Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

B

burgundy

New member
Hi.

I'm planning to replace some pickups in a Strat, and I want to get as rich and luscious on cleans as possible. I mostly play clean - tone-wise, I'm keen on things like Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, SRV's clean stuff (Lenny, Riviera Paradise). That kind of very 'Stratty', shimmery clean with a bit of punchy bounce to it, and without the cold clicky quality you can get with some Strats where there's no middle to the tone (I think this is probably what 'scooped' means?). Basically I like body to the tone, partly because I play clean and often play quite lightly, so I can't rely on gain to provide substance. The ping-y quality of Strats is wonderful when it has some weight, but I find it abrasive when it's just ultra-trebly without the solidity. I know plenty of people like that thinner Strat tone but it doesn't work for my style.

I realise there are various threads that compare these two pickups, but I have honestly read them all and they generally discuss slightly different things to what I'm asking, so I'm still unsure which I would likely prefer.

I'd be really grateful if anyone has any advice on which of these two has a more 'substantial' sound. I was thinking I would stick a Fat 50s in the neck and put the Duncan in the middle, I thought that would make for a nicely versatile instrument.

Thanks.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

The Surf Antiquities are indeed fatter and richer than SSL-1s, but they are also darker. With all of that extra midrange and low end, you lose a little shimmer and chime.

Very full strat pickups with a big piano sound to the low notes and are very, very solid. Think of Dick Dale's tone which is big and fat but has the rounded highs which allows his tremolo picking to be more clear and bold.

A real strong fundamental tone courses through the Surf Antiquities which give them lots of power without being harsh.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

burgundy said:
Hi.

I'm planning to replace some pickups in a Strat, and I want to get as rich and luscious on cleans as possible. I mostly play clean - tone-wise, I'm keen on things like Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, SRV's clean stuff (Lenny, Riviera Paradise). That kind of very 'Stratty', shimmery clean with a bit of punchy bounce to it, and without the cold clicky quality you can get with some Strats where there's no middle to the tone (I think this is probably what 'scooped' means?). Basically I like body to the tone, partly because I play clean and often play quite lightly, so I can't rely on gain to provide substance. The ping-y quality of Strats is wonderful when it has some weight, but I find it abrasive when it's just ultra-trebly without the solidity. I know plenty of people like that thinner Strat tone but it doesn't work for my style.

I realise there are various threads that compare these two pickups, but I have honestly read them all and they generally discuss slightly different things to what I'm asking, so I'm still unsure which I would likely prefer.

I'd be really grateful if anyone has any advice on which of these two has a more 'substantial' sound. I was thinking I would stick a Fat 50s in the neck and put the Duncan in the middle, I thought that would make for a nicely versatile instrument.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Based on what you're describing, the SSL-1 would be to bright and thin. The Ant. II Surfers would be first in line in terms of fatness and retaining chime. They have a lot of dynamic range and it's easy to be expressive with them. Next would come the Fender Fat 50's, they have the same voicing, but less dynamics. You get a full sound even if you pick lightly, I dislike that about them. Then the BKP Irish Tours, they very mid range oriented compared to other single coils in the same category, and have a nice growl. They compliment more aggressive styles of music. Finally the Lollar Special S, big, thick and loud, with a DC resistance in the 7k's. Single coils that have hotter winds beyond the Special S start sounding more like P 90's and less like Strat pickups. Of these four, I only kept the Ant II and the Irish Tours in guitars, I didn't care to keep the others around.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

burgundy said:
Hi.

