P-Rails in a 335 style?
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VinceT
New member
P-Rails in a 335 style?
I have P-Rails in my 2009 Gibson ES335 (Faded) and love them. I switched out the stock 57 classics, which were dark, dark, dark in this guitar.
I have Triple Shots, so I have all the tones available all the time!
P90s are very cool (and where I spend most of the time) - they don’t quite snarl as much as I expected, but they’re not tame by any stretch. Just a really, really good cut-through tone.
The rails are OK, and can quack a little in the middle position, but I didn’t expect them to ape start/Tele tones - and they don’t! Where they shine though, is thinning out hi-gain tones - e.g. stacking overdrives and it’s all getting a little wooly (this guitar is dark, remember) and just flip to the rail to tighten up the bottom end.
Even better for this is the parallel HB setting - because it’s quiet too! Very classic PAF tone in this guitar. Also great for recording clean parts.
The only setting I don’t use much is the series HB, which is very hi-gain and, in this guitar, too bass-heavy. High gain pickups just aren’t my thing (says the guy who just put an A2 in a JB and is really enjoying the change).
My original choice of the PRails was as a “P90 with benefits” and they more than fulfill that brief - definitely lead to a Swiss Army knife guitar.
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I have P-Rails in my 2009 Gibson ES335 (Faded) and love them. I switched out the stock 57 classics, which were dark, dark, dark in this guitar.
I have Triple Shots, so I have all the tones available all the time!
P90s are very cool (and where I spend most of the time) - they don’t quite snarl as much as I expected, but they’re not tame by any stretch. Just a really, really good cut-through tone.
The rails are OK, and can quack a little in the middle position, but I didn’t expect them to ape start/Tele tones - and they don’t! Where they shine though, is thinning out hi-gain tones - e.g. stacking overdrives and it’s all getting a little wooly (this guitar is dark, remember) and just flip to the rail to tighten up the bottom end.
Even better for this is the parallel HB setting - because it’s quiet too! Very classic PAF tone in this guitar. Also great for recording clean parts.
The only setting I don’t use much is the series HB, which is very hi-gain and, in this guitar, too bass-heavy. High gain pickups just aren’t my thing (says the guy who just put an A2 in a JB and is really enjoying the change).
My original choice of the PRails was as a “P90 with benefits” and they more than fulfill that brief - definitely lead to a Swiss Army knife guitar.
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Mark Le Comte
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
I had a pair in an artcore. Body was too thin to put push pulls in all spots so had them on 1v1t controlling the options on both pups. P90 and parallel got most use.
I had a pair in an artcore. Body was too thin to put push pulls in all spots so had them on 1v1t controlling the options on both pups. P90 and parallel got most use.
BriGuy1968
New member
P-Rails in a 335 style?
Got ‘em in my Ibby Artcore AS83 and my experience is really very similar to VinceT’s. I have the Triple Shots as well, and would agree with his descriptions of how the different tones sound in a semi-hollow.
The only difference between our experiences is that I have always had a tendency to use the series HB sound, which is quite thick and LOUD (much louder than ANY of my other guitars). More recently though, I’ve been using parallel HB instead which is really good and much more articulate. I’m finding that by using parallel I don’t have the volume drop going from HB to P-90 or Rail (actually, the P-90 moves into the #1 loudest spot when you stop using series, but the difference isn’t so noticeable anymore).
All in all, my experience with them has been great in a 335-style. They really expand the tonal range of the guitar and complement the woody semi-hollow tone quite nicely.
As for the number of volumes and tones, in my opinion it has no bearing on the pickups themselves any more than it would with any other pups. Strictly a matter of personal taste or utility, and if mine had only 1v/1t I wouldn’t hesitate to do it.
In fact, because I’m one of those guys who never touches his volume and tone controls, I’ve been considering getting rid of the Triple Shots in favor of some combo of rotary switches to get all the available sounds the P-Rail offers. The TS rings are a little fragile and not easy to use (at least for me) on the fly if I want to switch sounds mid-song... the little switches are just too small. I have the components I need for it but just haven’t had the gumption to work on it yet (semis suck for re-wiring).
