MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

[jdwright6]

OK here is the deal. Somone help me ASAP, preferrably someone who knows what they are talking about because I have gotten a split 50/50 response from 10 people.

I am looking to upgrade pickups for my strat. I am looking to do the Hot, Vintage, and Cool Rails combo which the website says is a good set for versatility. I play all forms of rock from Indie to Metal, and do some bluesy stuff as well. So i want a solid tone in high's and lows.

Here is the dilemma, the website says I can do all three pickups. A seymour duncan rep said he wouldn't advise doing three different ones because it washes out the sound. So now I have no idea what to go with. The rep said go with a hot rail and two cool rails.

SOMEONE LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD ADVISE, or if these recommendations are way off for my playing style make another recommendation. But also can I do three different ones or should I only go with two.

Finally, instead of cool rails could I do the little 59, or would you recommend staying in the Rails line for consistancy. Whoever answers all these questions wins a prize.

 

[Imp]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

Hell, they all 'work' fine man - it's just a case of taste!

if i wanted a true 'do anything, anywhere' strat i'd probably fit 3 cool rails.. a hotrails bridge will probably be a bit too saturated for a nice indie rock chord sound -that's my personal preference though. a tapped hotrails will get you back into that territory!

HR/VR/CR sounds like a fine set for heavier stuff, and HR/VR/L'59 would work fine too (though i'd look at a coil tap for at least the neck pickup, if not the bridge too)..

i don't play much serious metal, but the hotrail is an interesting pickup.. the only way to find your perfect set is have a go on each pickup man!

 

[ErikH]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

Welcome to the forum.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with your proposed setup. A HR/VR/CR setup will give you lots of versatility.

Was the rep you spoke with a dealer or an employee of Seymour Duncan?

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

OK here is the deal. Somone help me ASAP, preferrably someone who knows what they are talking about because I have gotten a split 50/50 response from 10 people.

I am looking to upgrade pickups for my strat. I am looking to do the Hot, Vintage, and Cool Rails combo which the website says is a good set for versatility. I play all forms of rock from Indie to Metal, and do some bluesy stuff as well. So i want a solid tone in high's and lows.

Here is the dilemma, the website says I can do all three pickups. A seymour duncan rep said he wouldn't advise doing three different ones because it washes out the sound. So now I have no idea what to go with. The rep said go with a hot rail and two cool rails.

SOMEONE LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD ADVISE, or if these recommendations are way off for my playing style make another recommendation. But also can I do three different ones or should I only go with two.

Finally, instead of cool rails could I do the little 59, or would you recommend staying in the Rails line for consistancy. Whoever answers all these questions wins a prize.

I'm not an expert, but I've been wanting to do a "rails" strat setup for a while, and yes, on the description page it does list those three in that setup for a versatile guitar. However, as to "washing out" the tone, I don't know how that would happen, since I'm not an expert. For what it's worth, however, the Hot Rails in that hot rails squier strat (duncan designed, sadly), sounds excellent in the bridge, but horrible in neck and middle, at least to me. Hard hitting and dark in the bridge is good, but not in the other positions, at least to me.

Still, if you called Seymour Duncan, you might've spoken with Alex (extension 501). I've asked him questions like this before, and I would trust his word without question. He has been right several times in the past, like with my ESP that I Hot Rodded, and the soft maple body Ibanez that I got to actually sound decent (despite not liking how soft maple body sounds).

EDIT: there's some reggae player I saw on some guitar magazine, had a triple rails guitar with very ornate hand painting designs all over. I can't for the life of me find his name or his setup, but I could swear it's the triple rails setup you described.

 

[jdwright6]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

Welcome to the forum.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with your proposed setup. A HR/VR/CR setup will give you lots of versatility.

Was the rep you spoke with a dealer or an employee of Seymour Duncan?

He was a seymour duncan dealer. I realize that I would have to play them all and see what I like but im trying to find a great fit the first time if possible. For all rock styles and some bluesy stuff, what would you recommend?

Would you go with the 3 rail setup I mentioned, or the Little 59,Duckbucker, and SJBJ JB Jr. Or a combination of any three. Let me know what you think, I understand it is preference but I am wondering...

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

I just set up Chris Manning, the other guitarist in the Seymour Duncan Band with that exact set of pickups (in a MusicMan Albert Lee) and he's still raving about it three months later.

There's nothing wrong with that set up. It's very good, in fact.

 

[jdwright6]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

Thx if you could reply to the PM i just sent you that would be awesome.

 

[ErikH]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

I think Evan recommending that setup says something right there.

I find even local dealers don't know what they're talking about. Not all of them, mind you, but there are some. And sometimes, it's not the dealer, but somebody that the owner hired that thinks he knows what he's talking about. One tactic is to know what's in inventory, and even though what the buyer came in asking for isn't in stock, the sales guy will talk that down and hype up what he has in stock to make the sale.

Trust me, I used to work in a music shop, it happens. The unknowing buyer will fall for it. I'm too honest and never did that. If we didn't have what he wanted and what we had didn't fit, then I'd recommend ordering it.

The HR/VR/CR setup will do you good.

 

[NUNOSLASH]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

So who wins the awesome price?

 

[ChickenFingers]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

I just installed a hotrails in the bridge of a strat and it wasn't like what I was expecting, not really meant for metal at all, just hard rock.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

I think Evan qualifies as an expert. The setup you mention would be just fine, I'll just point out that the Hot Rails is as far from a strat sound as you can get in a single coil size, so you may want to ask yourself how much you will use a very mid heavey sound.

I have all three in various guitars and the HR is the least versatile, but it does exactly what it is inetended to do...another very popular setup is the CR/VR/CR....

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

what about PA-STK in the Bridge?A cool rails in the Middle and a Hot Rails in the Neck?
Powerfull rythm tone and a nice sustain ,a tame and twangy midd tone ,and a singing neck tone!

 

[kjrocks]

Re: MAJOR HELP WITH PICKUPS NEEDED!!!! Conflicting Information - NEED EXPERT

A JBjr in the bridge with any of the others would probably work too. Its alot more versatile than a Hotrails. Its can do metal and Indie no problem and as always its great for leads. I personally didnt like the lil59 neck though, way too muddy in my Strat.