I'm planning to replace some pickups in a Strat, and I want to get as rich and luscious on cleans as possible. I mostly play clean - tone-wise, I'm keen on things like Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, SRV's clean stuff (Lenny, Riviera Paradise). That kind of very 'Stratty', shimmery clean with a bit of punchy bounce to it, and without the cold clicky quality you can get with some Strats where there's no middle to the tone (I think this is probably what 'scooped' means?). Basically I like body to the tone, partly because I play clean and often play quite lightly, so I can't rely on gain to provide substance. The ping-y quality of Strats is wonderful when it has some weight, but I find it abrasive when it's just ultra-trebly without the solidity. I know plenty of people like that thinner Strat tone but it doesn't work for my style.
Click to expand...
Interesting note regarding your artist touchstones... Most of Gilmour's "classic" tones were recorded with stock late 60's/early 70's pickups, and SRV played and recorded Lenny and Riviera Paradise with a single, late pre-CBS Strat ("Lenny") which came from an era when Strat pickups were making some of the changes toward those Gilmour era pickups.

Like I mentioned, just food for thought, but my Strat with CS '69 pickups does a pretty great Gilmour and Lenny/Riviera Paradise. (The SSL-1s in my other Strat get me a lot closer to SRV's #1 tone)
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

zenmindbeginner said:
The Surf Antiquities are indeed fatter and richer than SSL-1s, but they are also darker. With all of that extra midrange and low end, you lose a little shimmer and chime.

Very full strat pickups with a big piano sound to the low notes and are very, very solid. Think of Dick Dale's tone which is big and fat but has the rounded highs which allows his tremolo picking to be more clear and bold.

A real strong fundamental tone courses through the Surf Antiquities which give them lots of power without being harsh.
Click to expand...

Thanks :)

so maybe if they were paired with something else the dark/shimmery balance could be struck in the notch positions? I was thinking of sticking the Surfer in the middle with a Fat 50s in the neck. I'm also thinking of the Lollar Blackface now, not sure which of the two it would replace though (I have a Fender Diamondback humbucker in the bridge).
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

DreX said:
Based on what you're describing, the SSL-1 would be to bright and thin. The Ant. II Surfers would be first in line in terms of fatness and retaining chime. They have a lot of dynamic range and it's easy to be expressive with them. Next would come the Fender Fat 50's, they have the same voicing, but less dynamics. You get a full sound even if you pick lightly, I dislike that about them. Then the BKP Irish Tours, they very mid range oriented compared to other single coils in the same category, and have a nice growl. They compliment more aggressive styles of music. Finally the Lollar Special S, big, thick and loud, with a DC resistance in the 7k's. Single coils that have hotter winds beyond the Special S start sounding more like P 90's and less like Strat pickups. Of these four, I only kept the Ant II and the Irish Tours in guitars, I didn't care to keep the others around.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Are you not a fan of the Fat 50s then? I just thought of those because of the emphasis I place on 'body', not because I have any particular experience/liking for them. I checked out the Lollar site on your recommendation and think maybe the Specials are a little too full - even clean the samples sounded quite crunchy, almost humbuckery. The next ones down though, the Lollar Blackface - they caught my interest, there's a guy on YouTube who does a nice demo with them, even plays Lenny.. any idea about those?
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

PFDarkside said:
Interesting note regarding your artist touchstones... Most of Gilmour's "classic" tones were recorded with stock late 60's/early 70's pickups, and SRV played and recorded Lenny and Riviera Paradise with a single, late pre-CBS Strat ("Lenny") which came from an era when Strat pickups were making some of the changes toward those Gilmour era pickups.

Like I mentioned, just food for thought, but my Strat with CS '69 pickups does a pretty great Gilmour and Lenny/Riviera Paradise. (The SSL-1s in my other Strat get me a lot closer to SRV's #1 tone)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. Hmm, yeah I gather a lot of people like the CS '69s. I figured I wouldn't because people always say how 'scooped' they are, I figured they would sound too sparse for me. Those SRV tracks almost define what I like Strats to sound like.. with a bit of Mark Knopfler. "Where do you think you're going" would be an illustrative one. Also, however much less 'cool' it's generally seen as, I really like Gilmour's later Strat sounds from "Division Bell".. the solo in "Poles Apart" really gets me.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

Most classic strat tones are the typical A5 pickup, wound to 6k or thereabouts. The amp being loud (with a bit of natural overdrive) is by far the biggest element to giving the body/mids and the eq-ing helping keep a lid on the highs.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

AlexR said:
Most classic strat tones are the typical A5 pickup, wound to 6k or thereabouts. The amp being loud (with a bit of natural overdrive) is by far the biggest element to giving the body/mids and the eq-ing helping keep a lid on the highs.
Click to expand...

