HELP!! Settle an argument Please!!

[gordon_39422]

Okay... so we have this obnoxious kid hanging around school. He graduated last term and insists on hanging around during class and distracting those of us trying to learn this material for the first time. At any rate this kid was financially backed by mom and pop and has boatloads of equipment.... He brought an older Steve Vail Ibanez to school yesterday and we pointed out the middle single coul slot had either a hotrail or coolrail and asked which it was. He said it was " a single coil cool rail." Unable to convince him that the double-wound pickup in the middle position was in fact a min-humbucker, we just abandoned the cause and left the idiot with a smug smile on his brace-face. He managed to throw in that "Seymour will build anything you request." So, witfout seeing the pup, I know this seems difficult, but any clarification would be sincerely appreciated.

[Evan Skopp]

Actually, the correct description of Hot Rails and Cool Rails is "Single Coil-Sized Humbucker." A true single coil only has one (single) coil, and our Rails pickups have two coils.

BTW, a "mini-humbucker" is a small-size, true humbucker, of the type found in some Les Paul Deluxes and Firebirds. Hot Rails and Cool Rails are not, strictly speaking, "mini-humbuckers."

So, I don't know who won the bet...

[gordon_39422]

I quess my semantics are a bit off, but his argument was that he did not have a double-wound pup onboard, and you can clearly see the two separate spools covered by the black ribbon.
WHen you say true mini-humbucker, is that like a P-90 soapbar? FOrgive my ignorance of humbuckers, I have been a single-coil advocate for some time. I have, however, been in te market for single-coil-sized-humbuckers such as the hot rails, cool rails, jb jr, and l'il 59. Thanks for your swift reply....

[Benjy_26]

The Cool Rail is indeed a single coil sized humbucker. If it bucks the hum and has two side by side coils, it's a humbucker.

BTW, SD will build anything you request through the Custom Shop, but a Cool Rail is a humbucker.

[Evan Skopp]

WHen you say true mini-humbucker, is that like a P-90 soapbar?

Actually, no. A mini-humbucker (or a Firebird pickup) looks like this:



I hope that helps.

- Evan

[Maniac-X]

The Cool Rails works like a humbucker because although it is the size of a single coil pickup, it has two sets of coils which can cleary be seen. I would not call it a mini-humbucker per-se, but it's not necessarily incorrect, as it does not produce the noise normal single coil pickups do.

[Rand-O-Monium]

Maybe he's got it wired as a single?

[Seraphial]

Maybe he's got it wired as a single?

Wouldn't that sound extra thin? Basically a small single coil?

[beandip]

No, cause if it's a cool rails, even split it's pretty good. Like a Vintage Rails but a single coil.

[gordon_39422]

Well, I appreciate all the feedback! I confronted him again, this time mono et mono, and he submitted to the logic of having a single-coil-sized humbucker. Even if he tapped it, it would still be a single-coil-sized humbucker, he would just be splitting it. I guess he just needs a slice of humble pie. His pride was hurt because as a graduate, he was put on the spot by a freshman.