1) It's backwards! The rails should be under the plain strings for bending, right?
No, they are not backwards. The rails produce a tight percussive tone, the poles a fat thick tone. If you reversed it, the wound strings would sound mushy and the plain strings would sound extra thin. Bending and note drop-out are not an issue, as there's no drop-out anywhere on the pickup, even on the pole side, due to the powerful/wide magnetic field. See question #10.
2) Do Railhammers sound good clean too?
Yes, they sound fantastic clean... very full, clear and with a nice chimey treble. It's our belief that a great pickup should sound amazing clean or dirty. Each model has different levels of clean available depending on output: the lower output Hyper Vintage is the cleanest, then the Chisel, and finally the Anvil.
3) Will Railhammers fit my guitar?
They will fit any guitar that has standard size humbuckers.
4) Do the chrome covered Railhammers sound different than the uncovered ones?
We use German silver (aka nickel silver) covers, which do not effect the sound as much as brass covers. But they do sound slightly different. The chrome covered versions have about 5% less output and treble, and about 5% more midrange.
5) Can your humbuckers be coil split?
Yes, and they sound great split! All our humbuckers are 4 conductor wiring with independent ground, so you can do all the tricks like coil split, phase, series/parallel, etc. Just Google "guitar wiring" and you'll find everything you need to know.
6) Do you offer left handed Railhammers?
No need to, Railhammers will align properly in either right or left handed guitars.
7) Do pinch harmonics work well with Railhammers?
Yes, they pop like fireworks! Because of the efficient magnetic structure, Railhammers are very responsive to
anything you do with your right or left hand.
8) There's no adjustable polepieces, should I be worried about uneven volume from string to string?
No, we designed the rail with a taper, so it compensates for the typical lower volume of the D string.
If you adjust the pickup according to the specs. on the TECH page, you shouldn't have any issues.
9) Do they sound like two different pickups? Do the rails sound like a single-coil?
No, the sound is cohesive and musical. They still sound like humbuckers, but with more clarity on the lows, a more balanced EQ, and more responsive feel.
10) Is there volume drop out when you bend a string between the poles and rails?
No, nothing noticeable. The magnetic structure is very efficient, due to the large diameter poles, and the rails
having a large surface area coupled to the magnet. So the magnetic field is strong and wide, resulting in no
significant volume drop out anywhere on the pickup.
11) How come you don't offer F-spacing, or different spacing for neck and bridge positions?
You don't need it. Railhammers have universal spacing that works with just about any guitar in any position, thanks to the oversize poles and long rails.
12) What kind of guitar do they sound good in?
We tested them in all kinds of guitars including solidbody, semi-hollow, hollow, bolt-on, set-neck, long scale and short scale, with great results. Railhammers are not overtly bright or dark, or peaky in any odd way. They work well in most any guitar. And yes, they sound great in low-tuned guitars.
13) What's better, alnico or ceramic magnets?
Neither is better or worse, just different. We choose one or the either depending on what we're trying to get out of a particular design. The type of magnet alone won't tell you what a pickup sounds like. The product description will.
14) I'm confused by all these terms like K Ohms, Wire Gauge, Alnico, Ceramic... which model should I choose?
These specs. are provided for informational purposes only. Despite what the music store guy or some internet forum geek claims, these specs. will NOT tell you what a pickup sounds like! We suggest you IGNORE the technical specs, and pay close attention to the product descriptions.
15) Is Railhammer an American company and where are they made?
Railhammer is an American company, and the pickups are designed in the USA. Our pickups are made by a South Korean winder, who we selected for their ability to build consistent, high quality, custom spec. pickups.
16) Well if they're not made in the USA, why do they cost more than other imported pickups?
One reason is they cost way more to build. The bobbins, rails, poles, and baseplates are all custom spec. non-standard parts requiring expensive custom tooling. Another reason is the design is patent pending, and patents aren't cheap! And we put a helluva lot of R&D into these pickups, and that's why Railhammers offer performance as good or better than any pickups made anywhere, USA or otherwise. That alone makes them worth every penny.
17) Who designed the Railhammer pickups?
Award winning designer and guitar industry veteran Joe Naylor (Reverend Guitars, Naylor Amps, All-Tone Speakers, StringDog Products, Armor Gold Cables). Railhammer is part of J. Naylor LLC, which is owned and operated by Joe Naylor.
18) What is the exact composition and type of wire, steel, magnet, wax, etc. that you use?
Sorry, we don't give out any additional technical information other than what is already on our website, as much of it is confidential.
19) Do you sell pickup parts, pots, capacitors, or any guitar parts?
Sorry, we do not sell any separate components or any other guitar parts.
20) Can you make a custom or special order pickup for me?
Sorry, we do not offer any custom, special order or modified products at all. We only offer what is shown on the website.
21) Do you sell direct?
Sorry, we no longer sell direct. Railhammer pickups are available through Dealers only.
22) I am a guitar maker or retailer, can I buy wholesale?
Please email us at sales@jnaylor.biz
23) Do you offer Artist Endorsements?
Yes, we are interested in working with nationally known touring acts. If you fit this description, please email us at sales@jnaylor.biz
