SD Hot Rails + Lollar Blackface

[alexreinhold]

Hi all,

I am currently building my own SSS guitar and want to combine the SD Hot Rails (bridge) with Lollar Blackface on Mid and Neck position. From a pure sound perspective, this seems like the ultimate combination for my style

However, I'm still quite unsure about some details:

• 250k vs 500k Potis? I care mostly about a solid combination of heavy sound on the bridge and Strat-like neck/middle tones. Small volume differences won't be a huge problem.
• Which capacitators shall I get to best account for the above?

Thanks so much!

Alex

 

[Mincer]

The Hot Rails was designed to drop right into a Strat with no modifications and still sound 'right', so use the same setup as in any Strat. 250k all around, and depending what you want from a tone control (and how you want to wire it) either common cap value.

 

[alexreinhold]

Mincer, thanks so much for the help. I really want to apply a very standard SSS Setup 5-way Switch. I guess getting common .47 caps should be fine, no?

 

[Mincer]

Mincer, thanks so much for the help. I really want to apply a very standard SSS Setup 5-way Switch. I guess getting common .47 caps should be fine, no?

I'd start there. It will probably be fine for you. But you can always alter the cap value if you don't like it.

 

[PFDarkside]

You may need to swap leads on the hot rails or Blackface as well. (Might be out of phase with each other) Fender and Duncan are naturally out of phase, it wouldn’t surprise me if Lollar followed Fender.

When you buy caps get a .022 as well. I’ve found that is my sweet spot for singles and Humbuckers.

 

[alexreinhold]

PFDarkside, thanks a lot. Will definitely get 47 and 22 and try both. My question is - what do you mean by leads (sorry, I'm fairly new to the game)?

 

[Artie]

I guess getting common .47 caps should be fine, no?

Actually, it's .047 uf. That zero is important. But as PFD said, .022 is a nicer value for a lot of people. It's what I use.

 

[Securb]

I dropped my Hotrails in my Tele and was good to go. No modifications needed what so ever.

 

[PFDarkside]

PFDarkside, thanks a lot. Will definitely get 47 and 22 and try both. My question is - what do you mean by leads (sorry, I'm fairly new to the game)?

When you wire it all up, the position with Hot Rails and Blackface combined (position 2) may be out of phase (thin and weak). If so, swap hot (Black) and ground (green) on your hotrails, keeping the braided shield grounded.

 

[alexreinhold]

ah, that's really great advice PFD. Thanks so much! ArtieToo also thanks for the correction - still a newbie

 

[alexreinhold]

PFDarkside I have a quick follow-up question. I'm planning to do the Jimmy Vaughan Strat Mod (i.e. no tone knob for middle but for bridge instead). Will this be seamlessly possible with a hot rails in the bridge given that it's actually a humbucker?

 

[PFDarkside]

PFDarkside I have a quick follow-up question. I'm planning to do the Jimmy Vaughan Strat Mod (i.e. no tone knob for middle but for bridge instead). Will this be seamlessly possible with a hot rails in the bridge given that it's actually a humbucker?

Yes, no issues doing that. I’ve wired a few of my Strats that way too.

 

[alexreinhold]

sweet, thanks! Items are ready to order then

 

[alexreinhold]

actually, PFDarkside do you by any chance have a Jimmie Vaughan + Hot Rails mod diagram lying around? I downloaded both the SD standard and the Fender Jimmie Vaughan once but given my lack of experience, I don't really know how to combine them.

 

[alexreinhold]

I've been studying these diagrams.

JV Standard Set Up:


SD Hot Rails + Single Coil Standard Setup:

 

[PFDarkside]

The Jimmy Vaughn diagram uses the 5 way switch in the traditional Strat wiring method. One side selects the active pickup, the other side selects the active tone control. The Hot Rails diagram moves the tone selection to the same side as the pickup selection, freeing up the other side to split the Hot Rails in position 2. You can use the Hot Rails diagram.


In the Hot Rails diagram, see how there is a white wire leading from each tone control to the switch? One is connected to the same terminal as the neck pickup white wire (leave this one as is) and the second is connected to the same terminal as the middle pickup white wire (move this tone control connection to the next terminal, so it shares its position with the Hot Rails black wire).

Otherwise you can use the Hot Rails diagram as is. And as I mentioned, if that combo position is out of phase, just swap the black and green on the Hot Rails. (If the split position 2 is not hum-cancelling we can fix that too, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

 

[alexreinhold]

Perfect! This explanation makes total sense. Really really helpful, I owe you one!

 

[alexreinhold]

PFDarkside Sorry to follow up here (FINALLY am in the process wiring actually; the finish took ages...). If you take a look at the Hot Rails diagram again, you can see that it doesn't suggest wiring to the spring claw. Just to confirm, given that my guitar has a tremolo, I guess I should, however, wire from volume pot to spring claw, right?

 

[Artie]

Yes.

 

[Mincer]

Many of the SD diagrams omit the string ground, which, of course, they should have. But there are a few diagrams that are missing this, and some that are just plain wrong. They need to be looked at again.