???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
thats just my taste though
Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
People love these pickups. One-third of our Top 10 pickups are in the "Rails" series.* As good as the Rails pickups are, we identified two areas for improvement. First, they’re ever so slightly oversized, making them a snug squeeze in a Strat pickguard. Second, the plastic “topper,” found on the models with the mini pole pieces, can occasionally snag on an errant high-E string, especially in the neck position and especially when the player is strumming hard. When this happens, it stops the strings’ vibrations – not a nice thing. The topper can also come off during installation into a pickguard.
As for how we solved this problem.... Stay tuned.
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* Rails Series = Hot Rails, Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, JB Jr., Little '59, Li'l Screamin' Demon & Duckbuckers
People love these pickups. One-third of our Top 10 pickups are in the "Rails" series.* As good as the Rails pickups are, we identified two areas for improvement. First, they’re ever so slightly oversized, making them a snug squeeze in a Strat pickguard. Second, the plastic “topper,” found on the models with the mini pole pieces, can occasionally snag on an errant high-E string, especially in the neck position and especially when the player is strumming hard. When this happens, it stops the strings’ vibrations – not a nice thing. The topper can also come off during installation into a pickguard.
As for how we solved this problem.... Stay tuned.
______________
* Rails Series = Hot Rails, Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, JB Jr., Little '59, Li'l Screamin' Demon & Duckbuckers
tone4days
Heel Whacker
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
my two cents about the duckbucker is that i am very happy with it's sonic properties ... i just love a quiet pickup ... it would be best for applications that dont call for bending strings too much .. i say this because the tiny pole pieces produce a more narrow field of 'view' for the pickup .. i heard a dramatic drop in volume as the bent string moved through the field of view then an increase as it moved back to a point right over the pole piece ... i got advice to raise it up as high as possible, and this seemed to help the volume drop off problem somewhat (albeit counterintuitively) ... but i liked the tone of pos 2 and 4 sounds (mixing with a split '59 or C-5) much better with the pickup lower, so raising the pup to fix one problem created a reduced utility in another ... i think a VR could solve my problem
just my 2 cents
cheers
t4d
my two cents about the duckbucker is that i am very happy with it's sonic properties ... i just love a quiet pickup ... it would be best for applications that dont call for bending strings too much .. i say this because the tiny pole pieces produce a more narrow field of 'view' for the pickup .. i heard a dramatic drop in volume as the bent string moved through the field of view then an increase as it moved back to a point right over the pole piece ... i got advice to raise it up as high as possible, and this seemed to help the volume drop off problem somewhat (albeit counterintuitively) ... but i liked the tone of pos 2 and 4 sounds (mixing with a split '59 or C-5) much better with the pickup lower, so raising the pup to fix one problem created a reduced utility in another ... i think a VR could solve my problem
just my 2 cents
cheers
t4d
orbiter
New member
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
hot rail/ lil 59 in a G&L legacy special. (no mid p'up) this is the strat I play the most ...
The hot rail is an absolute monster .. kinda like a JB on roids with more high end ... this pup will do a nice job driving a preamp of a vintage style amp .. I find if I use it at about 8 ... I can crank the volume to ten and get a nice booost for solo's and such ... the other thing I like is how it grabs the high e and b strings .. I'm a bender ... so its wonderful not to have the drop in vol when I bend ... great for a quick easy no mod hummer in a strat.
I use the lil 59 for just that .. I wanted that full rounded tone of a PAF ... it works super for this ... I love em .... all 12 pole's are adjustable ... which really gives you some room for "tweakin" the tone to you're liking. again .. perfect way to put PAF tone in a single coil guitar.
vin rails ~> I like these .. they do a good job of "acting" like a single coil ... and they're nice and quiet ... excellent for the studio IMO ... but I've always felt like something was missing ... not as 3D as a good single .. there some sparkle or shimmer missing or something....
