Seymour Duncan P-rails

[Erik]

In search of an ideal and versatile heritage 535/555 I was wondering if there is anyone with experience with the Seymour Duncan P-rails pick ups on a heritage guitar.

Can one custom order a heritage with these picks at heritage itself?

What kind of switches can best be used?

Thanx for any responding!

[Kuz]

Heritage Guitars being a Custom shop for every guitar makes it easy to order what YOU want.

 

Yes you can order those pickups. They wouldn't be my first choice, but I don't know what kind of music you play.

 

They have a bunch of switching options from the Vari-phase, to coil tap, to regular old 3 way.

 

Posting what kind of music you play would really help for us to respond.

[brentrocks]

There are quite a few members haere that have P-rails....i had some for a while too, but i prefer a straight humbucker in most cases.

 

here are some options....

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ails_2v_2t_tspp

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ls_2v_2t_3w_2pp

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ails_1v_1t_tspp

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ls_2v_2t_3w_2mt

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...ails_1v_3w_mini

 

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...s_1v_1t_3w_mini

[Erik]

Heritage Guitars being a Custom shop for every guitar makes it easy to order what YOU want.

 

Yes you can order those pickups. They wouldn't be my first choice, but I don't know what kind of music you play.

 

They have a bunch of switching options from the Vari-phase, to coil tap, to regular old 3 way.

 

Posting what kind of music you play would really help for us to respond.

 

 

I play different styles of music like rock, blues, alternative, indie, jazz, funk, quiet.

Basically most styles except metal/trash etc.

When I play by myself I just play clean or low gain.

Playing with my band, I use stompboxes and high gain.

[Kuz]

Well, I would recommend the very popular HRWs & Seth Lovers.

 

Then the more expensive, but my personal favorite for PAF pickups, Throbaks.

 

Also the Lollar imperials are very PAF, just slightly ahead of the Seth Lovers in my opinion.

 

You really can't go wrong with the HRWs or any of these.

 

Good luck!

[Erik]

Well, I would recommend the very popular HRWs & Seth Lovers.

 

Then the more expensive, but my personal favorite for PAF pickups, Throbaks.

 

Also the Lollar imperials are very PAF, just slightly ahead of the Seth Lovers in my opinion.

 

You really can't go wrong with the HRWs or any of these.

 

Good luck!

 

Thanks Kuz.

Using Seth Lovers in combination with the DOUBLE VAR-I-PHASE system of Heritage also crossed my mind.

The thing is, I like to have the different tonal sounds into one guitar.

How to get a pick up with the best humbucking and single coil sounds into one guitar? (I have a dream...)

So this is my search for the best option available.

[brentrocks]

Thanks Kuz.

Using Seth Lovers in combination with the DOUBLE VAR-I-PHASE system of Heritage also crossed my mind.

 

 

thats what i would do insted of the p-rails

[tulk1]

The thing is, I like to have the different tonal sounds into one guitar.

How to get a pick up with the best humbucking and single coil sounds into one guitar? (I have a dream...)

So this is my search for the best option available.

 

This has been the quest of many a guitar player. And for the most part, most will tell you it can't be done. It can be "close", but no cigar. And let me raise my hand and say I've been one of those players, several times.

 

I had Chris Stambaugh of Stambaugh Designs build me a guitar using RioGrande Tallboy and MuyGrande pickups. Those two pups were advertised as being real single coils on both sides. In fact, they use slugs on both coils instead of screws in one side. Tap, split, whatever ... and you have a true single coil. Thing is, it was close. But really didn't have that vibe.

 

My '94 PRS CE24 was wired with the Split/Spin wiring to tap the Dragons. Split/Spin used the Vol in push/pull to split the neck; the Tone control spun to split the bridge. And again, yeah, it was close. But never really hit the spot as Single Coils.

 

And then there was the MiA Strat with 'bucker in the bridge that split in Pos2. Again ..... well, same story.

 

But, in the spirit of all things HOC and GAS in general, Happy Hunting. Which is half the fun, anyway.

