Antiquity surfer set

[Sinner1980]

Hi there,

My first post as a new member of this forum.
I've been looking for new pickups for my avri 62 strat for a while now.
I've decided that I want to order an antiquity II surfer set which seems very popular on this forum (now why would that be?).

Since I own a avri 62 in sunburst finish and want to get me a set of these pickups you might have guessed that I'm influenced by a certain John Frusciante; good guess!!!
Other influences are guys like Chris Duarte, Hendrix, Jimmy Page, SRV and a bunch of other guitar gods. I love playing blues,classic rock and some funky stuff.

Thing is that I want to keep my strat as if it would be a genuine 62 strat and as I've read these pickups are as close as you might get.
Before I pull the trigger on these fancy pickups I'd like to get some info about the options on offer. I could just order a regular set or I could go for the RW/RP and custom bridge set.
I'd like to hear some opinions including pros and cons on these options and my best bet are you good people of the SD forum.
Hope you can help me out,

Thanks!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

welcome to the forum!

if you want it to be as close to a real '62 strat as possible get three normal antiquity II surfers. no rw/rp and no custom bridge. old strats had three of the same pups and the surfer is as close to an early 60's fender strat pup as anything ive ever heard.

if you want humcancelling in the 2 and 4 positions get a rw/rp middle pup. on the old strats they only had three way switches so there was no 2 or 4 position. with the rw/rp middle pup youll get humcancelling which can be a very nice thing. the tone is a touch different but i actually prefer it with the rw/rp middle pup.

for the bridge pup, many people find that old strats bridge pups are thin and weak which is why there is the antiquity II custom strat bridge pup. it isnt all that much higher output but the tone is different, less high end and a little more mids. its a very nice pup but is not a vintage strat pup.

 

[Sinner1980]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

Thanks!

I really don't mind the hum that much so could live without the rwrp option.
I'm in doubt about that custom bridge though, a little more beef never hurts, does it?
Is it a big tonal difference? And what do you prefer?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

i prefer an alnico II pup in the bridge. this is what i use with my surfer neck and middle:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/1953_tapped_jb/

a little more beef doesnt hurt but there is always a trade off. if i could have a surfer with more mids, bottom and output and keep the glassy highs that would be sweet but it doesnt work that way. when you add mids, bottom and output you lose some of the highs. both are great in their own way. if i were you id' buy two normal surfers put them in the neck and bridge and see what you think. if you like the bridge then buy another for the middle. if you wish the bridge had more meat compared to the neck then get the custom bridge and move the other to the middle.

amsterdam netherlands?

 

[Gunny47]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

i prefer an alnico II pup in the bridge. this is what i use with my surfer neck and middle:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/telecaster/1953_tapped_jb/

a little more beef doesnt hurt but there is always a trade off. if i could have a surfer with more mids, bottom and output and keep the glassy highs that would be sweet but it doesnt work that way. when you add mids, bottom and output you lose some of the highs. both are great in their own way. if i were you id' buy two normal surfers put them in the neck and bridge and see what you think. if you like the bridge then buy another for the middle. if you wish the bridge had more meat compared to the neck then get the custom bridge and move the other to the middle.

amsterdam netherlands?

Wow I didn't know cats were putting that in their strat bridge spot. That must sound killer!

The surfers are really awesome pickups. The neck and middle (I can speak for) give you that perfect strat quack and chime. It's the strat tone that I hear in my head.

I use the Texas Hot custom bridge with my surfers neck and middle and to me it rounds out the set nicely. That bridge pickup is a little chunkier and rounder sounding than a surfer, but it doesn't sound out of place. Really nice combination with the surfer middle pickup. Super creamy! Not harsh but still has that old school vibe going. Very satisfied with my Antiquity strat set!

 

[uOpt]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

Jeremy said it but worth pointing out again: that fatter bridge pickup that SD ships isn't original and personally I don't like it, plus it hums more, too.

Looking at how many of those Custom Bridge Ants are available on Ebay used I have to question whether it's really the right choice. I mean they ship SSL1 sets with 3x vintage class, not 2x vintage and a SSL5. Why do it to the Antiquity sets of all things?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

its an option that alot of people really love. ask gearjoner he has the surfer/surfer/custom bridge set and loves it. i had that set for while too and its a really good set. not every one wants a vintage bridge pup.

Wow I didn't know cats were putting that in their strat bridge spot. That must sound killer!

it sounds incredible!!

 

[Sinner1980]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

@ Jeremy; Amsterdam Netherlands indeed.

I think I'll take my changes with the regular 'vintage-correct' set.
I can always swap the bridge out later on if I need to.

There's loads on offer on ebay fortunately. These sets cost a fortune over in Holland! I'll be ordering a set from the USA and save me some bucks (or euro's).

Thanks for the advice and I'll let you know how things work out; can't wait to try out!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

I also have a Fender AVRI '62 Stratocaster. I went with neck and centre Ant II Surfers and a Twangbanger bridge/treble pickup. This involved modifying the cabling and grounding of the Twangbanger. I also altered the selector switch and pots to my preferred spec. (Fender No-Load lower tone control operates on centre and bridge pickups. Push-pull switch under upper tone introduces neck pickup regardless of selector switch position. DiMarzio custom resistance taper volume pot.)

 

[uOpt]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

its an option that alot of people really love. ask gearjoner he has the surfer/surfer/custom bridge set and loves it. i had that set for while too and its a really good set. not every one wants a vintage bridge pup.