Any particular pickups you'd recommend? Have you ever tried the Lollar Blackface?
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

burgundy said:
Thanks for the reply. Are you not a fan of the Fat 50s then? I just thought of those because of the emphasis I place on 'body', not because I have any particular experience/liking for them. I checked out the Lollar site on your recommendation and think maybe the Specials are a little too full - even clean the samples sounded quite crunchy, almost humbuckery. The next ones down though, the Lollar Blackface - they caught my interest, there's a guy on YouTube who does a nice demo with them, even plays Lenny.. any idea about those?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I missed your reply until this thread got bumped. I thought the Blackfaces where a little bright and harsh, and I eventually took them out. I'd go for either the Fat 50's or Ant II's. I had both these pickups in two guitars at one time, and went back and forth between them just to figure how they differed. My conclusion was the Fat 50's are louder and the Ant IIs seem more dynamic and versatile, so I'd get a set of Ant II's, unless you exclusively play high energy music. I still have the Ant IIs in a guitar, but I popped out the Fat 50's for greener pastures.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

DreX said:
Sorry, I missed your reply until this thread got bumped. I thought the Blackfaces where a little bright and harsh, and I eventually took them out. I'd go for either the Fat 50's or Ant II's. I had both these pickups in two guitars at one time, and went back and forth between them just to figure how they differed. My conclusion was the Fat 50's are louder and the Ant IIs seem more dynamic and versatile, so I'd get a set of Ant II's, unless you exclusively play high energy music. I still have the Ant IIs in a guitar, but I popped out the Fat 50's for greener pastures.
Click to expand...

Ah thanks. Tbh I generally don't play really high energy stuff, I'm more into playing softer, melodic shimmery stuff. Kind of folky blues noodling with a slightly classical bent, with lots of reverb and tremolo, that periodically gets a bit punchier, heavier and more obviously Fender-ish.

Ha it's really confusing trying to figure out pickups without being able to try them out. I had actually started thinking about the Blackfaces because I thought they'd be less harsh than the Fat 50s. I've heard around that the 50s have a gritty quality that's great for when you want a more 'Texas' sound but that doesn't really go away when you don't.. what I'd really like is a pickup combo that lets me go from SRV to Mark Knopfler with a flick of the selector switch, if that's realistic.

This guy does a demo of the BFs - the first minute or so sounds pretty sweet, but I guess he's playing softly.. do they get brash when you dig in?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJxey59H7uY
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

Lately my response to every time I need a pickup has been to look up the appropriate antiquity.

Some might think its stupid but so far it's worked...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

I´m not sure it will help you in your search, and someone will probably come on here and correct me if I´m wrong, but when I listen to Where Do You Think You´re Going I think he has the tone pot rolled back to kill the piercing highs.
And in terms of style / tone, a lot of his tone comes from the dynamics of his picking. i.e. there is a much smoother/sweeter attack to the notes by virtue of the fact that he uses his fingers.

(As for SRV I would say the eq of the amp etc. is set to balance the highs, but to be honest I haven´t a clue.)
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

Look at Suhr V60LP's.

I have them in my main gigging Strat and they are simply superb.
The notch positions are perfect Knopfler.
The neck is quite simply the best single coil I've heard in this guitar.

It's Alder with a maple neck by the way.