JB Jr.~> another nice dropfit humbucker for the strat .. pretty much falls in the same ballpark as its namesake .. differs slightly .. not as huge as the HR but nice and crunchy .. lots of harms and sustain .. again I appr. the 12 adjustable poles .. being a longtime user of the JB .. I was pretty stoked at this additition to the line .. it's save's me a ton routing!
cool rails <~> kinda like a quiet pumped up single ... fuller than a single ... more mids (?) sounds great .. but like the vin i've always felt like something was missing ...maybe its just the hum???
hot rail/ lil 59 in a G&L legacy special. (no mid p'up) this is the strat I play the most ...
The hot rail is an absolute monster .. kinda like a JB on roids with more high end ... this pup will do a nice job driving a preamp of a vintage style amp .. I find if I use it at about 8 ... I can crank the volume to ten and get a nice booost for solo's and such ... the other thing I like is how it grabs the high e and b strings .. I'm a bender ... so its wonderful not to have the drop in vol when I bend ... great for a quick easy no mod hummer in a strat.
I use the lil 59 for just that .. I wanted that full rounded tone of a PAF ... it works super for this ... I love em .... all 12 pole's are adjustable ... which really gives you some room for "tweakin" the tone to you're liking. again .. perfect way to put PAF tone in a single coil guitar.
vin rails ~> I like these .. they do a good job of "acting" like a single coil ... and they're nice and quiet ... excellent for the studio IMO ... but I've always felt like something was missing ... not as 3D as a good single .. there some sparkle or shimmer missing or something....
JB Jr.~> another nice dropfit humbucker for the strat .. pretty much falls in the same ballpark as its namesake .. differs slightly .. not as huge as the HR but nice and crunchy .. lots of harms and sustain .. again I appr. the 12 adjustable poles .. being a longtime user of the JB .. I was pretty stoked at this additition to the line .. it's save's me a ton routing!
cool rails <~> kinda like a quiet pumped up single ... fuller than a single ... more mids (?) sounds great .. but like the vin i've always felt like something was missing ...maybe its just the hum???
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Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
One of the differences between Vintage Rails and Duckbuckers compared to all the rest is that these two are wired in parallel. That's why the d.c. resistance is so low when you look at them on the tone chart. But currently, with the two-conductor cable that we use with them, you don't have the option of wiring them in series.
Question: do you think it would be a good thing to change the cable on these two models so that you could go from parallel (vintage Strat) to series (louder and fatter)?
One of the differences between Vintage Rails and Duckbuckers compared to all the rest is that these two are wired in parallel. That's why the d.c. resistance is so low when you look at them on the tone chart. But currently, with the two-conductor cable that we use with them, you don't have the option of wiring them in series.
Question: do you think it would be a good thing to change the cable on these two models so that you could go from parallel (vintage Strat) to series (louder and fatter)?
Lee_M.
Brockburst Toneologist
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
Lew,
To answer your original question, I've been using the HotRails in the bridge of my Strats, forever. For some reason it works really, really well with my Vintage Rat and tube amps. It has this great distortion tone that only the Hot Rails can produce.
I care for it, particularly, because when I play slide, the "rails" system keeps all the strings balanced and touch sensitive. These are superb features that I haven't found with all coil pickups. Additionally, they are basically noiseless so the onstage aspect of the 60 cycle hum is non-existent.
Lastly, the HotRails is anything but vintage; however, it is a great "rock" replacement in the bridge position of your Strat. It is meant for crunch and distortion - nothing more, nothing less!
Lew,
To answer your original question, I've been using the HotRails in the bridge of my Strats, forever. For some reason it works really, really well with my Vintage Rat and tube amps. It has this great distortion tone that only the Hot Rails can produce.
I care for it, particularly, because when I play slide, the "rails" system keeps all the strings balanced and touch sensitive. These are superb features that I haven't found with all coil pickups. Additionally, they are basically noiseless so the onstage aspect of the 60 cycle hum is non-existent.
