Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

[deuce241]

I have a Strat that I installed the SSL-1/SSL-1/SSL-5 setup in, and I LOVE it. Super vintage tone through my Deluxe Reverb. It's been my main guitar for many years. I picked up a second Strat a good while back (MIM), and I'm ready to make a change in the pickups. The stock ceramic pickups surprised me in that I didn't think they were totally bad (except maybe the bridge, ice pick tone), but I know it can be better. The guitar itself sounds great unplugged and feels almost just as good as my American.

I wanted a set of the Antiquity Surfers with the custom bridge, but I started thinking that maybe they're too similar to the SSL-1s. Not that that's a bad thing, but maybe it would be better for me to install another set that's still vintage but has a different flavor to them, if that makes sense. So I can have two strats that can cover more ground for different occasions.

So the other set of pups that sound great to me are the Eric Johnson signature set. From what I've heard and gathered, the EJ neck pup is still vintage, but warmer, more fluffy than the livelier Antiquities, and the bridge has that signature EJ twang. That's probably the wrong word to describe the bridge, but you get it. It's classic EJ.

Anyways, this post isn't really about which set is better, because I know they're both great and they're both right up my alley when it comes to taste in tone. I'd just like your opinions. Are the Surfers different enough from the SSL-1s to warrant having them in another Strat? Or should I go for a different flavor with the EJ set? What would you do?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

For another true single coil strat set with a totally different flavor, you could put the duncan vintage jaguars in the neck and middle and the hot jag in the bridge. Or if you want a really warm neck pup, you could put the mustang in the neck.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

I kinda like the Surfers: not as glassy but still very Stratty. Another one I love is the Five Two...it doesn't see a lot of love, but it is a great pickup, and my favorite true single coil. The EQ is more 'even' so it does more things well to my ears. But you still get that piano-like 'THWAP' on the low strings.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

I think the SSL1's are great in the neck and middle position. Almost as good as the Surfers.

Seems to me that my Surfers have a little more "body" and complexity to the tone, but the SSL1's are still excellent and 100% professional sounding.

When it comes to the bridge pickup I want a slightly stronger than vintage pickup...but not too strong. I want it to combine well with a vintage wound middle pickup but sound ballsier and have a thicker, more driving tone when used by itself.

I've used the Duncan JB JR and the Little 59. Both are very good but the JB JR. is a little too strong for my tastes. Used a neck model JB JR. as a bridge pickup and liked it too. But I like the Duncan SSL5 (so does David Gilmour) and the Fralin SP43 the most.

I've owned four of the Eric Johnson Strats. Two maple fretboard models and two rosewood fretboard models. For me they are a guitar that each time I've owned one I went from: "This is the guitar that I want to own for the rest of my life" to "This is a great guitar and I really should try to learn to love it" to "These pickups sound chimey but weak and without balls, and the guitar itself feels really stiff and I can't bend the strings as easily as I can on my other Strats."

Whereas I don't have to use an overdrive pedal with my other Strats, I found that using an overdrive pedal was almost a must with the EJ Strats. Which is not surprising...that's how Eric gets his soloing sounds too.

I'm a huge Eric Johnson fan and have been from the moment I first heard him. But I can't get comfortable with his gear choices for the way I play and for what I want to hear when I play.

Sounds great and works beautifully for EJ though.

 

[deuce241]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

That's the complaint I've read about these pickups, that they've got no balls. That's why I've been leaning towards the Antiquity Surfers. I'm looking into the Five Two.

@Lewguitar how does the Fralin SP43 compare to the SSL-5? Is it as hot, less hot, more compressed, etc?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

If you've got SSL-1/SSL-1/SSL-5, maybe try the Texas Hots as an alternative?

I believe the EJs are A3/A3/A5, right? You could try one of the boutique winders that does A3 too.

 

[deuce241]

Re: Antiquity Surfers and Eric Johnson signature pups

Do they still sound vintage like? The word I'm seeing used to describe them is "smoky." I'll look more into them.