rail pickups, what are they?

i have seen rail pickups on the net, nut i have never actually tried one. i was wonderin do they sound different? if so how. what is there niche, are they all like high gain for metal or are they more versatile.

and also how do they work ( i understand normal pickups)

ohh and what is the difference betwenn dual and quad ones. and do they work as humbuckers

they function under high gain much better.

cool things about them, you can bend and never lose the note, because the rail picks up the vibrations everywhere.

dual ones, it looks like the humbuckers with two single coils together, with each having one rail on it. when in humbucking mode, they function like a normal humbucker. when switched to single coil, they function like a normal single coil. (no hum reduction) as for quad, they look the same, but have two rails on each half of the pickup. so even if they're switched to single coil mode, they still will have a humbucking effect.

sometimes thats desireable (i.e. metal) sometimes not. (blues, etc.)

The downside is, they're as ugly as sin :p

The Dimebucker is an example of a "rail" pup.

Originally Posted by: AkiraOk, so you thought of a worthy contribution to the thread, so why didn't you act upon it and put the pictures up yourself instead of making such an antagonising post?

because i didn't know what a rail pickup was just until i saw the picture magicninja just put up. i was thinking this was a rail pickup seriously. so here's my image contribution:

That is just a single coil with a cover I think. If not then it is a rail pup.

Originally Posted by: AkiraMy main point was there was no need to be so antagonising in your post.

You have a bad habit of making unhelpful posts.

well i'm sorry. it didnt seem mean to me. and yea, out of this whole forum, i'm the only person who makes unhelpful posts.

ahh ive seen them arnd before..thought they looked cool...rail pickups...sweet

so does anybody have any sound clips of rail pickups?

Originally Posted by: magicninjaThat is just a single coil with a cover I think. If not then it is a rail pup.

Those are actually "lipstick cover" pickups. Most famously featured on Danelectros, made out of... you guessed it, old lipstick tubes.

Wikipedia article

How interesting. It isn't a rail pup. Just a single coil in a lipstick tube.

Originally Posted by: pure

Come on "GT Legend"... you have 1k posts. Your here 9 hours a day. Does it not ever occur to you that your the only person on this forums who puts this kind of crap up?

To his credit I started the whole "Stupid" thread thing. I do my share of idocrity (see not even a word). I will say it needs to be cut down alot though pure. I hate even saying this in public but it seems it's out in the open anyway. When you come along a thread that has a serious question at the top, don't post unless you have something to contribute. Try not to pick on a post and harrass the poster which you do alot man. Now I hate to see anyone get banned or leave because they don't feel welcomed. Which is why I will ask you nicely to post good info to serious questions and cut down on using the smart mouthed smilies. Sure there are times for fun and I'm with that but like it's been said before there is a place for the funny stuff. Try to keep it out of the serious questions and this goes for everyone. Now lets everybody shake hands and be good.

ok so lets forget about the smileys and picture disagreement and get back to the thread plz :D .

so far the useful information, excluding pictures is

Originally Posted by: rockonn91they function under high gain much better.

cool things about them, you can bend and never lose the note, because the rail picks up the vibrations everywhere.

dual ones, it looks like the humbuckers with two single coils together, with each having one rail on it. when in humbucking mode, they function like a normal humbucker. when switched to single coil, they function like a normal single coil. (no hum reduction) as for quad, they look the same, but have two rails on each half of the pickup. so even if they're switched to single coil mode, they still will have a humbucking effect.

sometimes thats desireable (i.e. metal) sometimes not. (blues, etc.)

does anyone know anything else about them. do they, i dunno, give more midrange, or more deffined treble. or are these things particular to the pickup rather than the fact the pickups are rails.

also are they only used in high gain aplications? can they be made lower gain for blues or sumthin.

lastly has anyone got any sound clips.

any info would be apreciated :o