Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

S

steveintampa

New member
I have a tele, currently with a humbucker in the neck, and tele bridge pickup.

I want to use a P-Rails in the neck, and have 4 SD tele bridge pickups on hand to choose from.

I use a Quilter amp, and mostly clean tones. Play in an alt/country type band. I want to get the versatility that the P-Rails offers, and keep the tele bridge sounding like a tele.

The plan is to keep the tele 3 way, and add a 3 way mini switch.

Any advice welcomed.

These are the specs on the pickups:

P-RailsNeck Pickup
Magnet: two Alnico V bars
Cable: 4-conductor

Mode: humbucking:
DC Resistance: 12.87k ohms
Resonant Peak: 4.6KHz

Mode: P-90
DC Resistance: 7.25k ohms
Resonant Peak: 3.6KHz

Mode: single-coil
DC Resistance: 5.60k ohms
Resonant Peak: 7.0KHz


Little '59 Bridge
17.7 k Ceramic

Quarter Pounder
17k Alnico 5

Hot Stack
21.4k Alnico 5

Five Two
7k Hybrid
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Nice choice.

To balance you have to choose between something hot if you want to balance with HB mode or something hot-ish if you want to balance with P90 mode.

For clean tones and to sound like a tele I would rule out the quarter pounder and 59 IMHO. That said if you get the QP with tap you may have a great way to balance with the different models of the PRails. But you would need to add a switch or push/pull.

Check the JD
https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/jerry-donahue-lead-tele

Hotter I would consider the Hot Tele:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/hot-tele-bridge
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Welcome to the forum!
(I am in the Tampa area, too)
Picking a bridge pickup depends on if you want a traditional Tele sound or something more powerful, or with a different EQ. The Five Two is the most traditional, and is a great pickup. The others stray from the Tele formula a bit in power/eq/etc. I am sure what you have, you can find one that works well.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Thanks for the replies!

As much as I love the Five Two in another tele, (I have about 6), I think I need more ooomph down there.

So my next question would be could the Hot Stack be wired in a similar fashion as described in the P-Rails wiring to a 3 way switch to get all of the hum cancelling benefits.

I have another tele with a SD P-90 Stack that splits combined with a super hot custom would tele bridge, and when I throw the switch to the bridge it is almost like engaging a boost pedal.

Trying to hash this all out before I take it to the shop and have the work done.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

I really want to try a p-rails in the neck of my Tele!!

All the bridge pickups you have listed there will pair nicely I would think. Problem is you will lose the twang and 'Tele sound'. The Five Two hybrid will probably keep the twang but you said you wanted something different!?

You may have to invest in a new bridge pickup if you want to keep the tele twang!?
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

What do you want the mini switch to do for the Hot Stack?
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Techy Beccy said:
I really want to try a p-rails in the neck of my Tele!!

All the bridge pickups you have listed there will pair nicely I would think. Problem is you will lose the twang and 'Tele sound'. The Five Two hybrid will probably keep the twang but you said you wanted something different!?

You may have to invest in a new bridge pickup if you want to keep the tele twang!?
Click to expand...

I agree. Looks like I may need something in the 13K to 16 K range, unless the Hot Stack can be tamed down.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Here's what I say. The P-Rails is considered my many (me included) as too hot a pickup for the neck slot in the series mode. So I recomend wiring it on a switch to chose between P90/parallel/rail.

Then wire the Hot Rails to the same switch but make it do outer coil/series/ inner coil. That way all the middle positions are hum cancelling, you get all the good sounds from the pickups, and you don't have to fiddle with unnecessarily complex controls.

I can let you know how to do this if you want, you would essentially have a pickup selector switch, a volume control, and replace the tone control with a rotary coil selector switch.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Chistopher said:
Here's what I say. The P-Rails is considered my many (me included) as too hot a pickup for the neck slot in the series mode. So I recomend wiring it on a switch to chose between P90/parallel/rail.

