Seymour Duncan Hot Rails: The Potting Question

Seymour Duncan Hot Rails are single coil-sized humbucker pickups for electric guitars. They are designed to fit into the pickup routes of Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars, transforming them into high-output rock and metal machines. The bridge model delivers high output, midrange harmonics, and an aggressive crunch, while the neck model provides well-balanced humbucker tones with a strong ceramic magnet and overwound coils. The Hot Rails for Strat set comes with a 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options and is wax potted for squeal-free operation.

The Seymour Duncan Hot P-Rails pickup is a hotter and more aggressive version of their P-Rails versatile humbucker pickup, offering increased output and punch with Alnico 8 bar magnets. Like the Hot Rails, the Hot P-Rails pickup is also wax potted for squeal-free operation.

Seymour Duncan Hot Rails are wax potted for squeal-free operation

The Hot Rails for Tele set will transform your Telecaster, giving it the power of a set of full-sized high-output humbuckers. The lead pickup uses a powerful ceramic magnet, dual steel blades, and overwound coils to provide a raw, heavy tone with amazing sustain. The matching Hot Rails Tele Rhythm pickup delivers a smooth tone for rhythm playing and fat single notes for lead work.

The Hot P-Rails pickup is a hotter, more aggressive version of the P-Rails versatile humbucker pickup, with Alnico 8 bar magnets for added punch. It is wound for maximum output and provides all the versatility of the original P-Rail, but with a more aggressive output.

All of these pickups are hand-built in Santa Barbara, California, and come with a 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options. They are wax potted to ensure squeal-free operation.

Seymour Duncan recommends buying the Hot Rails set to ensure pickups are in phase

The Hot Rails for Strat single coil-sized humbuckers deliver well-balanced humbucker tones for rock and metal. Clean tones are fat and warm, and solos will have a thick, fluid feel. The dual-blade construction gives you the ultimate string coverage, especially for notes that are bent on the highest frets.

The Hot Rails bridge model single coil-sized humbucker delivers high output, loads of midrange harmonics, and an aggressive crunch that makes this a great bridge pickup for rock and metal. Chords are full and powerful, and single notes jump out with amazing sizzle. A Hot Rails in the bridge position will transform your Strat into a completely different instrument.

The Hot Rails for Tele set will transform your Telecaster into a high-output rocker. The lead pickup uses a powerful ceramic magnet, dual steel blades, and overwound coils to provide a raw, heavy tone with amazing sustain. The rich midrange harmonics and tight low end give it a crunch that makes this pickup great for all types of rock and metal.

Seymour Duncan has been making pickups for over 45 years

Seymour's interest in guitars began at a young age when he was introduced to the instrument by his uncle at age 12. After lending his guitar to a friend who accidentally broke the pickup, Duncan re-wound it using a record player turntable. He was inspired by the improvement in the guitar's tone, which sparked his curiosity about pickups. He sought to learn more about them from Les Paul, a guitarist and inventor, and later from Seth Lover, the inventor of the humbucker.

Duncan's passion for guitars and electronics, combined with his innate perfect pitch, led him to experiment with different metals, magnets, bobbins, wires, and assembly strategies to understand how each change affected the overall sound. This constant re-engineering and innovation laid the foundation for the precise science behind the distinctive tones of renowned guitarists such as Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Slash, and Eddie Van Halen.

By the mid-1960s, Duncan had established himself as a pickup guru, and his reputation was confirmed when he received a message from Jimi Hendrix's manager, requesting a meeting with the legendary guitarist. Duncan created custom pickups for Hendrix, which were installed in his white Fender Stratocaster.

After working at London's Fender Soundhouse and collaborating with numerous renowned musicians, Duncan returned to the United States in the early 1970s. He wanted to create his own pickups rather than simply rewinding others'. In 1974, he sold a guitar for $800 and used the funds to purchase his first coil machine, marking the beginning of his journey in making unique pickups.

Seymour Duncan has since become a leading supplier of high-end, USA-made pickups, collaborating with top guitar companies and artists worldwide. The company produces a large range of pickups for guitars in various formats, including Humbucker, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, P90, and more. They also manufacture effects pedals and bass pickups, offering a comprehensive range of products for musicians seeking their unique voice.

Seymour Duncan Hot Rails are high-output single coil-sized humbuckers

The Hot Rails for Strat set includes a neck model and a bridge model. The neck model uses a strong ceramic magnet and overwound coils to deliver well-balanced humbucker tones for rock and metal. It provides fat and warm clean tones, and solos will have a thick, fluid feel. The bridge model delivers high output, loads of midrange harmonics, and an aggressive crunch that makes this pickup ideal for rock and metal. Chords are full and powerful, and single notes jump out with amazing sizzle.

The Hot Rails for Tele set includes a lead pickup and a rhythm pickup. The lead pickup uses a powerful ceramic magnet, dual steel blades, and overwound coils to provide a raw, heavy tone with amazing sustain. The rhythm pickup delivers a smooth tone for rhythm playing and fat single notes for lead work.

The Hot Rails pickups are hand-built in Santa Barbara, California, and come with a 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options. They are wax potted for squeal-free operation. Seymour Duncan offers a 21-day exchange policy for customers who are not completely satisfied with the sound of their Hot Rails pickups.

Seymour Duncan Hot Rails are available for Strat and Telecaster guitars

The Seymour Duncan Hot Rails are high-output single coil-sized humbuckers for the Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars. They are available as a set or as individual pickups for the neck, middle, and bridge positions.

The Hot Rails for Strat set will transform your Stratocaster into a fire-breathing beast with an unapologetic, mean sound and the power of a set of full-sized high-output humbuckers. The lead pickup uses a powerful ceramic magnet, dual steel blades, and overwound coils to provide a raw, heavy tone with amazing sustain. The rich midrange harmonics and tight low end give it a crunch that makes this pickup great for all types of rock and metal.

The matching Hot Rails Tele Rhythm pickup delivers a full, warm humbucker tone in a size that drops right into your stock pickup slot. It provides a smooth tone for rhythm playing and fat single notes for lead work.

The Hot Rails for Tele set is meant to be a drop-in replacement for American Standard Fender Telecaster-sized pickup routes. It comes with a 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options and is wax potted for squeal-free operation.

The Hot Rails for Strat set also comes with a 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options and is wax potted for squeal-free operation. The neck/middle position models will have the same output, wind direction, and magnetic polarity.

Seymour Duncan has been making pickups for over 45 years, and their Hot Rails pickups are some of their most powerful passive pickups available. The Hot Rails neck model uses a strong ceramic magnet and overwound coils to deliver big-sounding, well-balanced humbucker tones for rock and metal. Clean tones are fat and warm, and solos will have that thick, fluid feel. The dual-blade construction gives you ultimate string coverage, especially for notes that are bent on the highest frets.

The Hot Rails bridge model single coil 'rails'-sized humbucker delivers high output, loads of midrange harmonics, and an aggressive crunch that makes this a great bridge pickup for rock and metal. Chords are full and powerful, and single notes jump out with amazing sizzle. A Hot Rails in the bridge position will transform your Strat into a completely different instrument.

Frequently asked questions