Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

[Spyder328]

So I've been looking for pickups for my Fender usa professional hss strat (maple neck and fret board. Alder body). I have made up my mind on the neck and middle being antiquity surfers but I want something nice for the bridge. Something that has a nice vintage PAF sound but is versatile as well. Any ideas?

[gregory]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

If you want bright to keep up with your singles:
Screamin' Demon

If you want straight ahead PAF:
59, though you might look into the 59/Custom

[AlexR]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

Fender often used a PG based pickup for the (I think) Lone Star Strat. It was a bit hotter wind, but I think the regular PG might work quite well too.

[Spyder328]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

I also forgot to add that I have the fender S1 switch so I will want to be able to split the humbucker and have it still sound good with the antiquitys. The two pickups I've been thinking about have been the 59 and Pearly Gates but I'm not sure what the best option would be.

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

Both 59 bridge and Pearly Gates bridge jump into my mind. I personally would go for the Pearly Gates, but that may be a personal thing. Both are a good choice imo.
Go through some sound files and see which one you like best!

[Lewguitar]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

I think a 59 with a Roughcast A5 magnet or a PG with the stock Polished A2 magnet would be great choices.

An Antiquity bridge humbucker would probably be even better but it can't be split.

But I wouldn't care about that. No split humbucker will sound even half as good as those Antiquity Surfers.

[Ascension]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

59/Custom Hybrid hands down! Have that pickup in my modern player Tele with a Alnico II in the middle. The full bucker sound is open and clear like a good PAF if you roll the volume back a little but still can get nasty full on when needed with great harmonics. The tapped tone of the hotter custom coil is much closer in output to a real single coil than the weaker coils in a 59, PG and such and works really well with the AII I have in the middle to get a nice quack. Remember to use the RW/RP pickup if you have one in the neck and the standard wind in the middle as the Custom coil will be RW/RP to the single if you want humbucking in pos 2 and 4.

[Spyder328]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

I think a 59 with a Roughcast A5 magnet or a PG with the stock Polished A2 magnet would be great choices.

An Antiquity bridge humbucker would probably be even better but it can't be split.

But I wouldn't care about that. No split humbucker will sound even half as good as those Antiquity Surfers.

I have thought about that as well. But I'm not a fan of the aging of the pickup. I'd also want it potted and uncovered (as untraditional as that is to a paf).

59/Custom Hybrid hands down! Have that pickup in my modern player Tele with a Alnico II in the middle. The full bucker sound is open and clear like a good PAF if you roll the volume back a little but still can get nasty full on when needed with great harmonics. The tapped tone of the hotter custom coil is much closer in output to a real single coil than the weaker coils in a 59, PG and such and works really well with the AII I have in the middle to get a nice quack. Remember to use the RW/RP pickup if you have one in the neck and the standard wind in the middle as the Custom coil will be RW/RP to the single if you want humbucking in pos 2 and 4.

You know, I was thinking about the 59/custom hybrid just because of the custom coil for the split position. The surfer set comes with the middle pickup rw/rp, so would that be a problem if I used the custom coil?

[gregory]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

I doubt the middle and neck are different besides the RW/RP.

If they are then you just flip the magnet in the 59/C, connect the black to ground and green to hot. When splitting, connect the red/white to green (though I'd put a resistor between that connection, personally).

[Mr. B]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

Pearly bridge, Seth bridge, or 59. Anything else is going to overpower your singles by quite a bit.

[gregory]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

Anything else is going to overpower your singles by quite a bit.

A Screamin' Demon won't, nor will a Jazz or an APH.

[Mincer]

Re: Humbucker to match Antiquity Surfers in HSS american strat

A bridge Jazz or an Antiquity would be my choice. They should be versatile and work well tonally, too.

[cptl975]

Reviving this thread. Did anyone have a successful and happy solution? Spyder328 ?

I have the same question as the op. I want Surfers in neck and middle with the S-1 switch splittable humbucker in the bridge currently on the strat, maybe swapping that out later down the road.
However, I heard back from a SD support rep that they strongly advise against this. They claimed, "The Antiquity Surfers can not be paired with a split humbucker and be in phase. When splitting our humbuckers, the north coil remains hot (clock-wise wind). Because they opposite wind direction as our standard pickups, you can not put them in phase with another single coil pickup."

So I was a little sad and about to give up on Surfers for my HSS strat when I came across this post.

Any thoughts, recommendations?

Thanks!

[cptl975]

Following up: here's my wiring diagram on pg. 4 and pg. 6 has pickups polarity. It's just one of those newish ultra strats in HSS.

Any thoughts are appreciated!