Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

[Flying Vinny]

Hello,

I was wandering if there is anyone out there who could help me out on this issue:

I have a Telecaster with a three pickup cofiguration. A hot rails in the bridge and a Vintage rails in the middle and neck position. I notice that there is quite some difference in output level (which was to be expected). Is there someone who has experience with using a Cool rails (for neck) or Hot rails (for neck) in the neck position connected in parallel? What I'm looking for is a louder (punchier) neck pickup (and maybe also for the middle) but which still has a single coilish sound like the Vintage rails in parallel has. I tried the Vintage rails in the neck position in series but did not like that sound. Maybe the Classic Stack Plus (STK-S4, this one has more output as noticed in the tone chart) is the solution?

Anyway, thanks for a reply.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

With Vintage Rails (and Duckbuckers), the distance to the string is more critical to output than the rails pickups that are wired in series. Before you do anything, try moving the Vintage Rails closer to strings. 3/16" is a good starting point.

 

[B2D]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

I had a Yamaha Ty Tabor model once (Frank Falbo now owns it) and it had VR's in the neck and middle slots and a JB in the bridge. Evan it right, string-to-pickup distance is crucial in getting good balance from these.

FWIW, I did not care for the Cool Rails. Decent output but they just didn't have the personality I wanted. The HR's and VR's are great!

 

[Flying Vinny]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

Thanks for the feedback. I will get my screwdriver and give it a try.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

Let us know if that helps. Good luck.

 

[Flying Vinny]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

Your suggestion was really helpful. It worked perfectly, the pickups are in balance now as for output. Thank you very much.

 

[Flying Vinny]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

Let us know if that helps. Good luck.

Evan, thanks for your advice, it seems to work, balancing the volume but I still notice that the Vintage Rails sound rather thin. Could that be solved with maybe a Cool Rails (for neck) in parallel or maybe a Hot Rails (for neck) in parallel placed in neck and middle position? Or would that be way off? I guess it would have a bit more punch? Anyway, hope to hear from you. Thanks.

 

[varjao]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

I tested the cool rails once in the neck position of a modern strat and I loved. I don't know what kind of wiring they used on that guitar, but when splitted was amazing too. Nice pickup.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Vintage rails, cool rails, hot rails.

You might try a bridge version Vintage Rails in the middle and neck to thicken it up a bit, but not lose the VR sound.