Hot rails in a Tele?

[10-15-14]

I've got a Hot Rod 52 reissue tele that I just love to bits. Been toying with the idea of throwing a hot rails in the neck position as I don't use the mini HB that is there now very much as it's a little too muddy to my ears. Anybody have experience with the hot rails?

[Kap'n]

No direct experience, but I can't imagine that it's less muddy than a Firebird pickup.

[chuckocaster]

I'd consider a regular single coil strat type pup. Hot rails ime are muddy, or congested sounding to my ears. You'd be back in the same boat you're in now.
If you HAVE to have an HB look at the cool rails, or a mini humbucker with a lower DC resistance than the stock one.

Have you tried adjusting the Pickup height of the neck Pickup? I'd do that first before a pup swap. I really liked the Hot Rod 52s I've tried.

[Offshore Angler]

Problem is that the Hot Rails likes a different resistance on the volume and tone pots. They tend to be muddy unless you get up to 500K.

[10-15-14]

Great feedback thanks! I've always been a single coil guy so maybe I'll go that route in the neck. I know I love single coils in a strat neck position. I have tried adjusting the height, never really happy with it. Haven't checked out what pots are in it but perhaps they are the reason it sounds muddy. It's a quality SDuncan pick-up, maybe not the best choice for this guitar but thats whats stock in it. The reason I thought of going with Hot Rails was to keep a little bit of the humbucker essence in the guitar without having to route the body, but screw it, I've done enough tone chasing through the years. The bridge pick-up is fairly hot in this guitar and the mini hubucker sounds nice when the two are used together, but alone it just bugs me, sounds best suited for Jazz or something similar.

[chuckocaster]

I always suggest messing with Pickup height before modding cuz that sometimes cures the problem. You could also try a 500k vol pot just to see. But I guess it really depends on how much modding you want to do. IMHO the SC sized hb's don't sound very much like full sized hb's, or a mini. I know there are great sounding tele neck pups (especially the ones with taller mags) but I personally like strat pups in the neck of my teles.

Good luck dude!

[Rickenjangle]

I know there are great sounding tele neck pups (especially the ones with taller mags) but I personally like strat pups in the neck of my teles.

Good luck dude!

I like a P90 in the neck, and another cool thing to try is the lipstick tube, which is bigger-sounding than the standard Tele neck pickup.

[Offshore Angler]

Bardens ain't bad either.

[Porto Leone]

what the guys above said, and also you could try the S.Duncan Vintage Stack, which is an excellent choice between both worlds.

[Rickenjangle]

what the guys above said, and also you could try the S.Duncan Vintage Stack, which is an excellent choice between both worlds.

+1000

[10-15-14]

I remembered I had a set of P-94's stored away I had in a hollowbody a one time. Thought that might just work, so I went ahead and routed out the body. Really happy with the results, just what I was looking for and maybe even more. Sound very clear, and nicely balanced tone. Put some gain in the mix and I think I found the perfect pickup for my neck position, articulate highs and a throaty low and midrange. Always loved the look of them too. I buggerd up my route on the pickguard, but I planned on ordering a new one anyways. Couldn't find my template router bit.