Help me find alternative to Antiquity Humbucker

S

Stavrose

New member
Hey all,

I'm really struggling with a decision. I have an open (zebra) SD Antiquity humbucker in the bridge of my les paul and I'm not happy with it for the following reasons:

1. The low end is limited - no power, no thump, and a bit mushy
2. The treble is too shrill - I think my les paul is quite bright which probably doesn't help

I want to replace it with an alternative humbucker, but I don't know which one.

Here is my criteria in a nutshell:

1. It needs to have more prominent and stronger low end than the Ant
2. It needs to be less shrill in the highs than the Ant
3. It needs to get me close to the tone of ACDC and Led Zep (not necessarily exact but close)
4. It needs to be potted and available in open zebra.

What would you go for and why?

Thanks!
Stavs
 
I'd recommend some options but A5 pickups arent gonna be any less bright.

A '59 or a whole lotta humbucker will have better low end. That part of the EQ problem is easy to fix.

Taming the high end while improving the low end is the tricky side of it.

If your guitar is too bright with a stock Antiquity then the '59 & WLH probably wont help that issue.
 
I like the '59 a lot for Led Zeppelin tones. I generally prefer single coils, so all 'buckers sound a little tubby to me . . . but the the '59 is not a dark pickup though. How much are you using your tone controls on the guitar? Is it '50s wiring, or a regular tone control setup?
 
A double thick A2 will beef up the Ant. A 59 would probably also work, it's a burlier wind than the Ant. You could mag swap it if needed.
 
GuitarStv said:
How much are you using your tone controls on the guitar? Is it '50s wiring, or a regular tone control setup?
Click to expand...

50’s wiring. Recently changed the bridge vol to a 250k pot and swapped that cap from a .22 to a .47. Made a bit of a difference but not huge. I need to roll down the guitar tone knob to around 5 or lower (depending on amp settings and which od pedal i^m using) to control the brightness.
 
Stavrose said:
50’s wiring. Recently changed the bridge vol to a 250k pot and swapped that cap from a .22 to a .47. Made a bit of a difference but not huge. I need to roll down the guitar tone knob to around 5 or lower (depending on amp settings and which od pedal i^m using) to control the brightness.
Click to expand...

There's the issue.

Ditch the 50's wiring and you'll get a much more usable tone knob and a slight roll-off of highs when turning down the volume. This would solve your issues with brightness without needing new pickups.
 
250K tone pot might help a bit also, especially with that .047 cap.

Certain Les Pauls really are super bright. One of mine is that way; its stock BB2 at the bridge sounded amazingly harsh.

Was intending to suggest an A6 magnet in the Ant, but I see you're leaning toward replacing it outright.

IME vintage-output Duncans tend to lean towards bright sparkly highs; in most cases that's a big plus.

You might consider the RioGrande BBQ. Rich & fat sounding, and heavily potted - excess treble isn't likely to be an issue.
There's still plenty of upper-midrange sizzle to stand well in a mix and they sustain beautifully. Big, chunky lows too.
A fairly muscular pickup, I'd call it vintage-plus output. Hotter than PAF, not as beefy as a Duncan Custom.
 
Stavrose said:
I think I’m ready for a change of pickup as opposed to mag swaps.
Click to expand...

I've got a bridge pickup in my epi LP that I had the custom shop wind for me. It's got an A5 brightness on the high end, the rest of the pickup is just how I ordered it.

it requires me to pick much closer to the neck at times.

One pickup I've heard forum guys mention having a "dark" top end is the Duncan brobucker. It will nail the ACDC really well. Check that one out.
 
If you don't mind it looking a bit weird and not being available in zebra, I'd say that a PATB-3 would fit the bill perfectly.
 
Stavrose said:
Hey all,

I'm really struggling with a decision. I have an open (zebra) SD Antiquity humbucker in the bridge of my les paul and I'm not happy with it for the following reasons:

1. The low end is limited - no power, no thump, and a bit mushy
2. The treble is too shrill - I think my les paul is quite bright which probably doesn't help

I want to replace it with an alternative humbucker, but I don't know which one.

Here is my criteria in a nutshell:

1. It needs to have more prominent and stronger low end than the Ant
2. It needs to be less shrill in the highs than the Ant
3. It needs to get me close to the tone of ACDC and Led Zep (not necessarily exact but close)
4. It needs to be potted and available in open zebra.

What would you go for and why?

Thanks!
Stavs
Click to expand...

Some Les Paul's can be super bright. Mine is and it has covered pickups. If I uncovered them it would rip my teeth out. I love it. I don't know how Gibson do it with a mahogany body and rosewood fretboard.

I'd try an overwound A2 like the 78. If that's too much beef try a Slash.
 
My first thought is a 59, followed by a Whole Lotta Humbucker. But my guess is that a 59 will solve every issue you have.
 
GuitarStv said:
There's the issue.

Ditch the 50's wiring and you'll get a much more usable tone knob and a slight roll-off of highs when turning down the volume. This would solve your issues with brightness without needing new pickups.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will consider this.
 
... but Angus Young and Jimmy Page obtain(ed) hefty tones from T-Tops or P.A.F.'s, not exactly beefier than an Ant' (which is supposed to clone a P..A.F., after all)... and Hendrix did the same with weak Fender SC's, way thinner and "clankier" than any HB. How is it?

Wiring schematics, magnets or pot resistance are certainly each a part of the answer and have already been evoked above.

Seems that another parameter to consider might be in what Bill Lawrence explained : http://www.billlawrence.com/Pages/Al...leandSound.htm

The third paragraph from the bottom is something to consider IMHO.

Taking all factors in account allows to do many things with passive PU's. It even avoids to appear as absurd to questions like this one: https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/th...rsion-strat-pu :7:
 
i agree with freefrog.
more beef/thumb and less treble for ac/dc or led zep?
doesn’t sound right, considering they both used t-tops at one point
i personally had always the opposite problem with my guitars to really nail an authentic ac/dc sound.
too much lowend and lil treble…
 
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