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Post subject: How are hotrails????
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:17 pm
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I've never heard a hotrails pickup, that I know of. How are they compared to a humbucker?? Are there any sites that you can listen to streaming audio to get an idea how one pickup compares to another? I see some once in a while, but they always seem to be playing something completely different for each one. It would be easier to compare of they play the same riff each time, as opposed to hearing them play one for one pickup, then something completely different for another.


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Post subject: Re: How are hotrails????
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:26 pm
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windwalker9649 wrote:
I've never heard a hotrails pickup, that I know of. How are they compared to a humbucker?? Are there any sites that you can listen to streaming audio to get an idea how one pickup compares to another? I see some once in a while, but they always seem to be playing something completely different for each one. It would be easier to compare of they play the same riff each time, as opposed to hearing them play one for one pickup, then something completely different for another.


When you say, "hotrails", do you mean a Seymour Duncan Hotrails or just this general type of pickup?

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Post subject: Re: How are hotrails????
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 6:42 pm
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Martian wrote:
windwalker9649 wrote:
I've never heard a hotrails pickup, that I know of. How are they compared to a humbucker?? Are there any sites that you can listen to streaming audio to get an idea how one pickup compares to another? I see some once in a while, but they always seem to be playing something completely different for each one. It would be easier to compare of they play the same riff each time, as opposed to hearing them play one for one pickup, then something completely different for another.


When you say, "hotrails", do you mean a Seymour Duncan Hotrails or just this general type of pickup?


Both I guess. First in general, second Duncans, those are the only ones I've heard of.


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Post subject: Re: How are hotrails????
Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 7:12 pm
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windwalker9649 wrote:
Martian wrote:
windwalker9649 wrote:
I've never heard a hotrails pickup, that I know of. How are they compared to a humbucker?? Are there any sites that you can listen to streaming audio to get an idea how one pickup compares to another? I see some once in a while, but they always seem to be playing something completely different for each one. It would be easier to compare of they play the same riff each time, as opposed to hearing them play one for one pickup, then something completely different for another.


When you say, "hotrails", do you mean a Seymour Duncan Hotrails or just this general type of pickup?


Both I guess. First in general, second Duncans, those are the only ones I've heard of.


As a species, they definitely compete volume and power wise with full sized humbuckers. They are just like regular full sized humbuckers too in the sense that they run the gammut from trash to gems and anywhere in between. They all sustain well due to the 'rails' configuration.

The Duncan Hotrails are an extremely popular pickup. I've played with them and they certainly place with full sized humbuckers in terms of volume. They have a real nice rip too. With overdrive, they really wail. However, don't expect to get any kind of real 'Fenderish' sound out of them as they are simply too powerful. Even if you split the coils or wire them in parallel, they still don't sound 'Fenderish'. They just get a bit weaker, treblier and clean up a bit, sounding more like a generic single coil pickup with improved sustain rather than anything else.

I do know what you mean (paraphrased) when you say that you wish the soundbytes many sites give weren't so controlled and limited. Oftentimes, first hand experience has proven to me that the pickup in hand sounded nothing like it was described or when I heard it on whoever's site. I guess that's because if they can exaggerate, they can sell that many more. The best site I've found description and accuracy wise though are the ones that DiMarzio puts up. You might want to check that site out.

I hope all this helps.

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Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:46 pm
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Listen for yourself...

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/audio-samples/strat_replaceme/


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:09 am
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I've played both Seymour Duncan Hotrails and DiMarzio Pro Tracks in my Strats.

Both are good pickups but I prefer the Pro Tracks. IMO they have a throatier sound than the Hot Rails with a really nice growl attached. They are plenty powerful enough to do anything you want, but not completely over the top.

I'm assuming that you aren't interested in staying "Fendery" sounding if you are making the change to humbuckers.

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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:33 am
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dgonz wrote:


That was pretty good, at least they play the same thing for each one. It gives me a good idea, but I know the true sound will be different, because im listening through my computers speakers, and the sound card. But it gives me an idea. I never even heard of Cool rails.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:39 am
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mthorn00 wrote:
I've played both Seymour Duncan Hotrails and DiMarzio Pro Tracks in my Strats.