Lastly, the HotRails is anything but vintage; however, it is a great "rock" replacement in the bridge position of your Strat. It is meant for crunch and distortion - nothing more, nothing less!
rinse_master
Member
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
I think yes, even if you never use it, the option is still there, and they will sound good I should think, kind overwound in a way.Evan Skopp said:
Boston Joe
New member
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
I was introduced to the Hot Rails as an alternative to routing out an old 70's Strat (back before the swimming pool route was common place). I've tended to coax some nice throaty, PAF tones out of them while maintaining the glassy essence of the Stratocaster's stock single coils. I tend to go back and forth between this, the Dimarzio HS-3 and HS-2, and the SD Jazz.
I was introduced to the Hot Rails as an alternative to routing out an old 70's Strat (back before the swimming pool route was common place). I've tended to coax some nice throaty, PAF tones out of them while maintaining the glassy essence of the Stratocaster's stock single coils. I tend to go back and forth between this, the Dimarzio HS-3 and HS-2, and the SD Jazz.
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
Why didn't anyone tell me about this awesome thread?
Why didn't anyone tell me about this awesome thread?
Kommerzbassist
Thunderbirdologist
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
Would that also change the sound if you'd use them by soldering the two extra wires together? Then prob. no...
And say.. is there really no difference between Vintage Rails & Ducks? I mean is it just me or does the VR have like... a really little bit of.. "distortion"?
Evan Skopp said:
Would that also change the sound if you'd use them by soldering the two extra wires together? Then prob. no...
And say.. is there really no difference between Vintage Rails & Ducks? I mean is it just me or does the VR have like... a really little bit of.. "distortion"?
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
No matter how much I like vintage single coils, they just seem to sound too thin in this maple capped HSS guitar (G&L Legacy Deluxe). I've liked the sound of Hotrails necks in the past, and am thinking of putting a couple in this guitar, next to the C-5 trem.
For you guys that have heard the JB Jr., Hotrails, and Cool Rails, which of the 3 models do you think I should set this guitar up with? I just want something that sounds as close to a 59N humbucker as possible. I don't think I want the lil59, unless it's for the middle position. I need it to be as hot as a fullsize humbucker, to match the C-5.
Also, what would produce a better 4th and 2nd position sound? Two of the same, or a middle that has less output....ie Hotrails, Coolrails, C-5.....JB Jr, lil 59, C-5
No matter how much I like vintage single coils, they just seem to sound too thin in this maple capped HSS guitar (G&L Legacy Deluxe). I've liked the sound of Hotrails necks in the past, and am thinking of putting a couple in this guitar, next to the C-5 trem.
For you guys that have heard the JB Jr., Hotrails, and Cool Rails, which of the 3 models do you think I should set this guitar up with? I just want something that sounds as close to a 59N humbucker as possible. I don't think I want the lil59, unless it's for the middle position. I need it to be as hot as a fullsize humbucker, to match the C-5.
Also, what would produce a better 4th and 2nd position sound? Two of the same, or a middle that has less output....ie Hotrails, Coolrails, C-5.....JB Jr, lil 59, C-5
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Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
Just looking at the specs, wouldn't rewiring a Vintage Rails in series, essentially make it a Cool Rails? Or is there something internally that makes them completely different?
Edit: I forgot to add . . . if the answer to the above is "no", then I'm all for it. The more tones one can sqeeze out of a pup, by adding a $2 switch, the better. :laugh2:
Evan Skopp said:
Just looking at the specs, wouldn't rewiring a Vintage Rails in series, essentially make it a Cool Rails? Or is there something internally that makes them completely different?
Edit: I forgot to add . . . if the answer to the above is "no", then I'm all for it. The more tones one can sqeeze out of a pup, by adding a $2 switch, the better. :laugh2:
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Re: ???'s about Cool Rails, Vintage Rails, Little 59's, Duckbuckers, etc.