[Kuz]

This has been the quest of many a guitar player. And for the most part, most will tell you it can't be done. It can be "close", but no cigar. And let me raise my hand and say I've been one of those players, several times.

 

I had Chris Stambaugh of Stambaugh Designs build me a guitar using RioGrande Tallboy and MuyGrande pickups. Those two pups were advertised as being real single coils on both sides. In fact, they use slugs on both coils instead of screws in one side. Tap, split, whatever ... and you have a true single coil. Thing is, it was close. But really didn't have that vibe.

 

My '94 PRS CE24 was wired with the Split/Spin wiring to tap the Dragons. Split/Spin used the Vol in push/pull to split the neck; the Tone control spun to split the bridge. And again, yeah, it was close. But never really hit the spot as Single Coils.

 

And then there was the MiA Strat with 'bucker in the bridge that split in Pos2. Again ..... well, same story.

 

But, in the spirit of all things HOC and GAS in general, Happy Hunting. Which is half the fun, anyway.

 

+10000

 

I played my Strat today for the Church Praise Band. I had been using my PRS coil tapped so I wouldn't have to bring two guitars. WOW, I forgot how good a tone and quacky a Strat can get. The PRSi are close but not there.

 

The other thing is, when you try for that "one guitar for multiple sounds" the pickups always seem to compromise the main tone (usually the main humbucker doesn't sound as good as it would if it wasn't splittable).

 

I would rather have one guitar that sounded incredible, even if it limited me to only sounding like a humbucker or single coil only (like it was intended, a humbucker to sound like a humbucker guitar or a Strat/Tele to just sound like a great Strat/Tele) than have the compromised sounds of two guitars!

 

YMMV

[SouthpawGuy]

+10000

 

I played my Strat today for the Church Praise Band. I had been using my PRS coil tapped so I wouldn't have to bring two guitars. WOW, I forgot how good a tone and quacky a Strat can get. The PRSi are close but not there.

 

The other thing is, when you try for that "one guitar for multiple sounds" the pickups always seem to compromise the main tone (usually the main humbucker doesn't sound as good as it would if it wasn't splittable).

 

I would rather have one guitar that sounded incredible, even if it limited me to only sounding like a humbucker or single coil only (like it was intended, a humbucker to sound like a humbucker guitar or a Strat/Tele to just sound like a great Strat/Tele) than have the compromised sounds of two guitars!

 

YMMV

 

Have you tried a Tele with a humbucker in the neck ?

 

Now that is a heavenly tone !

 

The G&L Bluesboy with that particular pickup combo is just incredibly versatile.

[Kuz]

Have you tried a Tele with a humbucker in the neck ?

 

Now that is a heavenly tone !

 

The G&L Bluesboy with that particular pickup combo is just incredibly versatile.

 

 

THAT is the one exception that proves the rule!

 

I have no problem with a Tele having a neck humbucker or p-90.

[Mikenov]

I have P-Rails in an H-150. I pretty much only use the bridge P90 setting. The humbucker settings disapoints. Not REALLY a humbucker. The single coil settings kind of fail too because where they are on the guitar is pretty much wrong. One is real weak and the other is too strong. No balance and on a mahogony body not a strat sound.

Also, the place I had wire this thing up did kind of a crappy job and I highly suspect its wired wrong. That being said, this is for sure my favorite guitar.

All gold H150CM with Prails and tone pros. Its a fatory second but the neck on that thing is perfect for me, Its also really light and for sure thinner than my other 2 150s. which I suspect really makes that guitar have a higher pitched musical tone and with the aggresive P90ish setting on that guitar you get a really sweet bite quality. I LOVE that guitar and dig the pickups. I just think to get Humbucker style P90s there has to be a better way. For the money the Prails cost you can buy custom wound pickups and get a truly killer one sound. My guess is nothing gets you a strat, humbucker, and P90 in one guitar.

[tulk1]

Have you tried a Tele with a humbucker in the neck ?

