Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

cherryblonde

cherryblonde

New member
Hi everyone, I'm brand new to the forum and want to see if anyone can tell me the tonal differences between the Antiquity 1 Texas Hot single coils and the Antiquity II surfers. Are they both alnico 5 magnets? They seem to be very similar in build and DC specs. The Texas hots don't seem to spec hot at all, so I really want to know mainly what the EQ differences may be? Does one have more mids, bass, treble? I wish there were sound clips. I have a set of SSL1's in my main strat and love them for the true strat sparkle but just want to try something else in my 2nd strat. It's a rosewood board American Standard from about 2008. Wouldn't mind a set a touch louder and more sustaining than the SSL1's. Thought about the fender 54's or 69's but my tech was spot on when he said the SSL1's would have more range and character than most (stock) fender sets.

Also considered maybe Alnico pro II's for neck/middle and an SSL5 in the bridge for those times when the band changes songs on stage and I end up with the strat for an SG or Les Paul song. I've listened to the clips and read a lot of reviews for those pickups already but any thoughts or suggestions there would be cool also! Thanks
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

The Texas hot is A2, and has a much darker personality. Its really the 'blues singlecoil', and will push the amp right where you get drive and saturation.....it will be easier with this pickup to emulate a well known Texas blues player - hence the name. The Surfers are much more open - more like a vintage strat tone where the mids are more polite and scooped.

Both sets won't really give you more output than the Ssl1's. In fact the surfers kind of are the Ssl 1 in voicing but perhaps more sweet.

The Ssl 5 certainly has more output, but a lil 59 or similar is going to be needed to get even somewhat close to Gibson type tone. The Ssl 5 is more like a slightly rounded strat but with a bit more grunt.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

cherryblonde said:
Wouldn't mind a set a touch louder and more sustaining than the SSL1's.
Click to expand...

The Texas Hots and Surfers won't be louder or more sustaining than the SSL-1. The SSL-4 or SSL-5 would be the usual "next step up", but they can be a bit dark, often recommended for the bridge only. Take a look at the Twang Banger APST-1.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Typical vintage style, alnico 5 Strat pickups, like the Surfer and the SSL-1, have nice round bass and a bright, bell-like but somewhat glassy treble tone.

It's a beautiful sound, especially for clean playing. If you're good you can get that Sultans of Swing, Little Wing, Lenny kind of thing going with them.

The Surfers seem to have a slightly fuller tone than the SSL-1. I've read that they are based on the '62 era Strat pickups which often had a little more output than the Fender Strat pickups made before 1962 and after 1962.

Over time, alnico 5 mellows and the treble gets smoother and a little less glassy.

The Texas Hots use alnico 2 which sounds smoother and less glassy than a new alnico 5 Strat pickup.

The Texas Hots also seem to have a little more mids and a slightly quackier tone than the Surfers.

I don't believe Fender ever used alnico 2 in their Strat pickups but Seymour chose alnico 2 for the Texas Hots to emulate the sound of an old Fender Strat pickup.

They do have some of that quality but they're smoother and quackier than any of the real 40 and 50 year old Strats I've owned: a '54, a '57 and a '63.

Of the two, I like the Antiquity Surfer best...but the Texas Hots are excellent too.

YMMV.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Cool, good feedback guys. Im glad the twangbanger was recommended, I was actually interested in it, after hearing a demo it sounded great in. I do have the tele mod on a push pull pot, so that could be fun in one of my strats. Just wasnt positive if the texas hots were alnico II at first. I guess that would be different for typical strat tones. Does a twangbanger or ssl5 take away much of that sweet strat sound of bridge/ middle? If I did an ssl 5 I'd do a tap on it. Man, today it was in my head to go texas hot, but not sure now! I do like traditional sparkley strat tones.
 
Last edited:
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Check out the five-two as well...these are my favorite strat pickups and might be the middle ground between your other choices.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Hello, Welcome. Best forums with more knowledge than any other place.
Wanted to second the TwangBanger as it has been mentioned a couple times here.
The TwangBanger is so good, I wrote 3 paragraphs on it. (probably bored the he'll out of everyone). It is wound loud, but with the copper plate underneath the pickup, instead of a dark loud pickup, I got the first Strat pup I have ever heard at that output that just plain sizzles. Then goes clean when turned down.
I had one in my HSS bridge-Seth lover, middle-TwangBanger, neck '69 fender. The TBanger sounds as loud and crunchy as my Duncan, obviously different tone wise, but big enough I bought a 2nd one to try in an all SSS Strat. I love them.
Just sayin',
SJ
 
Last edited:
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

I have the Texas Hot set and love them. I have another strat that just is begging for something besides stock fender fat 50s. I was thinking about the Antiquity II set myself. I have heard great things about them.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

What about ssl1 neck and middle with ssl5 bridge? How's that sound?
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

sounds great and is a proven combo. vintagey in the neck and middle with a hotter bridge that still sounds like a strat
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

I don't do humbuckers in strats I have them in my les pauls.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

I tried the SSL-9 neck and Middle with the SSL-3 and it was just to hot. I traded them in towards my Antiquity Texas Hot set love them but dont want a duplicate.


attachment.php
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

why would you try the stk9 in the neck and middle? good bridge pup but it is basically the noiseless version of the ssl3
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

ssl6 is the flat pole ssl5 and that makes a lot more sense
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Oh gosh I'm sorry yes ssl 6 neck and middle and ssl 3 bridge. I'm sorry lol. Yes I should have used the ssl 6 as a bridge and got ssl 2 neck and middle it would have been so much better. The ssl 3 was 16.9k single coil and just had to much power and noise.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

no need to appolgize man. simple mistake. i have a ssl3 and its a cool pup but bridge only for sure and not for everyone. the ssl6 has a better clean tone but still works great with overdrive. ssl2/ssl2/ssl6 is a great set
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

Anyway I swapped towards my Texas Hot Antiquity set and put them in my new American Standard Stratocaster. So my older blackie American Standard still has Fat 50s and a custom wound Texas Special with a 12.9k Gilmour wind.
It's the one still needs Duncans. I have them already in both Les Pauls and my other Strat.
 
Re: Strat players! Difference between Antiquity Texas and Surfers please?

That's really the set I am leaning towards. SSL 2 SSL 2 SSL 6 I already have the Texas Hot staggered set.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

gripweed
Psychedelic Strat vs. Antiquity Surfers
Replies
11
Views
160
jeremy
jeremy
gripweed
Looking for a "better" middle pickup
Replies
8
Views
79
hamerfan
hamerfan
S
Humbuckers for Mahogany Maple top HH Strat
Replies
4
Views
75
jeremy
jeremy
I
Newbie new build pickup questions for HSS configuration.
2
Replies
29
Views
283
illogical
I
T
Neck + bridge in parralel -- ssl-52/ssl-1 + hot for strat
Replies
5
Views
124
jeremy
jeremy
Back
Top