Hello, this may be a bit off topic but I am new to this forum...and thanks to LewGuitar I am also a new Seymour Duncan user! I am pleasantly pleased to see LewGuitar posting on this forum and I would really like to thank him for being an online distributor of Seymour Duncan products! Lew has an ebay store which I stumbled upon about a week ago and my wife ordered a set of Seymour Duncan 59's for me from Lew's ebay store. THANKS AGAIN LEW!
Next I would like to say thanks to Seymour Duncan for making such awesome products! I recently purchased (actually my wife did) a new Hamer Sunburst Quilttop (SATQ) from Hamers XT line (which means made overseas). The guitar plays pretty nice and sounded ok but also pretty generic. I have been playing an SG and my wife decided she wanted to play electric as well and so she got the SATQ, which she has subsequently passed over to me. I decided that since I would be the primary player that I would look into upgrading some of the "generic" parts with good quality parts and sort of "Americanize" my "made-in-China" Hamer.
Step 1 was just completed this evening...I replaced the generic Hamer humbuckers with a set of Seymour Duncan 59's which Hamer has been using on a good number of their guitars. I expected the guitar to sound perhaps a little better, even if only marginally better, but what I got was absolutely incredible! Considering the quality of the woods and workmanship that goes into an American-made Hamer is lacking in the XT line, I was astounded at the difference in sound the SD-59's made! I was already impressed with this guitar as it was...I have always been a player of Gibson guitars and was never impressed much with their imported guitars by Epiphone...nor Fender's imported guitars. I have to say that even without any upgrades this imported Hamer sounds and plays great compared to Epiphone or Fender (imported) guitars. Now with the new 59's...it's a lot more fun than ever to play! I really enjoy playing my SG, but it may be a while before I pick it up again.
Thanks Seymour Duncan!
Step 2 will be to put some high quality tuners on this thing. I am still shopping for some that will not require a major overhaul of the headstack, ie, I don't want to have to drill and fill, if you know what I mean. Grovers or Schallers would be great, but we shall see what we shall see.
Hello, this may be a bit off topic but I am new to this forum...and thanks to LewGuitar I am also a new Seymour Duncan user! I am pleasantly pleased to see LewGuitar posting on this forum and I would really like to thank him for being an online distributor of Seymour Duncan products! Lew has an ebay store which I stumbled upon about a week ago and my wife ordered a set of Seymour Duncan 59's for me from Lew's ebay store. THANKS AGAIN LEW!
Next I would like to say thanks to Seymour Duncan for making such awesome products! I recently purchased (actually my wife did) a new Hamer Sunburst Quilttop (SATQ) from Hamers XT line (which means made overseas). The guitar plays pretty nice and sounded ok but also pretty generic. I have been playing an SG and my wife decided she wanted to play electric as well and so she got the SATQ, which she has subsequently passed over to me. I decided that since I would be the primary player that I would look into upgrading some of the "generic" parts with good quality parts and sort of "Americanize" my "made-in-China" Hamer.
Step 1 was just completed this evening...I replaced the generic Hamer humbuckers with a set of Seymour Duncan 59's which Hamer has been using on a good number of their guitars. I expected the guitar to sound perhaps a little better, even if only marginally better, but what I got was absolutely incredible! Considering the quality of the woods and workmanship that goes into an American-made Hamer is lacking in the XT line, I was astounded at the difference in sound the SD-59's made! I was already impressed with this guitar as it was...I have always been a player of Gibson guitars and was never impressed much with their imported guitars by Epiphone...nor Fender's imported guitars. I have to say that even without any upgrades this imported Hamer sounds and plays great compared to Epiphone or Fender (imported) guitars. Now with the new 59's...it's a lot more fun than ever to play! I really enjoy playing my SG, but it may be a while before I pick it up again.
Thanks Seymour Duncan!
Step 2 will be to put some high quality tuners on this thing. I am still shopping for some that will not require a major overhaul of the headstack, ie, I don't want to have to drill and fill, if you know what I mean. Grovers or Schallers would be great, but we shall see what we shall see.
