United States · Est. 2010
Railhammer
Pickups with a bar pole design on bass strings and adjustable poles on trebles. Articulate attack on low strings and crystal clarity on highs.
About the brand
Railhammer was founded in 2010 by Joe Naylor, who also founded Reverend Guitars. Railhammer's core innovation is the pole design: instead of six individual poles in a conventional humbucker, the bass strings (E6, A, D) have a continuous bar pole that increases magnetic coupling and articulation, while the treble strings (G, B, E1) have adjustable individual poles for precision.
The result is a pickup that sounds dramatically cleaner and more articulate on bass strings than any conventional humbucker — crucial for djent, progressive metal, and any style that demands clarity in low tunings. A conventional humbucker's individual poles struggle to couple efficiently with the wider vibration of heavy bass strings; the bar pole solves this.
Jeff Loomis and Yob have used Railhammer on their touring rigs. The Chisel is the flagship — a moderate output humbucker that delivers articulation over sheer gain. The Anvil is a higher-output version for more extreme applications.
Key facts
- Bar pole design on bass strings for maximum articulation in low tunings
- Combination of bar and individual poles in a single pickup
- Founded by Joe Naylor, also creator of Reverend Guitars
- The reference for progressive metal and djent
Iconic pickups
Chisel
Railhammer's flagship model. Moderate output with bar pole on bass strings for maximum articulation. For players who want clarity over raw gain.
Anvil
Higher-output version of the Chisel. Same bar-pole bass design but with more push for high-gain metal and more extreme tunings.
Hyper Distortion
Railhammer's highest-output model. Designed for extreme metal with a ceramic magnet and all the bass articulation the brand is known for.
Notable musicians
- Jeff Loomis · Chisel, Humbucker From Hell
- Yob · Anvil
- Chris Poland · Hyper Distortion
- Joe Naylor · todos los modelos