Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Rich_S

Rich_S

HomeGrownToneBrewologist
I have this idea for my next "Tele" stuck in my head: an Esquire with a hot bridge pickup, with just two pots (no switch): volume, and spin-a-split.

The pickup I have in mind is the tapped 1/4-Pound Tele. I've owned several over the years and always loved 'em. I love the full coil for leads, I love the tap for twang (even though it's not truly authentic twang), and I love the in-between spin-a-split area for all sorts of other great sound.

I don't love noise, though. I just finished converting my #1 over to all humcancelling pickups.

So, after that long lead-in my question is, how does the Hot Rails Tele bridge pickup compare to the 1/4 Pound? At all similar? Are there any other humcancelling Duncans that approach the 1/4 Pounder fatness, and have a useable "split" sound?
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Not helping at all . . . but i would love to see Duncan make a COOLRails Tele bridge unit !

Never tried the 1/4 Pounder, and was not impressed w the HotRails in a strat that i got to test over a week end.
Sounded like a Humbucker to me !
So, seeing that the 1/4 Pounder is a S/C'er, i "think" you might prefer the general tone of the 1/4 Pounder over the HotRails . . . i might be wrong, but when i looed for a Hot S/C, the HotRail disappointed.



James
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

i cant help at all b/c ive never tried the HR....but nothing beats a QP in the bridge of a tele.
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Say what? An Esquire with no switch is not really an Esquire. The whole point of the selector switch and circuitry is to offer three sound variations from the one pickup.

Even something as simple as not having the tone pot in circuit (switch position #1) makes a difference to the tone.

Popular opinion has it that switch position #3 (the muffled one) is useless. Try it with high gain valve overdrive.

Of course, all of these opinions only count for anything if you go with a traditional single coil.

My personal high output, low noise pickup suggestion is the SD custom order Pearly Gates Esquire Stack. ;o)
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Funkfingers said:
Say what? An Esquire with no switch is not really an Esquire. The whole point of the selector switch and circuitry is to offer three sound variations from the one pickup.

Even something as simple as not having the tone pot in circuit (switch position #1) makes a difference to the tone.

Popular opinion has it that switch position #3 (the muffled one) is useless. Try it with high gain valve overdrive.

Of course, all of these opinions only count for anything if you go with a traditional single coil.

My personal high output, low noise pickup suggestion is the SD custom order Pearly Gates Esquire Stack. ;o)
Click to expand...


How do they do that ?
3 tones from one single coil ? . . . i always wanted to ask.

Please do tell more !


James
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

1: bridge no tone control
2: bridge with tone control
3: bridge + cap + tone control (for a bassy, neck pickup sort of sound)
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

i have always wanted an esquire with just a hot rails to be my thrash metal guitar.
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

I've heard Hot Rails in the bridge of a Tele and it doesn't sound like a Tele at all. I'd go QP and live with the hum.
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Funkfingers said:
Say what? An Esquire with no switch is not really an Esquire. The whole point of the selector switch and circuitry is to offer three sound variations from the one pickup.

Even something as simple as not having the tone pot in circuit (switch position #1) makes a difference to the tone.

Popular opinion has it that switch position #3 (the muffled one) is useless. Try it with high gain valve overdrive.

Of course, all of these opinions only count for anything if you go with a traditional single coil.

My personal high output, low noise pickup suggestion is the SD custom order Pearly Gates Esquire Stack. ;o)
Click to expand...

In my version of an Esquire, I'd get more sounds with fewer controls. With one pickup and two knobs you get beyond-humbucker fat 1/4 pound roar, Tele-ish twang, and an infinite range of sounds in between. Nothing beats dialing in a spin-a-split QP for a sinlge coil rhythm sound, and then cranking than split pot up to 10 for the solo.
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Mark Cearlock said:
1: bridge no tone control
2: bridge with tone control
3: bridge + cap + tone control (for a bassy, neck pickup sort of sound)
Click to expand...

Ahhhh, so it is a cap does does the "magik" !
I sassume you fir fit diff caps w didd values to get very diff tones ? (not all at once off course)

Is there a tonal diff between toggle setting #1 and #2, if the tone knob stays wide open ???


Thanks
James
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Fender_Punk said:
I've heard Hot Rails in the bridge of a Tele and it doesn't sound like a Tele at all. I'd go QP and live with the hum.
Click to expand...


For tht very reason i wanna Seymour to bless us w a tele COOLRail :headbang:
I am pretty shure that thing will sound evil !



James
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

SlowGroove said:
Ahhhh, so it is a cap does does the "magik" !
I sassume you fir fit diff caps w didd values to get very diff tones ? (not all at once off course)

Is there a tonal diff between toggle setting #1 and #2, if the tone knob stays wide open ???


Thanks
James
Click to expand...


You can very the cap in pos. 3 to be as "bassy" as you like.
Position 1 is brighter, with more bite, than pos 2.

http://alexplorer.net/guitar/mods/esquire-mod.html
 
Last edited:
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

SlowGroove said:
Thanx a million for the link !
I am seriously thinking of doing this now, and get a real "dark" cap, to an almost neck bucker-like tone.
Any idea what cap value i would need for this guys ?


James
Click to expand...


.047 or .050 should be plenty. Or as a alternative, You could also use a p/p to switch btw a .047 and .022 cap, in pos. 3
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

Mark Cearlock said:
.047 or .050 should be plenty. Or as a alternative, You could also use a p/p to switch btw a .047 and .022 cap, in pos. 3
Click to expand...


Mmmm, thanx for some great advice - i would have never thought of such an idea !!!

What's the tonal diffs between a .47 & .22 ?
And what will happen if i pull the knob ? Will it be only the .22, or will it be the .47 & .22 together, making it a .69 ???


James
 
Re: Tele Bridge Pickups: Hot Rails vs. 1/4 Pounder?

cool idea... taking that on board for later
 
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