Getting back on the Rails

[Happy Jack]

Back in the dim and distant past, in the days when I foolishly owned far too many basses (as if I would still do such a thing ... ahem), I bought this:

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20SOLD/Westone%20The%20Rail%201986%20SOLD/DSCF4244.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20SOLD/Westone%20The%20Rail%201986%20SOLD/DSCF4244.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Because it was cool as f*** and I was interested to know if the slidey-pickup thang actually worked.

Well the answer was yes, it did work very effectively, but that wasn't enough to salvage a truly crap-sounding bass. There was nothing [i][b]wrong [/b][/i]with the bass, as such, it was just really dull and dreary and gave me no reason to ever pick it up and play it, let alone gig it.

So I sold it.

Stupid of me really, because some fairly simple research would have revealed that my Rail had been retrofitted with an after-market Schaller pickup, and what's more a pickup designed to be fitted near the bridge where the string spacing is at its widest.

Played in my preferred neck position, the E and G strings were not centred over the pole pieces, and the Schaller seems anyway to have been pretty low sensitivity.

[Happy Jack]

Roll the clock (calendar?) forward a few years, and I bought this:

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%201985%20CURRENT/The%20Rail%20-%20body%201_zpsxs96b9au.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%201985%20CURRENT/The%20Rail%20-%20body%201_zpsxs96b9au.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Because it's is still as cool as f*** and I already knew that the slidey-pickup thang actually works.

Only now I knew what I'd learned in the meantime.

This one had the original pickup still in place, and sounded good enough that I actually gigged it, but there was plenty of room for improvement.

When The Rail was being designed, the Japanese guys responsible have long since admitted that they did it as a gimmick, never expected it to amount to much, so they skimped on the electrics.

What this bass needed was new and better electronics.

[Happy Jack]

And then I saw an advert here on Basschat.

And eventually, I ended up with this:

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%201985%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%20-%20take%202_body%202_zpsvswnsdag.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%201985%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%20-%20take%202_body%202_zpsvswnsdag.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

That's a Dark Star re-issue pickup (neck position) with new wiring to the new jack socket and to the volume pot too. I couldn't replace the volume pot because the size is unusual.

So this is now probably the best-sounding Westone "The Rail" in captivity. It certainly sounds WAY better than it did before.

[TheGreek]

There was one of these on eBay recently - advertised for around £500 IIRC - is this that one?

[Happy Jack]

Might be ... might be ...

[Joebethell]

Your right I never expected that!

[keefbaker]

I have been facinated with the idea of this, especially using it mid=song almost like a bandpass filter. You could probably bet some pretty textural stuff going on but still... there's that whole "needing a third hand or a very stiff gentleman" problem for that.

[ahpook]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1459433664' post='3016549']
[url="http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%201985%20CURRENT/Westone%20The%20Rail%20-%20take%202_body%202_zpsvswnsdag.jpg.html"][/url]

That's a Dark Star re-issue pickup (neck position) with new wiring to the new jack socket and to the volume pot too. I couldn't replace the volume pot because the size is unusual.
[/quote]

HJ, I don't know what to say....

I think I'll just stand up and applaud for a while.

That is awesome.

[HazBeen]

Nice one.

[TheGreek]

I'm surprised how well they hold their price considering how [s]ugly[/s] aesthetically unusual they are...

[Lightlyseared]

As used by Graham Lewis of Wire in the late 80s (dugga dugga dugga). The interview after this performance is one of the most toe-curling pieces of music telly ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g55U11h7dUI

[NickD]

Dunno about avoiding religion and politics... that is easily the most offensive thing I've ever seen on the forum!

... and yet somehow I desperately want one now! :0

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Can it play under the bridge ?

[elephantgrey]

Im trying to convince myself that i dont really want one.

[alyctes]

I've got one. I love it. Not as nice as HJ's, but still...