Railhammer has introduced its new Chisel/Bridge model pickup, which is aimed at hard rock and heavy metal guitarists.
The pickup uses a high-output ceramic magnet and 44-gauge wire, which helps it get its aggressive, thick tone, but with enhanced clarity. The rail/pole structure allows players to dial in a tight, percussive tone on the wound strings without the plain strings sounding thin or sterile.
Railhammer pickups, which are designed by Joe Naylor, feature rails under the wound strings for tight lows, and poles under the plain strings for fat highs. The result is clarity that is similar to an active pickup, but with the harmonic content and organic tone of a passive design.
Touch sensitivity, sustain and harmonic content are also enhanced by the extremely efficient magnetic structure and the elimination of any moving parts. The strong magnetic field also prevents any dead spots when bending strings.
Other features include universal spacing, a six-screw baseplate, four-conductor wiring (for custom wiring such as coil split, phase, series/parallel, etc.) and height-tapered rails, which contribute to consistent volume from string to string.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