Got ‘em in my Ibby Artcore AS83 and my experience is really very similar to VinceT’s. I have the Triple Shots as well, and would agree with his descriptions of how the different tones sound in a semi-hollow.
The only difference between our experiences is that I have always had a tendency to use the series HB sound, which is quite thick and LOUD (much louder than ANY of my other guitars). More recently though, I’ve been using parallel HB instead which is really good and much more articulate. I’m finding that by using parallel I don’t have the volume drop going from HB to P-90 or Rail (actually, the P-90 moves into the #1 loudest spot when you stop using series, but the difference isn’t so noticeable anymore).
All in all, my experience with them has been great in a 335-style. They really expand the tonal range of the guitar and complement the woody semi-hollow tone quite nicely.
As for the number of volumes and tones, in my opinion it has no bearing on the pickups themselves any more than it would with any other pups. Strictly a matter of personal taste or utility, and if mine had only 1v/1t I wouldn’t hesitate to do it.
In fact, because I’m one of those guys who never touches his volume and tone controls, I’ve been considering getting rid of the Triple Shots in favor of some combo of rotary switches to get all the available sounds the P-Rail offers. The TS rings are a little fragile and not easy to use (at least for me) on the fly if I want to switch sounds mid-song... the little switches are just too small. I have the components I need for it but just haven’t had the gumption to work on it yet (semis suck for re-wiring).
VinceT
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
Triple shots give all 4 options.
And the side-benefit of triple shots is that they only send live and earth signals out, so you can wire them into a semi-hollow by splicing them into the existing pickup wires - without touching the internal wiring loom at all [emoji3]
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Triple shots give all 4 options.
And the side-benefit of triple shots is that they only send live and earth signals out, so you can wire them into a semi-hollow by splicing them into the existing pickup wires - without touching the internal wiring loom at all [emoji3]
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htwheelz67
Member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
they are easy to use but I have 4 guitars with them and two of them the switches cut out when switching and you have to jiggle back and forth to make the sound come back and both of them I have hardly played with the switches.
they are easy to use but I have 4 guitars with them and two of them the switches cut out when switching and you have to jiggle back and forth to make the sound come back and both of them I have hardly played with the switches.
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
I'm planning a pickup change to my 2016 Gibson Memphis 335, including adding coil splitting, and I just today learned of the Triple Shot. I'm very interested, but not sure whether the flat or arched type is the right fit? Can some kind soul help clear that up?
So many thanks in advance! :yourock:
I'm planning a pickup change to my 2016 Gibson Memphis 335, including adding coil splitting, and I just today learned of the Triple Shot. I'm very interested, but not sure whether the flat or arched type is the right fit? Can some kind soul help clear that up?
So many thanks in advance! :yourock:
VinceT
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
I don’t know for definite, but the easiest way to check is just unscrew your current surrounds and see if they’re flat or arched.
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I don’t know for definite, but the easiest way to check is just unscrew your current surrounds and see if they’re flat or arched.
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CaptainWhizz
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread, but how do the P-Rails sound? Do the rail coil and the 90 coil sound the same as the individual versions when you use the P-Rail split? How do they sound series, are the eq graphs on the SD site a good indicator? Thanks.
Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread, but how do the P-Rails sound? Do the rail coil and the 90 coil sound the same as the individual versions when you use the P-Rail split? How do they sound series, are the eq graphs on the SD site a good indicator? Thanks.
VinceT
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
Read my post up thread for my read on tones.
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Read my post up thread for my read on tones.
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VinceT
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
No problem - they’re great pickups - I definitely went in thinking of it as a “P90 with benefits” and it hasn’t disappointed!
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No problem - they’re great pickups - I definitely went in thinking of it as a “P90 with benefits” and it hasn’t disappointed!
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Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
This is exactly how I think of them. The P90 is the main sound, but you get some great bonuses.
This is exactly how I think of them. The P90 is the main sound, but you get some great bonuses.
CaptainWhizz
New member
Re: P-Rails in a 335 style?
Thanks. So not a huge amount of top end, decent mids, fat bottom?
Thanks. So not a huge amount of top end, decent mids, fat bottom?
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