help for ordering magnets for my Ants

[whitewave]

Hi,

I have a set of Antiquity in mt R8. I've gone through many boutique sets in the last year just to discover that I always prefer the Ants on my guitar. Just removed cover, I have a double white at the neck and a zebra at the bridge, finding two double white would have been perfect, but the guitar looks gorgeous even with this asymmetric bobbins color.
Removing covers improved the tone, it's just a tad crispier this way, I like it.

I love Ants, don't want to list all the boutique PAF replicas I bought and sold, but I feel I need some improvement on my tone.

NECK - I want it more even and airy. I want less spongy bass, I'd like it to be deeper. Anyway, the main issue being it's still a bit muffled.
BRIDGE - almost perfect, but I'd like just a tad more balls.

Working with pickup and screws eighth almost everyday, I keep a screwdriver sitting on my amp just for that.

Recently I tried changing magnets to another set of pickups and found that it could be a path to follow in order to "tune" my Ants.

I think I want to try:
- polished A2 magnets at the neck. Possibly the character will stay the same but the edges, both in highs and lows, could improve.
Should I order it magnetized or not?
- a couple of A4. I guess A4 sounds thinner (and I DON'T want that), but maybe could help at the neck. What's your suggestion? Rough casted or polished? Magnetized or not? I'll try A4 both for neck and bridge.
- a couple of UOA5. I guess that to order that from addiction fx I should add a couple of non magnetized A5, shouldn't I?
- maybe just a regular RC A5 just to test at the bridge, but I know that the added highs won't do it for me.

Best

 

[hamerfan]

Re: help for ordering magnets for my Ants

I think I want to try:
- polished A2 magnets at the neck. Possibly the character will stay the same but the edges, both in highs and lows, could improve.
Should I order it magnetized or not?
- a couple of A4. I guess A4 sounds thinner (and I DON'T want that), but maybe could help at the neck. What's your suggestion? Rough casted or polished? Magnetized or not? I'll try A4 both for neck and bridge.
- a couple of UOA5. I guess that to order that from addiction fx I should add a couple of non magnetized A5, shouldn't I?
- maybe just a regular RC A5 just to test at the bridge, but I know that the added highs won't do it for me.

Best

First all: all your mags should be magnetized or you need a magnetizing rig.

I have two sets of Ants, none of them with covers neither with the stock magnets. I like A4 and the full charged a2 in the neck, in the bridge i use a UOA5 and a RC a2.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: help for ordering magnets for my Ants

A4 is your best bet for the tone you're looking for.

If you order from AddictionFX, get their 2.36" roughcast for the neck, and the 2.50" roughcast for the bridge. (The 2.36" has a slightly higher articulation)

HTH,

PS: I'm quite happy with my UOA5 Ant set, but the bass in the neck p'up has a "spongy" quality I wish it didn't have. The bridge is just perfect for what I use it for.

Using a 500K pots in a '50 wired harness using Paper- or Film-In-Oil caps is of paramount importance, I may add.

HTH,

 

[whitewave]

Re: help for ordering magnets for my Ants

First all: all your mags should be magnetized or you need a magnetizing rig.

I have two sets of Ants, none of them with covers neither with the stock magnets. I like A4 and the full charged a2 in the neck, in the bridge i use a UOA5 and a RC a2.

Thanks hamerfan, useful infos here.


Ciao LtKojak

I definitely should try A4s in them, that's the starting point, but all the sets I tried and didn't like were in A4. Most of them were just brittle and harsh.
That's why I want to try polished A2 and UOA5 as well. Both should be closer to the original A2 setting, adding just that the missing ingredient I'm looking for. I hope at least.
You have a PM.

As for electronics. I have four CTS TVT pots that I've measured before replacing original ones. I've used the higher value one at the neck, I think it's 535k, something like that. Capacitors I'm using are the russian PIO caps that are available through ebay. I've bought three sets of different PIO caps, 0.22uF value, and with alligator clip I've done an A/B/C test. These russians were clearly the best of the bunch.

Thanks.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: help for ordering magnets for my Ants

all the sets I tried and didn't like were in A4. Most of them were just brittle and harsh

To have that experience, the only thing I can imagine that could've happened is that you got mislabeled mags.

The magnets *I* sell are... well, REAL A4s. And they don't sound neither brittle nor harsh AT ALL!

HTH,

 

[whitewave]

Re: help for ordering magnets for my Ants

To have that experience, the only thing I can imagine that could've happened is that you got mislabeled mags.

The magnets *I* sell are... well, REAL A4s. And they don't sound neither brittle nor harsh AT ALL!

HTH,

no, I don't think so, among these there are well know boutique examples. I guess it's something related to how pickup are designed.
Modern PAF replicas share a certain approach to emulate those sounds, that it's different from Seymour choice for Antiquities. Antiquities have a balance that I haven't found in any other PAF inspired pickup. They aren't super bright, but there's a nice clarity. They are warm, but even.
Other A2 based pickups I tried may be a better take on bridge, but are too muddy at the neck. Or if they have a nice clarity at the neck thanks to A4, they are way to brittle at the bridge.
Antiquities are almost there, just to be tweaked slightly.
Sometimes I think they cannot be considered PAF replicas, but this is based on the assumption that other PAF replicas reach THAT tone.
Anyway, my personal taste and my guitar play an important role in this feeling. I know many Les Paul connoisseurs that don't love Antiquities.