pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

[mig50]

i've got an antiquity II tele bridge pickup in the bridge of my alder body, maple neck/board tele and i'm looking for a neck pickup that will complement it.

i had a bridge model aIIpro humbucker in the neck position, but it just wasn't working out.

now i'm looking for a full sized humbucker that will sound good with the tele pickup (i need both pickups to sound good under the same amp settings, and if they sound good when used together that would also be nice).

i'm looking for a full sized humbucker, because that's what the guitar/pickguard is routed for. however, i am considering a p90 as well (a little routing doesn't really bother me).

i'm open to suggestions.

 

[Curly]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

since the Antiquity II is alnico 5, I'd say the '59 or Jazz should do nicely, and have a similar EQ to the bridge - that is, fairly bright

but, for the sake of reference, what didn't you like about the AIIPro?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

Personally, I'd go with an Antiquity LP Deluxe style mini humbucker. It should match very well with the Ant. II tele lead.

 

[mig50]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

but, for the sake of reference, what didn't you like about the AIIPro?

it was fairly dark/muddy, and just didn't compliment the bridge pickup at all.

it's a bridge model pickup, so i think that explains why it sounded that way. i put it in the bridge of another guitar and it blew me away.

as for your suggestions: i've found jazz pickups to be a bit shrill (unless i replace the a5 with an a2, which would defeat the idea of matching magnet types), but i'll definitely keep the '59 in mind.

benjy-i hadn't thought about minihums, simply because they wouldn't fit in the neck slot, but i'm sure i could fill in the pickguar with something to make it look halfway normal. thanks for the suggestion.

keep 'em comin!

 

[Kelsey]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

The mini-HB is a good suggestion that would only require a new pickguard. The Phat Cat neck pickup would drop right into your existing pickguard if you want a P90 tone, although it may be a bit hotter than your bridge pickup. I would think that the A2 Pro neck HB would be OK -- lower output than the bridge model you have -- but Curly's question is on the mark. I have an STL-2 Hot Tele lead with A5 magnets paired with a Fender Atomic II HB with A2 magnets, and they sound particularly good when combined, so mixing A2 and A5 can work out great.

BTW, I've never heard the Antiquity II Tele lead -- how does it sound?
I love my Antiquity I's.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

BTW, I've never heard the Antiquity II Tele lead -- how does it sound?
.

+1...I'd love some info as well. Thanks!

 

[Curly]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

The mini-HB is a good suggestion that would only require a new pickguard.

yup

SM-1 would be a good choice, or the Antiquity Benjy suggested

 

[mig50]

Re: pickup to go with an antiquity II tele bridge

after listening to soundclips, i'm leaning toward either a seth lover or an SM-1. they both sound very nice.

unfortunately it's going to be a little while before i'm able to purchase a pickup, so i guess i've got plenty of time to think about these things. so i'm definitely still open to suggestion.

as for those who asked about the antiquity II tele's tone...i've been thinking about this a lot today, and i'll do my best, though i'm not the best at describing these things.

it's a very bright sounding pickup. it's like it approaches the threshold of shrillness, but backs away at the last second. i suppose the correct term to use hear is 'glassy.' it also holds up extremely well under distortion. a bit of overdrive sounds great, but even under tons of gain it still sounds great.