Anybody try a Seymour P-Rails???

[morningstar]

Like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Seymour-Duncan-SHPR-1b...=item20add43917

I find the idea at least medium fascinating. Opinions, please.

Any other comparisons/comments on Z-90, Rio Bastards ( and Fat Bastards), Phat Cats, and any other humbucker sizeP-90 types. I am not cutting up a guitar for the sake of pickups!

BTW I had Z-90's before and loved them. Alas, they went with the guitar. Sniff...

morningstar

[gorch]

Nothing for me though.

[GaryT]

I hear they are OK and the options are definatly cool.

But IMO I've found that even when using 4-lead pups and splitting them, a bit of Tone is lost. And there's very few humbuckers that I thought had great single-coil tones when split.

Though I like Schecters USA Super Rocks when split [i know of all pick-ups]. And I like the bridge position SD-JB when split. Yet their humbucker Tones didn't floor me. But I've owned and played most of PRS pups, among many others that get great reviews and frankly I wasn't happy with the S-C Tones.

Instead of doing one thing very well, they do a few things moderatly. Thats been my experience.

[atquinn]

I bought a set when they were first available. Like the neck, but not the bridge. Only tried them in P90 and humbucker format. I though the neck was nice and juicy in humbucker mode and pretty good as a P90. The bridge seemed weak in comparison to the neck though. Ended up getting rid of both with no regrets. Wouldn't mind using the neck pickup again if the right situation presents itself.

-Austin

[JohnnyB]

Maybe another alternative would be the Rio Grand Tallboy? It's really two SC pickups bundled together to make a 'bucker. The claim is that it's a true SC pickup in split mode because that's how it's built.

[BadgerDave]

I'm using them in a Talledega.

IMO, it's a great solution for anyone who wants a workable splittable humbucker and is satisfied with the sound of Seymour Duncan pickups. Again IMO, switching from a humbucker to a P-90 is a whole lot more appealing than switching from a humbucker to a strat-type single coil. There is appreciably less volume loss.

That said, these are not going to sound like Lollar Imperials, Fralins, WCRs or other seriously good humbuckers. In humbucker mode they sound good. Not great, but good. Like quality generic Duncan or DiMarzio humbuckers of the PAF ilk. In P-90 mode, they sound (unsurprisingly) like Duncan P-90s. Not my favorite, but passible. I haven't really found a use for the blade coils in single coil mode, but they sound OK. You can get a simulation of the Strat "in-between" tone. I like the combined sound of the two P-90s better than the two blade coils, however.

The Triple Shot mounting rings are highly recommended. The switching works well and is quick and intuitive, even in the dark, and they make installation of the P-Rails easy as it can be. Just be sure to wire them in "reverse" mode. That means you push each switch toward the coil you want to turn on. (I have no idea why this isn't the default mode)

[KH Guitar Freak]

Some have told me them Dimarzio Bluesbucker sounds cooler...

[atquinn]

Some have told me them Dimarzio Bluesbucker sounds cooler...

That's like saying a Duncan JB sounds cooler. Completely different concept. The PRails are designed to give humbucker, true-P90 and single coil sounds. The Bluesbucker is designed to be a noiseless P90 in a humbucker form-factor that sounds stratty when split.

-Austin

[geoff_hartwell]

I'm a fan of the Joe Barden HB Two/tones.

Sounds great as a humbucker (to me) and when split, you get the Danny Gatton Tele bridge, and a nice Barden strat in the neck. Now, the Gatton and "S" model sounds are idealized versions of those tones, so I actually prefer them to weak-but-noisy vintage pups.

I looked into the Rio Tallboys - Seems like if they got a good 'bucker tone it'd rule.

Anybody got demo vid-links?

Geoff

[3of5]

I flipped my p-rail around so that the blade is next to the bridge and then on the neck pickup the blade is next to the neck. The p-90 part still sounds about the same but I think the sound of the single coil is improved. I still haven't decided how much I like them. Depends on the day.

[morningstar]

Thanks guys. Sounds like fair to middlin' to me. The hunt resumes...

morningstar

[atquinn]

I looked into the Rio Tallboys - Seems like if they got a good 'bucker tone it'd rule.

Anybody got demo vid-links?

Exact same concept as the Duncan stag mag, which I believe has been along much longer, but somehow never gets mentioned Don't know what they sound like, but with the Stag Mag people say the humbucker tone is a compromise, while the singlecoil tone is excellent, which is exactly what you'd expect.

-Austin

[kanegon]

Very informative.

Any recommendations on 4-conductor humbuckers? What's the best splittable humbucker out there?

[BadgerDave]

Very informative.

Any recommendations on 4-conductor humbuckers? What's the best splittable humbucker out there?

I haven't tried the Barden model that Geoff mentioned, but I bet it sounds great. I have the single space Bardens in a Tele and they sound fantastic.

The best splittable humbuckers I've used are the Fralin Unbucker for PAF ish humbucker/Strat tones and the Rio Muy Grande if you want more "balls". The Muy Grande sounds particularly good in the bridge position of a Tele.

[geoff_hartwell]

The best splittable humbuckers I've used are the Fralin Unbucker for PAF ish humbucker/Strat tones and the Rio Muy Grande if you want more "balls". The Muy Grande sounds particularly good in the bridge position of a Tele.

Cool! So you put the stamp of approval on the Muy Grande as a split-able 'bucker?

[BadgerDave]

The best splittable humbuckers I've used are the Fralin Unbucker for PAF ish humbucker/Strat tones and the Rio Muy Grande if you want more "balls". The Muy Grande sounds particularly good in the bridge position of a Tele.

Cool! So you put the stamp of approval on the Muy Grande as a split-able 'bucker?

Yes! In single coil mode it sounds very similar to a "hot" tele bridge pickup. I 've been using one in this guitar for several years. With the splittable bridge pickup, it does just about everything.