Rock/Metal bridge pickup for my Performer tele

[h00jraq]

Hello,

I just bought my first USA made fender and I love the clean sound of Neck Pickup and bridge position. What I do not like is a bridge because I still wanna rock/metal.
I thought maybe a 4-way switch will solve the issue but my luthier told me it will never give me that high output which will help me get Iron Maiden/Metallica/Black Sabbath/Disturbed tone.
So I was thinking about getting new bridge humbucker pickup and the two which I've found having good tones are:
1. Hot Rails for Tele
2. Hot Stack Tele

Unfortunately, SD website is behaving strangely for me since yesterday (everything is out of place) and I can't see EQ or output number.
There are more than a few videos showing great metal tone of Hot Rails for Tele but I can't find a video that compares those two pickups.

Can't find tight now how hot is Hot Rails compared to Hot Stack.

I was also thinking about adding coil-split for the bridge pickup.
The only problem which concerns me is middle position so hot-rails/hot stack + default neck pickup.
I know I can clean hot rails with volume pot and as far as I saw in videos, it's clean up nicely.

I don't necessarily need real, great twang tone. I guess it will vanish when installing humbucker in bridge.

 

[Mincer]

Well, the Hot Rails is more of a mid-focused hot humbucker sound. A great sound for rock and metal. The Hot Stack sounds like a hot Tele pickup...more on the single coil-sounding side, and great for, rocking country or rock n roll. It isn't really a metal pickup.

 

[SweetClyde99]

The Hot Stack is a cool pickup and can get some good rock tones with the tone knob rolled back a bit, but it’s probably not going to do much for you for metal tones, unless you’re playing more classic metal and can get a lot of the gain you need from your amp/pedals. I haven’t tried the Hot Rails, but I did really like the Dimarzio Tone Zone T for what you’re looking for.

 

[h00jraq]

Originally I was thinking about Chopper T but DiMarzio pickups are out of stock till October or something...
The biggest problem is I'm afraid that humbucker will be too loud compared to the neck pickup.

 

[Mincer]

What is in the neck in that guitar? If volume balance with a single coil is a factor for you, the Hot Rails is out, unless you put a Hot Rails neck in there. The other option is a boost pedal for the bridge pickup, like the Pickup Booster.

 

[Top-L]

The Dave Murray strat has a bridge hot rails. No better endorsement for that kind of music.

I would put a push pull coil split on it to lower the volume.

 

[Mincer]

Actually, the Hot Rails in parallel sounds better to me than split, while still being hum-cancelling.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz II]

I thought maybe a 4-way switch will solve the issue but my luthier told me it will never give me that high output which will help me get Iron Maiden/Metallica/Black Sabbath/Disturbed tone.

I don't necessarily need real, great twang tone. I guess it will vanish when installing humbucker in bridge.

For those tones, do not overlook the Quarter Pound and BG1400 for fat rock/metal tones.

 

[h00jraq]

Well I've found this video:

The guy is comparing Little 59 to Hot Rails, I watched it few times and I have to say... I prefer the sound that came from Little 59.
Unfortunately, I can't find any comparison between Little 59 and Quarter Pond.

 

[Mincer]

The Quarter Pound still has the single coil feel, and the single coil attack to the notes. It will hum, as it is a single coil. The Little 59 feels and responds like a humbucker (because it is). Deciding on either one depends on if you want a humbucker or single coil.