What's the hottest, most metal Tele bridge pickup?

[Rex_Rocker]

Super Distortion T? Hot Rails? Anything else?

I'm thinking about picking up a Squier Esquire. I love the looks of a traditional Tele. While I do like the tone of a traditional Tele bridge single coil, realistically, I wouldn't be using it very often. I kinda want the guitar to be deceptively vintage-looking while being metal-sounding. I want it tight with a nice midrange aggression. Nothing too specific. Just want a metal tele, TBH.

So what should I be looking at? I don't want to go CS because I want to keep this project cheap too.

Thanks!

 

[Securb]

I have two Teles one is a Hot Rails the other is a Super D. to my ears the Hot Rails has more bite and grind. I can definitely rock out with both guitars. If I were to play high gain I would definitely grab my black Tele with the SD Hot Rails first. The SD has a lot of bottom which I love, Hot Rail has a great mid-punch.

 

[Mincer]

I'd say Hot Rails, for sure.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Thank you, dudes!

I have two Teles one is a Hot Rails the other is a Super D. to my ears the Hot Rails has more bite and grind. I can definitely rock out with both guitars. If I were to play high gain I would definitely grab my black Tele with the SD Hot Rails first. The SD has a lot of bottom which I love, Hot Rail has a great mid-punch.

Which is hotter?

 

[Mincer]

Or another question...is the output of the pickup the most important, or the tone? Past a certain point, compression sets in and you get more squishy, but not necessarily louder.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Or another question...is the output of the pickup the most important, or the tone? Past a certain point, compression sets in and you get more squishy, but not necessarily louder.

Good point.

What full-size humbucker is the the Hot Rails most comparable to?

 

[Clint 55]

I'd say maybe neutral and crunchy like the Custom..

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I have a Tone Zone T in one of mine (with a P90 neck) and it rocks. But I bet the Hot Rails is both hotter and crunchier.
When I chose the TZ I was more concerned with fatness than high output.

 

[Securb]

Thank you, dudes!


Which is hotter?

The Hot Rails is a tad hotter. It is also more compressed and not as full as Seymour Duncan's full-sized high output pickups. Do not read this as a dig on the pickup or that it sounds thin because it sounds phenomenal. It just has its own flavor. If you are looking to turn a Tele into a beast it is the way to go. The Super Distortion seems a bit fuller and has a great bloom to the notes. The Super Distortion didn't seem to get me over the top when I used it with my post-hardcore gig. I am sure if I gave it more time I could have gotten it dialed in. Both are great-sounding guitars with different personalities.

 

[Mincer]

Good point.

What full-size humbucker is the the Hot Rails most comparable to?

I'd actually compare it to the Invader.

 

[Securb]

I'd actually compare it to the Invader.

I think that is very close comparison. They both have that mid forward sound where as the Custom sounds a bit mid scooped to my ear.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Interesting. Thank you guys! So far, the Hot Rails has me more interested.

Is there anything else I should be looking at?

 

[Securb]

Interesting. Thank you guys! So far, the Hot Rails has me more interested. Is there anything else I should be looking at?

I would consider a split on the pickup, push/pull. Both sound great split and get you back to a more traditional tone.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I would consider a split on the pickup, push/pull. Both sound great split and get you back to a more traditional tone.

Yeah, that's a good idea!

 

[dystrust]

What full-size humbucker is the the Hot Rails most comparable to?

I'd say maybe neutral and crunchy like the Custom..

It's been a while since I had a Hot Rails, but the Custom has been one of my go-to pickups for 20 years. IMO they don't sound anything alike. The Hot Rails is much more mid-forward than the Custom and nowhere near as bright.

I'd actually compare it to the Invader.

This.

A Hot Rails doesn't have the same fullness, but their overall voices are very similar.

 

[Mincer]

Actually, if you do a Hot Rails, a series/parallel will be more useful than split. And it will remain humbucking.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the hot rails. I like more midrange grind in my pickups rather than low end thump.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

So, I'm 99% sold on the Hot Rails, but I wonder if there's anything from other brands other than Duncan or DiMarzio to take a look at?

 

[Securb]

.

 

[ToneFiddler]

well you said cheap, or else i would have recommended the bare knuckle cobra T.
still sounds like a tele and not like castrated Humbucker.
also the zhangbucker super paul bunyan.
those are my 2 favorite real heavy sounding tele PUs