Is it known whether the Custom bridge Ants are awg42 high wind or are they awg43 like the SSL5s?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

they are not 42

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

I have the full Surfer set (with the hotter bridge pickup) in my main Strat that I built (maple/alder), and I love it. Evan Skopp himself told me after the last UGD where I played that guitar that he loved the sound of it (he didn't know they were Surfers or even SD pickups until I told him right after he said that...I really appreciated the compliment!!). I have it wired with a master volume and master tone, and a blend pot to add either the bridge or neck pickup in when it is not selected (so you can get all 3, neck+bridge, etc.). The neck + bridge actually sounds very close to a Gretsch Filtertron (and I have a 6120, I know what I'm talking about!)!

As far as keeping things totally authentic, remember that back then it's quite likely that the strings were a different gauge, and very possible that the G was wound. Everyone has their opinion, but I definitely think that these days a hotter bridge pickup on a Strat definitely helps balance things out, both volume- and tone-wise. I feel like if you have 3 of the same pickup, it will be hard to set the amp to get a good tone out of all 3 pickups...the bridge might just sound too thin, piercing, and weak. Also, if you're using a 3-way switch, you lose those great 2 and 4 tones...but then, you might as well get the RW/RP with the 3-way - if you're only using one pickup at a time, the RW/RP shouldn't affect the tone, and you have the flexibility of adding a 5-way switch and getting the hum cancelling if you decide to at some point.

I am definitely a traditionalist about guitars, and think that Leo got most stuff pretty much exactly right in the 50s, but, having said that, certain modern refinements, such as a hotter Strat bridge pickup, flatter radius, modern Tele wiring (without the "mud cap"), etc. were implemented and widely accepted for good reasons...because they make guitars work/play/sound better!

 

[freddarl82]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

I just picked up a set of Antiquity II Surf's a few weeks ago and put them in my new "62" Partscaster build with a '62 style alder body, mint green guard, mid-80's MIJ Squier 62-style neck (even though it's stamped that way, it's a 9 1/2 radius).

Really great sounding pups. Given my druthers, I would prefer NOT having a RWRP middle (as on my other two vintage-style strats), but I got a pretty good deal on ebay with this set with RWRP. I have the regular bridge, and it suits me fine -- I adjust the pickup heights of each pup to balance all three out, then wire my two tones to neck and bridge, so rolling off the bridge tone a little, when needed, takes care of any "thin" or "bright" concerns. As far as the "most authentic" argument vs. "tone I'm after" argument goes, by the mid-60's, weren't a lot of artists who were putting out those tones we crave playing non-wound G's on their "old" (staggered polepiece) strats? I think a lot of good music was made that way...

My preference? The Antiquity II surf set with standard bridge, non RWRP, .022 PIO cap, tones wired to neck and bridge, 5-way switch, fully shielded and star-grounded (eliminates most noise/hum concerns).

 

[Sinner1980]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

Since the prices of these pickups in Europe are absolutely insane I decided to order them from the US.
To avoid customs etc I'll order them one at a time and I'll take the extra shipping costs for granted. It's also a good way to spread the costs and not get my head kicked in by my wife...:naughty:

Anyway, I've just received the neck pickup and the packaging on this product is awesome (I'm studying marketing so forgive my excitement about the presentation of products).

I'm still not sure which way I'll be going with the middle and bridge pickup.
I have to say that I'm really tempted to get either the custom bridge or even the texas hot custom bridge...decisions,decisions

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

I am in Europe. I bought my Ant II pickups pre-owned. I found the price entirely reasonable.

 

[Sinner1980]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

Well, they're in my strat now...absolutely insane!
Great open sound and more mojo then the standard avri '62 set.
In the end I went for neck pickups in all positions; vintage style.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

nice. Love the sound in 2 and 4 when the pups are not rw/rp.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

I use the Texas Hot custom bridge with my surfers neck and middle and to me it rounds out the set nicely. That bridge pickup is a little chunkier and rounder sounding than a surfer, but it doesn't sound out of place. Really nice combination with the surfer middle pickup. Super creamy! Not harsh but still has that old school vibe going. Very satisfied with my Antiquity strat set!

I've not tried the surfers yet, but the Texas Hot Custom is the best Strat bridge pickup that I've ever heard!

 

[indie folk guy]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

Wow I didn't know cats were putting that in their strat bridge spot. That must sound killer!

The surfers are really awesome pickups. The neck and middle (I can speak for) give you that perfect strat quack and chime. It's the strat tone that I hear in my head.

I use the Texas Hot custom bridge with my surfers neck and middle and to me it rounds out the set nicely. That bridge pickup is a little chunkier and rounder sounding than a surfer, but it doesn't sound out of place. Really nice combination with the surfer middle pickup. Super creamy! Not harsh but still has that old school vibe going. Very satisfied with my Antiquity strat set!

+1 on the texas hot custom bridge that is my favorite bridge pickup in a strat to date. I prefer it to any Lollar or Fralin I've played/heard.

 

[Gypsyblue]

Re: Antiquity surfer set

My advice is to get the whole enchilada: Surfer neck, Surfer RW/RP middle, and Surfer Custom bridge pickup. Hum free performance may not seem important off stage, but get onstage with your neck, middle and bridge pickups buzzing like crazy under the lights and you'll readjust that thinking. It'll be a joy to switch to the buzz free neck/middle or middle/bridge settings.