been drunk. I also called it the "Classic Stack Plus" series, when I meant to say the "Stack Plus" series; the Classic Stack is not high output. But it's worth looking into any of the higher output Stack(s) Plus for what you want.
I think a Stack Plus/Humbucker is a great combination... My main/go to axe is so equipped.
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Hot rails any day of the week. Blazing hot screaming metal beasts.
The red lace is noiseless and i used one for years ( i even doubled up on them for a bit) , but they just lack some feel IMO.
Hot rails any day of the week. Blazing hot screaming metal beasts.
The red lace is noiseless and i used one for years ( i even doubled up on them for a bit) , but they just lack some feel IMO.
Silence Kid
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
Sensors are a bit dull to me, but that seems to be why people like them.
Sensors are a bit dull to me, but that seems to be why people like them.
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
I had a Lace Blue
, Silver (m) and Red (b) in my strat for awhile. Also found them to be a bit dull. I replaced the red with a Custom 5 humbucker. Compared to a hot rails, def dull and lacking character. Hot rails much hotter and more lively
I had a Lace Blue
, Silver (m) and Red (b) in my strat for awhile. Also found them to be a bit dull. I replaced the red with a Custom 5 humbucker. Compared to a hot rails, def dull and lacking character. Hot rails much hotter and more livelycatherine1581
New member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
There are a lot of flavors of stacked singles and rails depending on what you want. If you want humbucker sounds you won't get single coil tones. If you want silent singles you don't get humbucker tones. I haven't found a stacked single or rail that does both well.
There are a lot of flavors of stacked singles and rails depending on what you want. If you want humbucker sounds you won't get single coil tones. If you want silent singles you don't get humbucker tones. I haven't found a stacked single or rail that does both well.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
The Red/Silver/Blue Lace set planted the seed for me that single coils were not the devil. I don't know if I'd recommend the Red as a neck pickup, though.
The Red/Silver/Blue Lace set planted the seed for me that single coils were not the devil. I don't know if I'd recommend the Red as a neck pickup, though.
Juanhanglo
Active member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
I had the red/silver/blue set in my strat plus deluxe years ago. being young and impressionable, I switched out the blue and red ones for a set of jb jrs. I found the sound similar in many ways. I actually liked the sensors better.
the red in the bridge sounded great with gain. I thought it blurred the line between a single coil and a humbucker perfectly.
it had the sensing window of a single coil with some of that single coil sharpness that make true singles sound not so good with distortion.
I had the red/silver/blue set in my strat plus deluxe years ago. being young and impressionable, I switched out the blue and red ones for a set of jb jrs. I found the sound similar in many ways. I actually liked the sensors better.
the red in the bridge sounded great with gain. I thought it blurred the line between a single coil and a humbucker perfectly.
it had the sensing window of a single coil with some of that single coil sharpness that make true singles sound not so good with distortion.
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
So your saying that the red and blue lace sensors sound somewhat similar to the jb jrs? That's kind of my worry about dropping $ to buy a lace sensor red. I'm thinking that the tone won't be that big of a difference from my hot rails.
So your saying that the red and blue lace sensors sound somewhat similar to the jb jrs? That's kind of my worry about dropping $ to buy a lace sensor red. I'm thinking that the tone won't be that big of a difference from my hot rails.
dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Lace sensor vs hot rails.
+1 on being very different beasts. I've used the classic Hot / Vintage / Cool Rails setup and longcat has Red / Silver / Blue sensors in her Strat and they really don't sound all that similar. The Sensors are cool and have their own sound, but they're definitely a bit dull sounding. I get the impression that they were designed for 80s rack systems as they've got a bit of the EMG-SA dullness going on. Based on what the OP is after, I'd try a Cool Rails in the neck before a Red Lace Sensor. It's definitely in the same family as the Hot Rails, but cleaner, brighter, and less mid-rangey aka a bit closer to single coil tone. I've heard the Cool Rails described as a single coil-sized Jazz and wouldn't disagree with that assessment.
+1 on being very different beasts. I've used the classic Hot / Vintage / Cool Rails setup and longcat has Red / Silver / Blue sensors in her Strat and they really don't sound all that similar. The Sensors are cool and have their own sound, but they're definitely a bit dull sounding. I get the impression that they were designed for 80s rack systems as they've got a bit of the EMG-SA dullness going on. Based on what the OP is after, I'd try a Cool Rails in the neck before a Red Lace Sensor. It's definitely in the same family as the Hot Rails, but cleaner, brighter, and less mid-rangey aka a bit closer to single coil tone. I've heard the Cool Rails described as a single coil-sized Jazz and wouldn't disagree with that assessment.