Both are good pickups but I prefer the Pro Tracks. IMO they have a throatier sound than the Hot Rails with a really nice growl attached. They are plenty powerful enough to do anything you want, but not completely over the top.

I'm assuming that you aren't interested in staying "Fendery" sounding if you are making the change to humbuckers.


I really don't know. I love the Fendery sound, but I may want something a lil more for the bridge. I'm going to be replacing my 08 American Deluxe that was stolen a month ago. I got to tell you, I know they got knocked from time to time, but I really loved the SCN's, and the S1. It definitly isnt a humbucker sound like some reviews say, at least output wise, but it rounded the sound a little. I tend to play out of the neck pickup the vast majority of the time, so I thought, hell if I do that, why not put something with a little more punch in the bridge for when I want it. I'm even contemplating going H/S/S, although I'm kind of have a problem with them. I'm kind of a pain in the $@! when it comes to Strats, I tend to think if I want to play a strat (which I do) then I'll play a strat. If I want a humbucker, I'll play a Gibson. Its stupid, and doesnt even make sense to me, but that's how I think. I've read that the H/S/S still manage to have a strat sound even through the humbucker, but I've never tried it.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:35 pm
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With and HSS and S-1 switching the bridge pickup still sounds very "Fendery". Hey if you don't like it you can always buy a single coil and an SSS pickguard and move everything over. With me it's not the Strat sound so much as the feel and balance of the guitar that makes it a first choice.

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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:05 pm
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mthorn00 wrote:
Both are good pickups but I prefer the Pro Tracks. IMO they have a throatier sound than the Hot Rails with a really nice growl attached. They are plenty powerful enough to do anything you want, but not completely over the top.

Thats exactly my opinion on dimarzio SC sized buckers. They are far more 'organic' to my ear than anything else


windwalker9649 wrote:
I really don't know. I love the Fendery sound, but I may want something a lil more for the bridge. I'm going to be replacing my 08 American Deluxe that was stolen a month ago. I got to tell you, I know they got knocked from time to time, but I really loved the SCN's, and the S1. It definitly isnt a humbucker sound like some reviews say, at least output wise, but it rounded the sound a little. I tend to play out of the neck pickup the vast majority of the time, so I thought, hell if I do that, why not put something with a little more punch in the bridge for when I want it. I'm even contemplating going H/S/S, although I'm kind of have a problem with them. I'm kind of a pain in the $@! when it comes to Strats, I tend to think if I want to play a strat (which I do) then I'll play a strat. If I want a humbucker, I'll play a Gibson. Its stupid, and doesnt even make sense to me, but that's how I think. I've read that the H/S/S still manage to have a strat sound even through the humbucker, but I've never tried it.


Thats exactly why i bought a 57hotrod. The bridge is a perfect compliment to the scn's. O.k its not hank marvin tone, but its close enough for anyone that wants a buckered strat once in a while.
A s1 switch could always be fitted afterwards. Infact a 57 with a tonezone and s1 is my all time dream guitar. I just cant bear to mess about with my hotrod though, so i guess its another one for the customshop wishlist.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:58 pm
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nikininja wrote:
mthorn00 wrote:
Both are good pickups but I prefer the Pro Tracks. IMO they have a throatier sound than the Hot Rails with a really nice growl attached. They are plenty powerful enough to do anything you want, but not completely over the top.

Thats exactly my opinion on dimarzio SC sized buckers. They are far more 'organic' to my ear than anything else


windwalker9649 wrote:
I really don't know. I love the Fendery sound, but I may want something a lil more for the bridge. I'm going to be replacing my 08 American Deluxe that was stolen a month ago. I got to tell you, I know they got knocked from time to time, but I really loved the SCN's, and the S1. It definitly isnt a humbucker sound like some reviews say, at least output wise, but it rounded the sound a little. I tend to play out of the neck pickup the vast majority of the time, so I thought, hell if I do that, why not put something with a little more punch in the bridge for when I want it. I'm even contemplating going H/S/S, although I'm kind of have a problem with them. I'm kind of a pain in the $@! when it comes to Strats, I tend to think if I want to play a strat (which I do) then I'll play a strat. If I want a humbucker, I'll play a Gibson. Its stupid, and doesnt even make sense to me, but that's how I think. I've read that the H/S/S still manage to have a strat sound even through the humbucker, but I've never tried it.


