tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

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buster

New member
Hello everyone, I put an antiquity for tele in my 62 reissue custom and it sounded too thick, odd I know. So I put it in my mahogany thinline instead and it sounds great. I put the alnico 2 pro for tele in my 62 custom tele(rosewood board) and it was a fair bit brighter (thinner) but nice. I would like to put one of the antiquities in my custom because they sound richer but I can't find enough info on the 55 tele bridge and the ant ll bridge. Had anyone compared the those 2 to the alnico ll pro bridge for tele?
I generally don't like things too bright or sharp but I need to fatten up the sound while getting more crispness and definition out of the sound.
I found the alnico 2 pro to sound more distorted or fuzzier too.
The guitar was bought used and came with a hot rails in the bridge which I wired to be tapped but it was still too dark.
Anyone have any clips of the antiquity 55 bridge or antiquity 2 bridge straight into say a deluxe or something else common?
Buster
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

I didn't feel that the Alnico II Pro Tele set had the tone I was looking for. To me it just wasn't a strong enough, ballsy enough tone. To polite.

I really like the Antiquity Tele pickups though - especially the alnico 2 Ant I set. It's bright and chimey and lively.

The Ant II sets are alnico 5 and brighter and deeper but not as midrangey. They have more of the classic bright, deep twang (with a little pick growl & squeek) when you shape the tone with you fingers and pick.
 
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Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

Thanks Lew, sounds like you are sort of recommending the ant ll over the 55. How you describe it sounds like what I am looking for. I was just a little concerned that the ant 2 is not too ice picky compared to the alnico 2 and perhaps not as fat. But it sounds like it would be a step up. I think the staggered poles will help too as I find that in my custom for what ever reason the D string is far quieter. Maybe the radius is rounder than my thinline or maybe the rosewood makes it more noticeable.
Buster
http://raveonstudio.blogspot.com/
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

buster said:
Thanks Lew, sounds like you are sort of recommending the ant ll over the 55. How you describe it sounds like what I am looking for. I was just a little concerned that the ant 2 is not too ice picky compared to the alnico 2 and perhaps not as fat. But it sounds like it would be a step up. I think the staggered poles will help too as I find that in my custom for what ever reason the D string is far quieter. Maybe the radius is rounder than my thinline or maybe the rosewood makes it more noticeable.
Buster
http://raveonstudio.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...

You should probably try the '55 set then. I don't have any problems with my Teles but if you're noticing a weakness in the volume of your D string the raised polepieces of the '55 bridge pickup will help correct that. Remember though that as you move the polepiece closer to the strings the tone of that string gets brighter as well as louder. It may be that I like the flat poles (and slightly thicker polepieces) of the non-staggered bridge pickups because I hear it as being less glassy bright and fatter and thicker in the mids. I can also move the whole pickup closer to the strings with flat poles whereas with raised poles, those raised poles get closer the strings when raising the bridge pickup body close to the strings.

The flat pole tone reminds me more of a Roy Buchanan tone (he played a '53 Tele with a flat poled bridge pickup and although he sometimes played to bright, generally he got a pretty fat tone) as opposed to the thinner but even brighter, even twangier tone of James Burton or Roy Nichols - James played with Ricky Nelson and later on, Elvis and Roy played with Merle Haggard.

Anyway, you won't go wrong with Antiquity Tele pickups. They're the best true single coil Tele pickups I've found. The Antiquitys are a little more money but well worth it. Much more mojo, more texture and more complexity to the tone.
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

True, AlnicoII pros are quite polite. But they rock socks for jazz. Jazz, blues and some rock. Those Antiquities are very nice though. I played a friends Tele with Antiquities, and I was quite rocked.
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

Thanks guys.
Could you tell me how the ant. 55 and the ant ll differ? From what I understand, the ant 55 is brighter than the regular ant1 uses different size magnets and is wound slightly less, so I'm guessing that it's kind of sort of in between the ant ll and the ant 1? Also it sounds like any of the antiquities are a step up from the alnico ll pro. In my thinline the Ant 1 has turned out to be a real nice surprise considering I bought that pickup for my 62 tele ri. Really different from the alnico ll pro. I have heard (not in my guitar) the fender original 62 reissue pickup and it was okay but slightly shrill. I wonder if the ant ll would be similar as it too is designed to be used in a 60's style tele.
Buster
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

Well the A2P was first made as a humbucker wasn't it? (It succeeds at that anyways:D)
If you like the Ant1 already, maybe try another different one like the Ant2. Ultimately you gotta take a leap of faith on your choice and hope it works. I was rewarded with my leap of faith. A2P neck/PearlyGates bridge in a strat sounds hella awesome.

BTW Welcome to the SDUGF!!11!1
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

Thank you for the warm welcome El C. I agree with your "leap of faith" perspective and I have taken many.
I think though it is also important to not just make a leap of faith but an educated leap of faith. I have been having some issue with my 62 reissue where the neck relief has been moving and I have to readjust it to take some relief out of the neck once a week/2 weeks. I thought it was going to be fine this last time but it seems to have moved again. This is also making the guitar sound thicker and darker so I will have to get the neck issue resolved now and reassess which pickup I will put in this guitar. Aargh.:banghead:
When I have everything sorted out I will post my findings.
Buster
http://raveonstudio.blogspot.com/
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

Well I ordered the Antiquity ll bridge so it should be here in a week or so. After I install it and play it for a bit I will post my findings. Still trying to deal with my neck relief issue and so far have had no luck. I can really hear the crispness disappear when the neck goes from straight to a little more relief.
Even having said that the Alnico ll pro is still brighter and thinner than the Antiquity l bridge.
Buster
 
Re: tele antiquitys and alnico ll proI

O.K. Well my Ant ll for tele is installed in my 62 reissue tele (bridge only).
It has a lot of the same basic character of the Ant l in terms of it's fat and smooth but it is somewhat brighter and snappier and chimier. Some might say it is twangier. It is on par in output with my ant l I think but it is not shrill as was my fear. It is brighter than the Alnico ll pro but it is thicker sounding at the same time. A definite step up from the latter. I would agree with others saying it has a touch less of a mid type sound perhaps slightly scooped in comparison with the Ant l. So far I quite like it but I won't get to using it live till the weekend though I may record with it by then. Next to the original fender 62 tele bridge pickup that I remember playing in a different guitar I would say it is smoother fatter and slightly hotter sounding.
I would love to here the Ant for 54 also out of curiosity and for the sake of comparison. Oh yeah I think my neck woes may be solved but I will wait longer till I trust that that is indeed the case.
Buster
 
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