 

Now that is a heavenly tone !

 

The G&L Bluesboy with that particular pickup combo is just incredibly versatile.

 

Stop it!!!!!! Just STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, young man!

[SouthpawGuy]

Stop it!!!!!! Just STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, young man!

 

Then this won't help much ......

 

 

 

 

I played that one yesterday through a Laney TT50, all tube three channel amp made in the UK.

 

The second channel, "crunch" channel, with just a tiny bit of gain, ( maybe on 2) with the Bluesboy plugged straight in was incredible.

 

Bite, twang and grunt in one package. I literally could not stop playing it, mostly R&B / Blues chords, comping etc. The two pickups are perfectly matched for output and cover lots of musical ground.

 

Hope this helps .... not !!!

[tulk1]

Grrrrrrrrrr.

[Gitfiddler]

Quote from Southpaw: "Bite, twang and grunt in one package. I literally could not stop playing it, mostly R&B / Blues chords, comping etc. The two pickups are perfectly matched for output and cover lots of musical ground.

 

Hope this helps .... not !!!"

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

What he said!

 

+1 for Bluesboys!!

 

[tulk1]

I have one like this. Not a traditional HB at the neck. But close. Dig the "pose".

[smurph1]

I played a "Highway One" Strat with alnico pickups recently..Had a humbucker in the bridge position..I have to say I was inpressed..Balanced tone, and a nice variety of tones..Plus it was under a grand..(Maybe someday...)

[SouthpawGuy]

Erik you might also want to check out YouTube, there are a few good demos out there.

 

This is a link to the official Duncan video demo

 

Seymour Duncan SHPR-1 P-Rails pickups

 

link to other demos http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer..._type=&aq=f

 

btw the guitar used in the Duncan demo is a Heritage H-170

 

>>>> <<<<

 

* I somehow managed to post this in response to another thread, re posting it here

[Kuz]

I have one like this. Not a traditional HB at the neck. But close. Dig the "pose".

 

Ah YEA, Kenny I didn't rip you as much as Randy for the new Tele GAS. But let it be known seeing that new G&L (WITH a rosewood fretboard) you got from Wolfe's is really what started me down this path of Tele GAS!

[Erik]

Erik you might also want to check out YouTube, there are a few good demos out there.

 

This is a link to the official Duncan video demo

 

Seymour Duncan SHPR-1 P-Rails pickups

 

link to other demos http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer..._type=&aq=f

 

btw the guitar used in the Duncan demo is a Heritage H-170

 

>>>> <<<<

 

* I somehow managed to post this in response to another thread, re posting it here

 

Thnk you all for the advice!

 

Unfortunately I cannot open this link.

 

Other demos give a good impression of what this pick up can do.

Though its a sound through a computer so I still wonder about the real thing if you're in front of an amp.

 

About the var-i-phase system of Heritage...

I opened another thread before but might as well put it here...

OK, the coil split will not exactly sound like the real thing but in combination with the vari-system might add something extra

 

My main concern is however: does the extra wiring influence the original humbucker sound?

[SouthpawGuy]

Here is a working link to the Duncan P-90 demo ...

 

I have a few guitars with a splitable bucker in the bridge .. G&L Legacy, G'brand Les Paul, ESP S800 etc. and they all suffer from a volume drop when split, it's unavoidable. As for the tone suffering, well half a humbucker doesn't sound like a true single coil, hence the P-Rails, and if the bucker was designed to be split well the manufacturer must think it's a fair trade off - versatility / convenience / tone.

 

One thing I have noticed about Heritage guitars that have the D-VIP, the pickup selector switch is always close to the pots, not on the upper bout, even on 150 /157 models the switch is moved from its usual position.

 

Here is a shot from the HOC Gallery of a 157 with D-VIP, notice the selector switch position

 

2008 H 157 OSB HRW D-VIP

 

 

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/i...=si&img=230

 

I'm not sure whose guitar this is, hope they don't mind me using the pic.