Thats exactly why i bought a 57hotrod. The bridge is a perfect compliment to the scn's. O.k its not hank marvin tone, but its close enough for anyone that wants a buckered strat once in a while.
A s1 switch could always be fitted afterwards. Infact a 57 with a tonezone and s1 is my all time dream guitar. I just cant bear to mess about with my hotrod though, so i guess its another one for the customshop wishlist.


That's an idea. I'm going to look at another Am Dlx tomorrow. I found this cat on craigslist that has an 07 exactly like the one I lost, sunburst w/rosewood fretboard. He wants $900 for it, I was going to go new again, but screw it, he says he never plays it, if it's in good enough condition, ill buy it. I'm definitely going to do something with the bridge pup this time around though, just want to figure out what. Some of these bigger guitar shops should just gut out some Squire bullets, and load them with some of the more popular aftermarket pickups, and use them as demo's. They'd probably sell more pickups, at least it would cut down on the "I got to think about it, and do more research" they probably get from customers like me. And hell, what's a Bullet cost $100?? They already do it with pedal boards, and I'm sure there's probably a bigger profit margin for them in pickups anyway.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:09 pm
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That would be what i'd want to do, get the guitar i want then install the exact pickups i want. Can you imagine how much time its going to take though.
1,Find the guitar
2, trawl shops trying the bridges till you find 'the one' pickup installed on a guitar you probably hate.
3&4 repeat for the mid and neck positions.
Then you have to evaluate the various pickups you chose against the guitars they were in.
I hear ya about the soundclip point, but you need to take recording and mixingdown into the equation.

Its a absolute minefield mate. theres only really trial and error to go on with pickups.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:23 pm
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nikininja wrote:
That would be what i'd want to do, get the guitar i want then install the exact pickups i want. Can you imagine how much time its going to take though.
1,Find the guitar
2, trawl shops trying the bridges till you find 'the one' pickup installed on a guitar you probably hate.
3&4 repeat for the mid and neck positions.
Then you have to evaluate the various pickups you chose against the guitars they were in.
I hear ya about the soundclip point, but you need to take recording and mixingdown into the equation.

Its a absolute minefield mate. theres only really trial and error to go on with pickups.


Right, but what I'm saying is for places like guitar center to do it, grab like 8 squire bullets and put all different pickups in them and keep them for demo's, not for sale. Yeah, the tone would be a little off, but then u could go there, plug in 1 with hotrails, then one with texas specials, and so on. It would make choosing much easier than going onto the websites, and liistening to the sound tracks they have. Like I said, a new Bullet is $100, not a big sales loss guitar wise for them, and they'd end up selling way more pickups. Plus it would cut down on that "search" customers have to do. Plus they cut down the chance of u buying somewhere else.. just a markting thought.


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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 9:40 pm
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the customer search is what earns em money, and your never going to get a true representation of the pickup installed into your guitar. I believe it would take quite a discening ear to hear how it would sound. That alone alienates atleast half the consumer base

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Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 12:16 pm
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No doubt, but even though it wouldnt be spot on, it would be a closer represtentation to what you hear on the websites. And being in sales myself, I know the searching does help the make sales, as long as they have what people want. But look at it this way, let's say you're thinking about modifying your axe. You have a few choices in mind for pickups, you have 4 music shops in lets say a 30 mile (or kilometer) radius. Out of those 4 places, one of them has a selection of strats, (or Les Pauls) that had the original crap pickups gutted, and replaced with an assortment of popular pickup choices, i.e, Hotrails, Tonezones, Texas Specials, etc. Which store do you think you'd go to? The one where you can at least play a guitar that has them installed, and there is where you'd buy it 90% of the time. It's just a thought. They way I look at, although most of us here consideres playing an important part of our lives ( I know I do, especially after being off my feet for a half year recovering, playing 10-16 hours a day), but in bad economic times, it is a luxury when compaired to things like eating, and having a roof over your head. So these shops are going to have major sales drops in the next year at least. You need to do something to give yourself an edge over the other retail outlets, and one way is to seperate yourself from the rest by getting a reputation as being THE PLACE to go for aftermarket accessories, and parts.
But the real reason for my thought on this is that it would make my life easier. And that's all that matters.


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