Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
What is the history of Antiquity pickups? Were they and small old company that SD bought? Or just another line of SD pickups made to strict vintage standards/methods?
Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
- Thread starter Guitar Toad
- Start date
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Now, I'm afraid that this thread may reflect poorly on my reputation.
How long does it take to hand wind a pickup? I have visions of tying trout flys?
And if I get an Antiquity, it may have been wound by Seymour personally? Cool!
So they are like truly premium SD's!
Now, I'm afraid that this thread may reflect poorly on my reputation.
How long does it take to hand wind a pickup? I have visions of tying trout flys?
And if I get an Antiquity, it may have been wound by Seymour personally? Cool!
So they are like truly premium SD's!
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Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
To truly understand how the Antiquity series came about, you have to go back to when Seymour was a boy growing up on a farm in New Jersey. He used to collect Native American arrowheads and spear points. After awhile, he taught himself the art of flint knapping and started making his own points. By adopting the same methods and materials of Native Americans, and by doing things to the points that resembled the aging that a point would go through after been shot or tossed or buried in the ground for a few hundred years, Seymour eventually found that he could make points that, even to the trained eye, looked exactly like the real deal.
Now, take that same aesthetic. That same reverence to the past. That same believe that if you want to make an authentic reproduction, you have to use the same materials and methods as the originals, and translate it to guitar pickups.
Ever since he’s been making pickups, Seymour has been making aged reproductions. Up until the early ‘90s, they were only available to Seymour’s friends (read: famous friends) and direct from the custom shop. One of my first projects when I came on board SD in ’93 was to take all these pickup designs that he had scribbled on napkins and such and turn them into a real line of pickups with their own production space (the custom shop), team (SWD & MJ), brand, packaging, raw materials, etc.
The result: now any music store that is a Seymour Duncan dealer can also sell Antiquity pickups, which means you don’t have to buy them direct at custom shop prices. Also, the pickups in the Antiquity and Antiquity II series are the most authentic reproduction pickups. Period.
To truly understand how the Antiquity series came about, you have to go back to when Seymour was a boy growing up on a farm in New Jersey. He used to collect Native American arrowheads and spear points. After awhile, he taught himself the art of flint knapping and started making his own points. By adopting the same methods and materials of Native Americans, and by doing things to the points that resembled the aging that a point would go through after been shot or tossed or buried in the ground for a few hundred years, Seymour eventually found that he could make points that, even to the trained eye, looked exactly like the real deal.
Now, take that same aesthetic. That same reverence to the past. That same believe that if you want to make an authentic reproduction, you have to use the same materials and methods as the originals, and translate it to guitar pickups.
Ever since he’s been making pickups, Seymour has been making aged reproductions. Up until the early ‘90s, they were only available to Seymour’s friends (read: famous friends) and direct from the custom shop. One of my first projects when I came on board SD in ’93 was to take all these pickup designs that he had scribbled on napkins and such and turn them into a real line of pickups with their own production space (the custom shop), team (SWD & MJ), brand, packaging, raw materials, etc.
The result: now any music store that is a Seymour Duncan dealer can also sell Antiquity pickups, which means you don’t have to buy them direct at custom shop prices. Also, the pickups in the Antiquity and Antiquity II series are the most authentic reproduction pickups. Period.
F
Forbes
Guest
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Very cool, thanks for the background info. Evan.
Evan Skopp said:
Very cool, thanks for the background info. Evan.
Curly
Moe's Bluesman
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
both the production models and Custom Shop models use machines to wind the pickups ...
"hand wound" means that the winding pattern is guided by hand .. a recent post talked about "scatter winding". My understanding is that the subtle irregularities and randomness of hand winding cancels out some tendencies that production patterns can have, therefore, you end up with a more responsive, harmonically complex pickup
from what I saw at the factory, Seymour goes to great links to see that even production pickups have the highest quality, most "period accurate" materials, even in areas that aren't apparent until you look inside.
I know that the Seths are wound on the old Leesona winder from the Gibson factory, but Evan has indicated that, depending on demand, the other PAF type pickups have used it as well.
Even the production floor feels more like a "shop" than a "factory", and you would likely be surprised at how small the Custom Shop is.
OK, I've strayed from the topic, sorry.
FYI, I think Kellie posted a pic of the Custom Shop a while ago.
I haven't tried the HB's, but I have both tele and strat sets, and as everyone who has tried them has said, they are great "ultimate" pickups
both the production models and Custom Shop models use machines to wind the pickups ...
"hand wound" means that the winding pattern is guided by hand .. a recent post talked about "scatter winding". My understanding is that the subtle irregularities and randomness of hand winding cancels out some tendencies that production patterns can have, therefore, you end up with a more responsive, harmonically complex pickup
from what I saw at the factory, Seymour goes to great links to see that even production pickups have the highest quality, most "period accurate" materials, even in areas that aren't apparent until you look inside.
I know that the Seths are wound on the old Leesona winder from the Gibson factory, but Evan has indicated that, depending on demand, the other PAF type pickups have used it as well.
Even the production floor feels more like a "shop" than a "factory", and you would likely be surprised at how small the Custom Shop is.
OK, I've strayed from the topic, sorry.
FYI, I think Kellie posted a pic of the Custom Shop a while ago.
I haven't tried the HB's, but I have both tele and strat sets, and as everyone who has tried them has said, they are great "ultimate" pickups
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
WOW and thanks Evan!
Evan Skopp said:
WOW and thanks Evan!
Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Here's a post script to the story: In the mid-'90s, Indiana University awarded Seymour with an honorary degree in Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis in Flint knapping, the art and science of making stone tools.
Here's a post script to the story: In the mid-'90s, Indiana University awarded Seymour with an honorary degree in Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis in Flint knapping, the art and science of making stone tools.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Thats pretty damn cool!
Evan Skopp said:
Thats pretty damn cool!
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Seymour Duncan....Great pickups,great products,and a man of many many talents! Evan...The info you offered was very cool.
John
Seymour Duncan....Great pickups,great products,and a man of many many talents! Evan...The info you offered was very cool.
John
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St_Genesius
New member
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to say anything for fear that he was bieng serious. I didn't want to potentially call out as rediculous a man's ACTUAL biography...
I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to say anything for fear that he was bieng serious. I didn't want to potentially call out as rediculous a man's ACTUAL biography...
gripweed said:
gripweed
Jolvisologist
Re: Antiquity Pickups: What's the story?
Well I think the Antiquity stuff is probably accurate. I would hate to call out on him either if it was true. But I still think that Evan is having a little fun here. Maybe it's the History major and Anthropology minor that made me skeptical. lol
BTW have you noticed how quiet Evan has been lately on this thread
? Maybe he can set the record straight.
St_Genesius said:
Well I think the Antiquity stuff is probably accurate. I would hate to call out on him either if it was true. But I still think that Evan is having a little fun here. Maybe it's the History major and Anthropology minor that made me skeptical. lol
BTW have you noticed how quiet Evan has been lately on this thread
? Maybe he can set the record straight.