Then wire the Hot Rails to the same switch but make it do outer coil/series/ inner coil. That way all the middle positions are hum cancelling, you get all the good sounds from the pickups, and you don't have to fiddle with unnecessarily complex controls.

I can let you know how to do this if you want, you would essentially have a pickup selector switch, a volume control, and replace the tone control with a rotary coil selector switch.
Click to expand...

I really want to use the P-Rails. I have another tele with a P90 Stack and I love it Had to get a hotter bridge PUP for that one. A Harmonic Designs that was custom wound to my spec.

Thanks for the suggestion on the rotary. I do use the tone control a lot, so I don't want to give that up. I really want to leave the bride PUP as is, and use the mini switch to change the P-Rails only. Wiring the bridge pickup to that might gain some hum cancelling, but I really don't know.

Trying to use what I have, but might have to spring for a SD Hot Tele.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

steveintampa said:
I agree. Looks like I may need something in the 13K to 16 K range, unless the Hot Stack can be tamed down.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think the Hot Stack could work well!

I haven't tried the tele version! I had STK S2n (I think is the code) - Strat neck with the blade. It plowed through everything!! It was a pretty wicked pickup! I'm wondering if the Tele version has much Tele vibe in there!? Have you used that pickup before!?

Try it and record a sound clip for us!!
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Never tried the SD HS pickup in anything else. From the description, it should work for me, and I already have it.

I might take in with the Hot Stack and the P-rails for installation. This ismy main guitar for the time being, and I want it to sound right. Already plays right.

Never owned a Strat.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

So I found a Hot Tele STL-2, and will take that to the luthier with along with the Hot Stack and the P-Rails and see what he says.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

On my SH Tele copy I had installed a STK-T2b (Hot Lead Stack) and an APH-1n (Alnico II Pro), a Les Paul three-way position switch, and individual switches for each pickup for Series / Parallel / Split wiring. Some magic on the pots, allowing to select between 500k or 250k, depending whether in series or split, to try and catch some classic tones.

The Stack still gives a Tele character, although a modern one. Handles high gain very well, with no noise. Split and parallel gets me close to traditional Tele sounds.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

So I took the guitar in today, and the luthier picked the Hot Stack, and said he would wire it up to the 3 way toggle. I described what I was going of rand he said he could make it happen.

Mincer, we met a long time ago.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Got this back yesterday and it is fantastic. Replaced the pots with 500K. Does everything I had hoped for. Tried it out on the luthier's amp. Putting through the paces on mine today.

The PRails and the Hot Stack were both wired to the 3 way toggle. No noise. The unexpected consequence is that the P90 side of the PRails bleeds through a bit, but it really fattens up the Hot Stack.

With the 3 way blade and the toggle both in the middle positions I get a fat cutting led tone about 6 dB louder than the rest of the positions. no more boost stomp box needed.

The PRails single coil in combination with the Hot Stack makes a nice chimey rhythm tone.

The P90 alone is a little dark, and works well with my voice.

Went from 3 basic tones to 9 with this mod, and I could not be happier.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

I am happy you are happy!

Where did we meet?
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Dave,

The guitar is a Crackercaster, and Ben Chafin did the work on it.

Not sure the exact location, but was through Chris and Sheila and JPF about 10 years ago.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

Oh cool! I miss Chris & Sheila- we did a handful of shows together. Ben makes cool guitars, and is a great guy.
 
Re: Tele, P-Rails in the neck, choices for Bridge PUP

So far so good! Tried this on 4 different amps. The difference in articulation is incredible. This set replaced the custom for the Crackercaster set of Nordstrand Alnico 3 set speced by the original owner.

The P-Rails alone was worth the swap. In combination with the Hot Stack, I get some very strong but controllable Tele sounds. Using the 3 way toggle, it goes from very fat to a thinner tone. Very usable, and the increased articulation makes the leads cut through without having to increase volume, and I am not working as hard to get the notes across.

This was all done at the previous amp settings for the previous pickups. Next is to play with the gain structure and see what else it might do, but I am very happy now with the volume knob on the guitar at about half. Clean and articulate!
 
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