Antiquity HB set magnet swap

T

thesjkexperience

New member
Hey, I haven't posted here in ages, but it have some Seymour signed Ants coming and thought this the best place to ask.

I know a few people hot rod the pickups with full strength Alnico 2 which is supposed to give a little more juice and clarity. What would happen if an Alnico 4 were put in?

I ask because some pafs had A4 magnets and I do not understand where A3 & A4 fit in though I have a slightly overwound set of A4 Strat pickups and they might be my favorite Strat set ever.

If anyone has links explaining the differences in humbucker magnets I am interested. I keep reading about unoriented magnets as well which I don't understand either as I thought by definition a magnet has to have two poles which implies direction?

Thanks,
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

#1. Do a search in this forum for a thread called "teach me about magnets". Another example of something that should be a sticky. I got tired of tracking it down and just copied the content into a file on my PC. Look for a post from blueman about the differences between each magnet.

#2. Considering the thought that was put into how the line of Antiquities are made to sound, it might be worth it to give them a shot just how they are before cracking open that pickup and voiding the warranty and return policy.


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Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

darthphineas said:
give them a shot just how they are before cracking open that pickup and voiding the warranty and return policy.
Click to expand...

+1. See what you have as a starting point. You may like them as is. If not, then you'll know what EQ direction you need to head to get what you want.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

Thanks! The thread darthphineas directed me to had a great post by bluesman335 which answered a lot of questions!

I was not planning on swapping right away since this is an older set that is unmodified and signed by Mr Duncan. I did order two P-90 sale kits from Stewmac that should arrive today. I bought two A2 kits and an additional set of A5 magnets. I am curious about putting A4s in the P-90s and/or mixing with the A2s with one of each, A2 & A4, in a P-90. It seems better to experiment with less precious pickups than Ants made by Seymour!
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

I have my Ant HB set modded with an UOA5 mag set with excellent results in my #2 335 copy.

I've found the original mags too smooth for my liking. The UOA5s kept intact the harmonic complexity characteristic of the Ants but added a bit of articulation.

HTH,
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

LtKojak said:
I have my Ant HB set modded with an UOA5 mag set with excellent results in my #2 335 copy.

I've found the original mags too smooth for my liking. The UOA5s kept intact the harmonic complexity characteristic of the Ants but added a bit of articulation.
Click to expand...

+1. The OP may find the top end of Ant's aged A2's too rounded, as some of us do, but he definitely needs to hear them stock to get a better idea how they sound in that individual guitar's wood.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

thesjkexperience said:
I am curious about putting A4s in the P-90s and/or mixing with the A2s with one of each, A2 & A4, in a P-90.
Click to expand...

Lindy Fralin is a big proponent of using A4's in his PAF's and P-90's, and they do sound good. Virtually all stock P-90's have two of the same kind of magnet, which is usually A5's. I like an A5/A4 in the neck slot, which gives a little more mids, and less low-end than two A5's. A4/A2 is going to be pretty warm, which would work in a bridge P-90, but you may want more treble in the neck slot. I also use an A5/A3 in the neck for warm woods, to get a brighter sound.

My 'go to' mag pair for bridge P-90's is an A8/A4; ample mids, firm low-end, moderate treble, and strong output so it balances well with the neck PU. I also use A8/A5, A4/A4, and UOA5/UOA5 in the bridge.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

Dig deep on the forum...Dr. Barlo has done a LOT of magnet swapping with Ants and has posted a lot of good info that is often backed up with clips or comparisons to other known pickups models.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

Very cool! I will look that up. The thing is I have yet to start building the guitar the Ants will go in :P I guess because of that I am curious as to what can be done. I suspect it will go into a Korina (white limba) Tele with maple binding and sawed off Tele bridge topped off with either a maple or maple/ebony neck, or if the P-90 flametop 1954 style LP I am building does not hurt my right elbow I would like to have a LP with humbuckers though I need to find some examples of LPs with just a wrap and the TOM & stop bar combo.

This winter I do want to try my hand at making a few single coil pickups for Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster and P-90s. I just got the StewMac sale P-90s with A2s and one extra A5. I will probably do a lot of experimenting with those (magnet swaps) as it seems they may be the easiest designs to do so.

In the long run it would be cool to have a Gold Top with HBs and a wrap and a flame top with HBs and the TOM stop bar combo. This is made easier due to not having to pay Gibson prices though it can still be around a grand to do a nice looking well equipped LP.

I love the sound and look of LPs, but I am 6'3" and it tends to look like a ukelele when I play it lol. I also damaged my elbow skateboarding in the 70s and my right arm goes numb when I play LPs with excruciating pain when I stop. I am hoping that since I wear my guitars higher these days the elbow will be less of an issue since Teles do not hurt.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

Hello,
+1 to blueman, Kojack, inventedfire guy, darthphineas. I use a Seth Lover with an A/5 mag bridge on four of my guitars. Even had a zebra S.Lover A5 made custom from MJ, who initially told me to try an A5 when my Seth was just a little too warm and not quite edgy enough. It is now my favorite humbucker for the bridge. On a strat I am trying a low output, with a lot of highs, SH-2 neck jazz pickup, again, in the bridge to get better balance with the rest of my strat's pup's.
steve b.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

SJ318 said:
MJ initially told me to try an A5 when my Seth was just a little too warm and not quite edgy enough.
Click to expand...

That's a common observation here. Ant's are held in high esteem here by many members, but some of us that have them find the high-end very rounded. It seems that a number of them get mag swaps, even if it's just a full-strength A2.
 
Re: Antiquity HB set magnet swap

This is remembering me that I've still pending on try the A8 magnet in a Seth Lover that our loved Kojak sent to me.
Still hadn't the time, but it's in my plan.
 
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