Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

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mupi

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I was looking at the Squier Hot Rails Delux images and noticed that the pup blades are a bit raised in the middle. The image of the hotrails pup at Seymour Duncan website here (though not exactly the same model) also shows the same kind of nonuniform height and also the blade is thinner towards the low strings. Could anyone please confirm if the blades in deed have non-uniform thickness and non-uniform height, so as to simulate staggered poles.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...el-fingerboard
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Almost all rails have an arc to blades to deal with string arc.

As for thinner near bass? Meh - photo illusion.


Rock on - it works fine.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

First link isn't working, but I've never heard of a Hot Rails Deluxe. What is that?
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

It's a Squier with three Duncan Designed rails. Each rail does have a radius.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Ah . . . Squier Deluxe. I should've known. I have one. Sweet sounding guitar. It's one of those times when the Duncan Designed pups fit the bill perfectly.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Keep in mind that genuine USA-made Hot Rails are not exactly the same as overseas-made Duncan Design pickups, no matter what they are called.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

They for sure aren't - the Duncan Designed are each something like 25k, neck through bridge. They're also constructed 'old' style, with a separate bobbin/base and tape.

I have one in a cheap Strat of mine, not a bad pickup at all.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

ArtieToo said:
Ah . . . Squier Deluxe. I should've known. I have one. Sweet sounding guitar. It's one of those times when the Duncan Designed pups fit the bill perfectly.
Click to expand...

Wasn't those the ones that some got bridge pups mixed at the factory?

I've read at least couple of cases where theyt installed middle for bridge and vice versa. Or was it neck?
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

^Funny, per my previous post I thought they didn't make neck/bridge versions.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Jacew said:
Wasn't those the ones that some got bridge pups mixed at the factory?

I've read at least couple of cases where theyt installed middle for bridge and vice versa. Or was it neck?
Click to expand...

Yup, the bridge pickup was switched with the middle in the stock factory form. Seemed to have continued to be that way till 2014. Not sure the present status. I'm guessing they had these pickguards assembled wrong in a large batch, thats why they were still being shipped that way. Fixing each one would add labour costs so they just never bothered correcting it.

Thos3 pickups do sound good though & the guitar is a good one too.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Dang. Now you guys got me wondering. I'll have to pull mine apart and see what's actually inside. But I move slow these days. No one hold your breathe. ;)
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Thanks for the link. It's always nice to have the reference.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Hank- said:
Yup, the bridge pickup was switched with the middle in the stock factory form. Seemed to have continued to be that way till 2014. Not sure the present status. I'm guessing they had these pickguards assembled wrong in a large batch, thats why they were still being shipped that way. Fixing each one would add labour costs so they just never bothered correcting it.

Thos3 pickups do sound good though & the guitar is a good one too.
Click to expand...

If I buy this guitar from Sweetwater, will their 55pt inspection catch the incorrect pup positions? I doubt if they do any measurements in their 55pt inspection. I guess they have to catch it based on what they hear.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Give 'em a heads up. Sweetwater are good people. They just might do it.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Yeah sweetwater might do it for you if you tell them to but can't say for sure. Its not a very expensive guitar & its more of a factory install issue. As an alternative, I wonder if it can be done for free under warranty claim from fender authorised service center.

The neck & middle pups would measure close to each other while the bridge would be at a higher resistance reading on a ohmmeter. Easy to check if they have been jumbled around
 
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Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Does a "middle" Hot Rails even exist? There'd be no need for an RW/RP because it's inherently self humbucking.
 
Re: Squier Hotrails Delux: Pup blade not uniform thickness and height

Worrying wayyyyyy too much about this. This is a $300 Squire Strat made in some god-forsaken jungle amongst the islands of buttcrackoftheworldistan.

The fact that it has Duncan Designed is an awesome win. They will sound pretty close, but not exactly, like a real US Hotrails.

I get that you are worried about squeezing every last drop of tone possible out your hard earned dollar, but let's be honest: This isn't going to be an epic guitar of awesomeness.

They have a sporty return policy there - just give it a try and be prepared to use it, or save up for the real deal like a Mexican made Fender Strat and get a Hotrail installed.
 
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