Question about the cool rails

[jmcorey]

So, I've been listening to Jack Thammarat's signature Yamaha Pacifica. It features a JB in the bridge and a cool rails in the neck. The thing is, I was always led to believe that a cool rails sounds like a vintage HB. However, on this recording, it sounds like an overwound single coil. He's playing the cool rails between 1:00 to 1:28 and 4:00 to 4:27.

Can someone help clear this up? Was my previous belief about the cool rails incorrect?

 

[dystrust]

Re: Question about the cool rails

I have one in the neck of my Charvel Model 4, and IMO it's closer to a really fat single than a vintage HB. I really like it for what it is and don't really worry about what it's "supposed" to sound like.

 

[ibis]

Re: Question about the cool rails

Vintage Rails are the ones for s/c sound.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Question about the cool rails

To dystrust,
Is the cool rails better for crispness than the STK-4 Plus neck & L'il 59 neck I tried, if you know?
I'm sorta butting in on a couple threads so forgive me , not trying to hijack a couple threads going on right now. Just jumping on the opportunity to learn. Thanks,
SB

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Question about the cool rails

He's a lovely player but never answers any questions that his 'fans ' ask.
As proof, just read the questions posted below that video.

I concluded he's all about self promotion and nothing else.

Shame.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Question about the cool rails

To dystrust,
Is the cool rails better for crispness than the STK-4 Plus neck & L'il 59 neck I tried, if you know?
I'm sorta butting in on a couple threads so forgive me , not trying to hijack a couple threads going on right now. Just jumping on the opportunity to learn. Thanks,
SB

I haven't played the Lil 59 neck or the Classic Stack Plus, so I can't say. I have used both original Classic Stacks and Vintage Rails, and I prefer a Cool Rails in the neck to both. It's probably my favorite Strat neck pickup if I'm not after a vintage accurate sound.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Question about the cool rails

dystrust,
Thanks for the post. I'm gonna get one then. last question, for you what was the difference w/the vint. vs. the cool rails?
Steve B

 

[dystrust]

Re: Question about the cool rails

dystrust,
Thanks for the post. I'm gonna get one then. last question, for you what was the difference w/the vint. vs. the cool rails?
Steve B

I'd describe the Vintage Rails as clear and even. Not as bright as a true single, but still a vintage-leaning tone if a bit hifi. It also had some humbucker characteristics, like a complete lack of dropouts (outside the magnetic field) that Strat pickups have and maybe a hint of compression. The main thing I like about the Cool Rails comparatively is versatility. It's still bright and clean enough for a decent clean tone, but it has an extra fatness that really helps the overdriven sound.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Question about the cool rails

dystrust,
Again, thank you for a nice, precise answer, that is a great description. I did some youtube searching (which I hate for so many reasons: like comparing a hot rails in the bridge to a L'il 59 in the neck- how can that be helpful when they are in the most different places possible. Jeez!) but I did find a few cool rails and vintage rails at least in the middle and neck, and your desciption is right on. Thank you,
Steve Buffington

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Question about the cool rails

Thanks guys for your expertise, really clears things up for me.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Question about the cool rails

jmcorey,

Sorry to answer so late but I've something to share with you.

My main "workhorse" guitar includes Duncan Rails.

I've put a Cool Rails bridge model (yes, intentionally) in the neck position.

Wired in series, it reminds a P90.

Wired in parallel, it sounds quite like a Tele neck PU or an underwound Strat.

I highly recommend this wiring: it's noise free, easy to use, and it avoids to drag Fender's + Gibson's on stage...

FWIW.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Question about the cool rails

Nice freefrog! I feel like switching between parallel and series is something that is not exploited enough by guitar players.

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question about the cool rails

I have both the Cool Rails and STK-S4's in two different guitars. To me, the CR has more "spank" and "punch". The STK-S4 is smoother, and more traditional sounding. However, neither is what you would call vintage-correct Strat. I like 'em both.

 

[Ace Flibble]

Re: Question about the cool rails

I agree with Freefrog that the cool Rails is kind of like the P-90 of the rails family. I've tried all those rails, as well as the duckbuckers and Little 59, and for me it's like
duckbuckers/vintage rails: as close to a normal Strat pickup sound as you can expect from a two-coil design.
Cool Rails and Hot Stack: like a particularly smooth P-90 or an asymmetrically wound Jazz humbucker.
Little 59: generic mid-power humbucker (wouldn't call it much of a PAF sound, more like the sort of thing you get stock in modern Gibsons)
Hot Rails: high power and all mids, sounds like any full-size overwound ceramic humbucker to me.

Bear in mind that you can get lots of different tones by wiring coils in parallel rather than series, using different pot values, etc. I like to take out the tone controls on all my guitars to get a little more of a single coil glassiness from pickups like those rails and single-sized humbuckers.

 

[varjao]

Re: Question about the cool rails

cool rails in the neck is awesome

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: Question about the cool rails

I've got a Strat with Cool Rails/Vintage Rails/Cool Rails configuration.

The two Cool Rails can really rock when they need to; I've always found they handle distortion really well, they stay nice and smooth and even, and don't sound too brittle. The neck pickup is great for leads, it's got clarity and punchiness, and the bridge pickup does a great classic rock type tone. Distorted they really don't behave like single coils, but they're not all the way to humbuckers either.

They clean up really well too. On their own, they are just like fatter single coils, but it's obvious that they're not single coils. However, the 2 and 4 positions combined with the Vintage Rails in the middle give a really tangly quack, and yield a really authentic Strat tone. That CR/VR/CR combination is seriously versatile.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: Question about the cool rails

Thanks. Yeah, I've wondered about why HR/VR/CR is so common - I mean I like the HR in the bridge, it really kicks. But for cleans, it sounds very midrangey and not so great. So why not go with CR/VR/CR or CR/VR/VR. Glad to know your combination works well for you.