Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

[MellowHoly]

Hello everyone, my boyfriend is a guitar player, too, and he tells me that he likes Seths and Antiquity but would use them only if he couldn't get a set of ThroBaks, and I am a Duncan fan, my tele has Antiquities too, and I'm satisfied with how it sounds, so l would like you to share your thoughts. I think that's not the best place for this thread, right? But please, try to be objective. I'd like just to know would it be noticeable in terms of sounding and how

 

[Seraphial]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

Hello everyone, my boyfriend is a guitar player, too, and he tells me that he likes Seths and Antiquity but would use them only if he couldn't get a set of ThroBaks, and I am a Duncan fan, my tele has Antiquities too, and I'm satisfied with how it sounds, so l would like you to share your thoughts. I think that's not the best place for this thread, right? But please, try to be objective. I'd like just to know would it be noticeable in terms of sounding and how

Ok, so I asked my friend who has actually gone through Throbaks, ReWinds, Wolfetones, Seths and Antiquities. This was his take on it:

Soundwise: it all came down to his setup, wind, magnet, etc. He has low output Rewinds which sound very sweet, Throbak PG102s which border that slightly raunchy tone, Wolfetone's that had that full strength PAF sound. In all honesty? If I played them he couldn't tell which was which most of the time, especially with distortion/overdrive. Slight nuances yes, but he was never definitive. In the end he settled on what he needed them for, as opposed to have too many pickups.

What the difference was: For him, it was the very accurate reproduction of Throbaks that made a difference. Having it wound on the Leesona, yadda yadda, made it feel very special to him. Could I tell the difference? Nope, but he's also a stickler for period correct harnesses with bumblebees, ABR1 bridges, etc. Each to their own!

 

[David Garner]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

I have never played Throbaks. I have played Antiquities. They are unreal. Amazingly good. I cannot imagine that Throbaks sound twice as good, but they cost twice as much.

Throbaks are fantastic pickups from all accounts. I don't mean to knock them at all. If I had a $6K R9 I might think it worth it to spring for a set, just to see. As it is, I'd rather have another cheap guitar to set up for slide. The Throbaks are literally more than a third what I have invested in my first Les Paul.

I'll stick with the Antiquities.

 

[GrilledChickenSalad]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

Hello everyone, my boyfriend is a guitar player, too, and he tells me that he likes Seths and Antiquity but would use them only if he couldn't get a set of ThroBaks, and I am a Duncan fan, my tele has Antiquities too, and I'm satisfied with how it sounds, so l would like you to share your thoughts. I think that's not the best place for this thread, right? But please, try to be objective. I'd like just to know would it be noticeable in terms of sounding and how

it's a personal preference.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

I have never played Throbaks either. But I've owned lots of Antiquitys, Seth Lovers, Tom Holmes, Lindy Fralin and real pafs from the 50's.

I have Antiquitys in almost every humbucker guitar I own, the exception being a set of Tom Holmes in my ES-335, a set of unmodified double cream Seth Lovers in a PRS SE Singlecut and set of RCA4 modified 59's in another PRS SE Singlecut.

What I've learned is that a set of Antiquitys, Seth Lovers or 59's modified with Roughcast Alnico 4 magnets makes for my favorite vintage style humbuckers of all time.

I prefer the Roughcast Alnico 2 magnets of the Antiquity to the Polished Alnico 2 of the Seth Lover.

But Roughcast Alnico 4 is now my very favorite and I've modified all but one set of the Antiquitys I own with those magnets.

I even have a set of 59's in a PRS SE Singlecut that have been modded with RCA4 magnets. They sound better, to me, than the unmodified Antiquitys in my other PRS SE Singlecut, but the RCA4 modified Antiquitys in my #3 PRS SE Singlecut sound best of all.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

throbaks are fine pups but im not spending that kind of money on a pup. a buddy has a set that sounds good, but so do rolphs, holmes, seths, antiquitys and plenty of others

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

I love the Antiquities I have, so there is no real reason for me to switch. But there are a lot of people out there who think $ always equals quality. Sometimes it does, but I don't think so in this case.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

With completely zero evidence, I really think it’s diminishing returns, and completely subjective and up to the player’s opinion.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

There is no objective way to compare pickups - given the usual ways of comparison are with tone/sound or value for money.....or any other metric that brings in a personal merit aspect.

The only objective aspect could perhaps be 'accuracy to a 50's PAF', in which Throbak wins hands down.


A separate aspect - many players who get their hand on either authentic 50's pickups or indeed accurate clones find them a little harsh and bitey. Generally speaking the top end is quite open, and many players are not ready for this. Especially given that most players have their amps setup for the modern low output pickups - that don't feature this.

 

[OLDERBUDWISER]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

Also with Throbaks you are paying for things that dont really affect the sound IMO. Those guys really go for the details, and those details are expensive while not being heard.

 

[Fiesta Red]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

I had a couple versions of the Throbaks, and I really didn't care for them at all. If I was going to spend that kind of $$$ again it would be for another set of Tom Holmes. Antiquities are wonderful pickups -- I have a set in one of my Les Pauls. I have a set of Seth Lovers in an SG. I'd take both of these options over a free set of Throbaks any day.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

Fralin

 

[chadd]

Re: Antiquities or ThroBaks. Objective opinions

Use whatever sounds best to your ear or you'll spend too much time trying to make something else sound like the one you like the most.