In my Rosewood necked Anderson I have Blackfaces , which I love but aren't as pretty sounding as the Suhrs.
I put this down to the woods.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

By the way. .
on 'Where do you think you're going' Knopfler's Strat had a Dimarzio FS1 in the neck position.
That pickup features hugely on Communique, which also happens to be my fave Straits album.
Lady Writer is my ultimate Knopfler track.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

wolf5150 said:
By the way. .
on 'Where do you think you're going' Knopfler's Strat had a Dimarzio FS1 in the neck position.
That pickup features hugely on Communique, which also happens to be my fave Straits album.
Lady Writer is my ultimate Knopfler track.
Click to expand...
Gilmour also had an FS-1 in the bridge of the Black Strat from 76 to 79, so think Animals (album and tour), solo album (and tour), and The Wall (just the album. Since that an SSL-1C (which became the SSL-5) has lived in the bridge spot.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

burgundy said:
what I'd really like is a pickup combo that lets me go from SRV to Mark Knopfler with a flick of the selector switch, if that's realistic.

This guy does a demo of the BFs - the first minute or so sounds pretty sweet, but I guess he's playing softly.. do they get brash when you dig in?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJxey59H7uY
Click to expand...

I definitely hear the harsh attack in of the Lollar Blackfaces in that video. Had I not played with them before, I might have blamed the mic, or the amp, but now I can more squarely place blame on the pickups. He starts digging in at 3:45 or so, ice picks everywhere.

It sounds cliche by now, but I think the Ant II Surfers are the best pickups for being slightly on the hot side of vintage. Some pickups are thin and bright, others are dark and fat, and then there's the Ant II Surfers. Another set to look at is the Bare Knuckle Pickups Irish Tours, they have a great sound and feel, but they are a bit darker and fatter.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

burgundy said:
what I'd really like is a pickup combo that lets me go from SRV to Mark Knopfler with a flick of the selector switch, if that's realistic.

This guy does a demo of the BFs - the first minute or so sounds pretty sweet, but I guess he's playing softly.. do they get brash when you dig in?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJxey59H7uY
Click to expand...

I definitely hear the harsh attack in of the Lollar Blackfaces in that video. Had I not played with them before, I might have blamed the mic, or the amp, but now I can more squarely place blame on the pickups. He starts digging in at 3:45 or so, ice picks everywhere.

It sounds cliche by now, but I think the Ant II Surfers are the best pickups for being slightly on the hot side of vintage. Some pickups are thin and bright, others are dark and fat, and then there's the Ant II Surfers. Another set to look at is the Bare Knuckle Pickups Irish Tours, they have a great sound and feel, but they are a bit darker and fatter. With darker pickups you lose access to the more vintage chime and quack, which is why you really need at least two Strats on hand, a hot wound one and a cool one with vintage PU's, like one with BKP Irish Tours and another with CS 69's would diversify nicely.
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

Watch "1963 Vintage Strato neck＋Relic Body" on YouTube
1963 Vintage Strato neck＋Relic Body: http://youtu.be/mjO9dUZr2Rw

Ice pick ? .... I don't think so !
 
Re: Which has the thicker, fatter, richer tone: Antiquity Surfer or SSL-1?

wolf5150 said:
Watch "1963 Vintage Strato neck＋Relic Body" on YouTube
1963 Vintage Strato neck＋Relic Body: http://youtu.be/mjO9dUZr2Rw

Ice pick ? .... I don't think so !
Click to expand...

Ice pick only when being dug into, but they have a sharp, biting attack almost all the time. I hear it in this video also.

You're right, they are not as pretty sounding as Ant II, and wood has nothing to do with it. I put my set in two different guitars, one rosewood neck and one maple, thinking that would help, but playing through them felt like a chore in either guitar. I had to figure out how to pluck string just right so that it wouldn't become piercing. They're a lot like Texas Specials in this regard, but where as Texas Specials have a unique upper mids voicing, the Blackfaces still manage to sound thin despite being hot wound.
 
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