texas specials? hotrails?

[malaysian]

hi all, recently i've just gotten myself an MIJ strat with texas specials pups in it. but i find the pups sounds weak on a higher gain settings. i'm using crunchbox btw.

-would changing the bridge pup to SD hotrails do me any good?
-is texas specials capable of handling the high gain, just that my amp and pedals is not set properly?

thanks.

 

[Whitestrat]

Single coils will ALWAYS sound weak with a mid gain distortion depending on application. It will sound too hot for blues, but weak for metal. Even if you max out the gain on a crunchbox. Also, it depends on the amp you're using (speakers matter quite a bit). However, what are you comparing this hotness to? If it's to what you hear on metal band's music, then you need to remember what they're using, and bear that perspective in mind. Think of something: How does YJM sound?

Assuming the Metal thing is your thing, then yes, the rails would do you good. But you also need to try something hot for that tight punching sound. DiMarzio cruisers might be a bit dark sounding. Perhaps a Tonezone Single? or a Norton Single? There are 101 stacked hums to try. Have fun!

 

[teokiatuan]

texas specials are meant primarily for cleans if im not wrong...

hotrails are more suitable for high gain

 

[tubescreamer]

hi all, recently i've just gotten myself an MIJ strat with texas specials pups in it. but i find the pups sounds weak on a higher gain settings. i'm using crunchbox btw.

-would changing the bridge pup to SD hotrails do me any good?
-is texas specials capable of handling the high gain, just that my amp and pedals is not set properly?

thanks.

You might want to consider a JB Junior as well. I've tried one, loaded in the bridge of a Strat, and I could get "chugga chugga" tones through a Cube 30X. Haven't tried the Hot Rails, but the general consensus on HCGF seems to be that it is too bassy and muddy.

 

[malaysian]

@tubescreamer: what is HCGF?

so far i've only considered hotrails, and jb jr. but i've got a jb in my lp, so might try something different. will see how things turn out.

any1 else that has a strat with hotrails/texas specials/jb jr in it? comments?

 

[sepultura]

I had the SD hot rails on my Fender strat in the bridge position for a while. Yeah it's high output, very hot, but characterless - the bass is flubby and the highs are missing. You really can't do cleans, it must be played through a high gain distortion pedal - it sounds good that way but then again you can only play metal.

 

[malaysian]

ic. that makes me wanna reconsider the Jb Jr.

@Tubescreamer: how's the clean on JB Jr? The overall tone of it?
thanks.

 

[Xypher]

Im using the hot rails on an MIJ strat. I seldom use my bridge pickup for clean sounds so i decided to get a hot bridge pickup. It beats the single coils but lacks the chugga chugga of a real humbucker. Played clean, the thing sound muddy and cheap. But distortion is where it shines.

 

[Whitestrat]

texas specials are meant primarily for cleans if im not wrong...

SRV would severely disagree with you.:mrgreen:

 

[malaysian]

@Xypher: i see. yeah come to think of it, i also prefer to use neck and mid pups for clean. hotrails huh.......