Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

[TVFV]

So, I'm wanting to change the middle pickup to something more stratty to get positions 2 and 4 to sound like they should. What's in there currently is a Cool Rail neck model.

I don't know if I should get the neck or bridge model of the Vintage Rails for optimal volume balance. I could also just wire the middle pickup in parallel. What do you guys think?

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[jeremy]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

id try the cr in parallel since its already in there and see how ya like it

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

What are the other pickups? Is balance more important that quackfactor?

 

[Blille]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

+1 to parallel - the VR is one of the few models that didn’t work for me

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

Put a true single coil in. You're one of the people who doesn't care about middle position on its own right?

 

[shadowfire90]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

cool rails for sure, you've got more options and of course like many have suggested the cool rails can go in parallel to get that really low output tone.

depending on what is available a classic stack series, little 59 are two other ideas. Maybe a Dimarzio HS series single coil. HS2 or HS3. I'm sure plenty will pop up on the used market.

vintage rail is one of the worst name brand single coils I've ever used honestly. Sure the guitar(s) I've had. I'm more Black Sabbath to Yngwie Malmsteen so clearly it's not the pickup for me. However when I had a Duncan distortion , vintage rail and cool rail in a guitar. Every time I'd switch to the vintage rail I'd lose so much volume in positions 2 3 and 4 because of how weak that pickup is you'd swear I hit a foot switch for clean.

 

[TVFV]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

What are the other pickups? Is balance more important that quackfactor?

Two Cool Rails are flanking it. I'm considering the VR for aesthetic reasons and for duck sounds as their is an INXS song I'd like to get down. So I'm looking at possibly going CR/VR/CR. I'm fine a little output loss if the sound is there.

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[TVFV]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

Put a true single coil in. You're one of the people who doesn't care about middle position on its own right?

I have nothing against the middle pickup by itself as long distinct from the neck and bridge. A problem I run into often is it's barely distinguishable from the neck in a traditional setup.

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[Clint 55]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

That will give you the best jingle jangles.

 

[Bowtomecha]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

You should try the parallel wiring as others have said. You might get a good tone for free.

 

[Synapsys]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

To the OP: how does the CR bridge sound vs the neck? What styles are you playing?

 

[TVFV]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

To the OP: how does the CR bridge sound vs the neck? What styles are you playing?

The bridge is bright, slightly scooped with a tight low end. It's only slightly hotter than the neck. To compensate, I raised the bridge pretty close the strings.

The neck is obviously warmer with similar clarity. Excellent soloing voice in the neck as your to able from a tamed bridge tone with the tone ar ten to a bluesy rolled off tone at at 5 or so. Both pickups are great for rhythm as you hear all the strings really ring out.


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[Mincer]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

Well, between 2 Cool Rails, that's a good choice. The Vintage Rails is super quacky, and sound like a slightly quieter Strat pickup. If you want more output, or want to lower it out of the way, look at the Classic Stack, too.

 

[TVFV]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

Got a chance to rewire it up today. Looks like the red and black wires are being connected to switch to wire the middle in parallel. Is that correct?

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[TVFV]

Re: Pulling the trigger on Vintage Rails or not...

So I managed to get it hooked up yesterday. The CR gave a very usable tone in the notch and middle positions. I think I'll just leave it in parallel. Also volume balance was very good with very little drop in output.

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