Tele Pups: Antiquity I Vs NoCasters - Technical questions

[The P-Man]

Hi,

I am currently looking for a replacement set for my 52 RI Tele after the bridge pup has become faulty. Generally I've been quite happy with the stock pups but figured this would be a good time for something new. Having tried an overwound Alnico V set of Bareknuckle pickups (8.2k at the bridge) I have come to the conclusion that I don't like the extra congestion that overwinding seems to cause in the mid-range.

Therefore, I think I am looking for something quite similiar in output to my 1998 52 RI stock p'ups. The Antiquity I's and the Nocasters stand out as good options - I realise that Nocasters have a mixed press but If you've heard the Greg V album then I think you'd agree they sound pretty good!

Perhaps someone could clear something up for me. As these pickups are both aiming towards the early 50s Tele sound why do they use different magnet types. The Antiquities come with AII magnets (the strongest type?) whilst the Nocasters use the weaker AIII? I would have thought this would make quite a fundamental difference to the tone?!

Any other opinion on good replacements would be gratefully received,

Thanks,

Pete

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Pups: Antiquity I Vs NoCasters - Technical questions

Hi,

I am currently looking for a replacement set for my 52 RI Tele after the bridge pup has become faulty. Generally I've been quite happy with the stock pups but figured this would be a good time for something new. Having tried an overwound Alnico V set of Bareknuckle pickups (8.2k at the bridge) I have come to the conclusion that I don't like the extra congestion that overwinding seems to cause in the mid-range.

Therefore, I think I am looking for something quite similiar in output to my 1998 52 RI stock p'ups. The Antiquity I's and the Nocasters stand out as good options - I realise that Nocasters have a mixed press but If you've heard the Greg V album then I think you'd agree they sound pretty good!

Perhaps someone could clear something up for me. As these pickups are both aiming towards the early 50s Tele sound why do they use different magnet types. The Antiquities come with AII magnets (the strongest type?) whilst the Nocasters use the weaker AIII? I would have thought this would make quite a fundamental difference to the tone?!

Any other opinion on good replacements would be gratefully received,

Thanks,

Pete

The lower the number the weaker the magnet, meaning the Alnico II are the weakest. For the most part the 50's tele's used Alnico 5 but there were a few that used alnico 3. As for the differences in the Antiquity I's and II's...the I's are made to sound like they are aged (alnico gets weaker as tome goes on), the Antiquity I's sound like a 50's Tele would sound today, the Antiquity II's sound like a 50's Tele Sounded in the 50's. If you are looking for a good 50's Tele vibe there are several Duncans out there but IMO you can't loose with Antiquitys...I prefer alnico II magnets, other prefer alnico 5, some people like to mix it up, and infact in my Tele I have an Alnico II bridge pickup (this helps with the ice pick highs as it is a tad more mellow that an Alnico 5 pup would be) and an Alnico 5 neck pickup (this helps with the fast that most Tele neck pickups can become real muddy). I hope this helped a bit...others will soon chime in, and hopefully you will get to hear fom Lew (he has owned and owns real 50's Tele's as well as new ones and is all about killer vintage Tele tone)!

 

[The P-Man]

Re: Tele Pups: Antiquity I Vs NoCasters - Technical questions

The lower the number the weaker the magnet, meaning the Alnico II are the weakest. For the most part the 50's tele's used Alnico 5 but there were a few that used alnico 3. As for the differences in the Antiquity I's and II's...the I's are made to sound like they are aged (alnico gets weaker as tome goes on), the Antiquity I's sound like a 50's Tele would sound today, the Antiquity II's sound like a 50's Tele Sounded in the 50's. If you are looking for a good 50's Tele vibe there are several Duncans out there but IMO you can't loose with Antiquitys...I prefer alnico II magnets, other prefer alnico 5, some people like to mix it up, and infact in my Tele I have an Alnico II bridge pickup (this helps with the ice pick highs as it is a tad more mellow that an Alnico 5 pup would be) and an Alnico 5 neck pickup (this helps with the fast that most Tele neck pickups can become real muddy). I hope this helped a bit...others will soon chime in, and hopefully you will get to hear fom Lew (he has owned and owns real 50's Tele's as well as new ones and is all about killer vintage Tele tone)!

That's really useful info, thanks a lot! Sounds like the antiquity's would be perfect if they help with taming the highs.

Does anybody know what magnets the 52 RI p'ups come with?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tele Pups: Antiquity I Vs NoCasters - Technical questions

That's really useful info, thanks a lot! Sounds like the antiquity's would be perfect if they help with taming the highs.

Does anybody know what magnets the 52 RI p'ups come with?

I belive that the Fender RI pups are Alnico 5...the alnico II really helps with the highs while still retaining the Vintage Tele tone...I love mine!!! A lot of guys here are using Antiquity II Surfers Alnico 5) in the neck and middle of thier strats and an Antiquity I (Alnico II) in the bridge so the the bridge is not so icepicky...it works and i like it too!

Lew will hopefully chime in pretty soon and he will be a much bigger help that me! He can also get Duncans for you too...at a good price! Not saying that there is anything wrong with the Antiquity stuff...because there isn't! But you caold also get some killer Tele pups from the standard line.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Tele Pups: Antiquity I Vs NoCasters - Technical questions

I compared real 1954 Fender Tele pickups, the Nocaster Tele Pickups, Antiquity I Tele Pickups and others in this thread: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=4044

I thought I knew alot about Teles before writing that thread but thanks to members here who suggested the Jerry Donahue Model and the Antiquity I's, I found the tone I had lost over 30 years ago when I sold my real '51 Tele. And the pickups that recaptured that tone for me are the alnico 2 Antiquity I and also the alnico 2 Jerry Donahue Tele lead pickup.

I compared the Nocasters and the Antiquity I's in the same guitar: my Fender '53 Reissue Custom Shop Tele. I felt that the Nocasters were very bright and twangy and sounded the least like the pickups in my real '51 Tele and the pickups that came in my my real ;54 Tele. I much prefer the Antiquity I's and would personally rate those, the Fralin Tele Stocks, the Fralin Tele Blues Specials and the Duncan Custom Shop models in my James Burton Tele over the Nocasters.

Lew