Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

[ralpho]

Hi all!

My Mexican Fender Strat has lived for over 10 years with stock pups (*shudder*) in the bridge/middle slots, with a SD Hot Rails the only saving grace in the bridge position ( amazing when distorted ). Recently I decided to jump into the tone pond and do something about those top two pups, and so I got a set of SB Antiquity II Surfers for Christmas ( all 3 ).

As much as it pained me, I removed the Hot Rails so that I could get my surf on, across the board. What tone monsters!

So here's my problem: I'm not a tone guru, but it sounds like there's almost too much tone, especially in the bridge. I really like how the neck and middle have come out, but the bridge...I've tried all kinds of heights, but even when it's barely above the pickguard, it'll sound way too punchy in distortion ( like chicken wire...I can't get a good distortion out of it...even with a Mesa ) while it's admittedly thin on clean. It's thrown the whole balance of my guitar out of wack, and I can't even height it properly.

Could I have wired it wrong? If so, what would it sound like?

Since I like the surf tone of the middle RW/RP pup, I'm fine to keep the top two and reinstall my Hot Rails in the bridge.

When mixing Surf and Hot Rails, do I have wire the Hot Rails any differently?

My apologies for the long post - thanks in advance to any advice/opinions on whether I should keep the bridge as a Surfer or go back to my beloved Hot Rails.

Cheers,
Ralpho

PS. I play Punk, Hardcore, Ska, Surf, and Classic Rock, so that's the guitar I'm looking to end up with.

 

[Shibby]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

You've ispired me to play a little more with different pickup heights.
Try raising bridge surfer as high as possible - mine is almost touching the strings when fretted at ale fret. To my ears it gives lot of midrange and power to this pickup, after I did that it had tendecy to sound somewhat like you've described. But now it changed to really HUGE tonefull monster (I haven't ever expected that a strat pup might sound that huge...)

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

do you have the bridge pup connected to a tone control? if not, do it. it will make the pup sound less thin even with the tone all the way up and give you control of the high end.

if you really want to put the hot rails in there you may need to flip the middle pup to the neck and put the neck pup in the middle with the phase reversed on the hot rails to get everything to work right.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

I have one of these overwound Antiquity Surfers for the bridge, too. I also find it way too hot and not useful. I tried it on my harness with all kinds of pot values.

I don't come from a hot rails, though.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

I have the Surfers set in a Strat with the custom bridge also. I love everything about them. Very vintage sounding. I also have the Texas Hots in another Strat. I think I like the Surfers a tad better. They are both some of the best sounding vintage pickups I have heard. But as Jeremy said, connect the bridge to a tone pot it works.

 

[ralpho]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

Thanks for all of your responses, guys!

The tone pot question is an interesting one...I've noticed that since I put them in, the bottom tone knob doesn't sound like it does anything ( the upper tone works ) so I'll have to double check and try it out. If I can control the tone and still get a decent vintage crunch when partially distorted, I may indeed keep it in.

Jeremy, in response to your instructions on installing the Hot Rails, I just want to ensure that I have the steps right:
- Put RW/RP middle pup in neck
- Put neck pup in middle
- Put Hot Rails in bridge
- Reverse Hot Rails phase ( just swap the wiring? )

Lastly, with regards to heights in general...on strats, do any of you find that cranking the bridge up to its max is going "too far"? I read that if the pup is too close to the strings it can mess with the tone, but I must admit that I had no problems with my Hot Rails maxed out. Your experiences with this?

Cheers guys, I really appreciate your input!
- Ralpho

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

in reverse order

the magnets of the hot rails are at the bottom of the pup so jamming the pup right up next to the strings shouldnt mess things up. the pole pieces of a strat pup are the magnets and pull more on the string. you wont get wolftones from a bridge pup but you may get some wierd sounds if it is jammed really really close, then again maybe not. if it sounds good to you then run with it, if it sounds like poo then lower it.

thats what i recall having to do last time i installed a side by side single coil sized bucker with surfers but i could be wrong. the guy wanted humcanceling in the notch positions and had the wiring set to auto split the bridge bucker when used with the middle.

 

[ralpho]

Re: Antiquity II Custom Surfer Bridge vs SB Hot Rails

Hi all!

Thanks again for all your feedback and suggestions! My bro and I conducted the surgery on Sunday night... We hooked up the Surf Bridge Pup to the tone nob, but in the end, I still wasn't enthused with the sound I got when distorted.

We followed Jeremy's instructions to the letter and the surgery was a complete success!! I get no hum in any of the positions, great clean tone in the 5th, quacky country tone in the 4th, beefy vintage tone in the 3rd that's still great for surf when playing single notes, classic Strat chime in the 2nd ( I don't know what Skynard used, but when I play Sweet Home Alabama, it sounds exactly the same ), and a shredding rip-your-head-off distortion in the bridge, like a chained demon screaming to get out. So visceral!

I'm very excited to try more things with this versatile set-up. Based on what I've heard so far, I'd recommend it to anyone!

Cheers to all of you for helping me out!
Ralpho