Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

jones

jones

New member
I am in shock. My third Antiquity pickup died on me. I bought all three around the same time I believe. Was there a bad batch? I have been buying replacements, thinking I must have done something, but three in the space of a few years? They are all the same, I pick up the guitar one day, and one pickup is not giving any signal. It was working fine the last time I played, usually just the night before, but no sound. Then I take the guitar apart, and check the connections, all good. People online say to try re running the solder on them, it works, until it cools off and the signal goes out again. The first pickup I did lots of tinkering with trying to get it to work. The second two I just gave up on when re soldering didn't work. I love Seymour Duncan, and I know this is an extremely rare experience, if not unheard of. I'm about to send all three back to see if they can get to the bottom of it. If its something I did, I really want to know! So weird. I love these things in this guitar, I just want them to work for more than 5 years! I'm really beginning to think there was bad batch somehow.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

This is the first time i've heard anything bad about the ants.
Three bought around the same time going bad is an eyebrow raiser.
Being older, the warranty is gone, but I'd send em in anyway, just to know what the cause might be.
Did you use A multimeter to check everything?

"It works till it cools off" sounds like it might be a cold solder joint, is it shiny?
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

I am far from a professional in skill when it comes to soldering. That being said, I've replaced the board in my jtm45 with a turret board myself with no issues. I've swapped pickups out plenty of times, no issues. But these ants, I'm almost getting paranoid it's some kind of sabotage. My neighbors never complain. The solder looks as shinny as any other sloppy solder I've done that worked fine.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

I agree. Send it back for trouble shooting. It would be well worth knowing what is causing this problem. Who knows; maybe even though it's outside of warranty they'll hook you up. Did you per chance keep the other two pickups?
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Yeah, I've got them all still. I'm a bit of a pack rat. The first one, I had fantasies of of trying to unwind a bit and see if I could find a break on the outside of the coils. I don't remember how far along I got on that, but the ground lead is out of the eyelet. The other two I just tried running the solder again. I just need a middle pickup. If they sent me a new one, and kept the others for parts or rebuilding, not sure of the ethics of using used parts on a rebuild and selling as new, I'd be happy. But, I'd probably buy a new one to replace it, even after all of this, they sound so damn good.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Now THAT'S loyalty! I'd send at least one of them back, though.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Yes, loyalty is one of my strongest virtues, and greatest weaknesses. Maybe they just got a bit carried away with the aging process for a few days there?
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

it might be a strange short in the lead. Cut down 1/2 inch off the lead and measure again the DC. I doubt the coils have shorted out inside, though. If they're humbuckers, the cover might have come loose a bit, creating a short with the coil leads, but that's very unfortunate and also a bit unlikely. Just give them a call first before you send them over. Those guys are very knowledgeable and keen to help.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Pickups work or they do not...once they die they are dead.

If it works then dies then gets soldered then comes back then dies again the pickup ain't your issue...and if that's been the case 3 times the pickup ain't never been your issue.

Have you ever replaced the wiring harness in this guitar?

Maybe it's time you let someone else do some tech work to it?

Read the pickups with a meter and see what you get.

If a pickup shows a DC resistance and the magnet is not dead the pickup should produce sound but if there are other issues with the wiring, switches, pots,etc that can cause issues that to an untrained trouble shooter point to the pickups...
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

^ +1 for everything said above. I'd seriously be looking at a loose wire/bad solder connection. You NEED a multimeter, no questions asked. Check the pickup first, then go through the wiring checking where there should be continuity. The ouput jack is another prime culprit as it will often have a lot of torsion applied to it simply by rough plugging in/out.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

AlexR;3376652 You NEED a multimeter said:
+1. A multimeter is mandatory. Dead PU's are very rare; to be rewiring guitars and blaming the PU's for problems is, well...
Click to expand...
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

All input is appreciated. Last night I put one of my of my APS1's back in. All good. I triple checked all my other connections before coming to the conclusion it was the pickup. I have not put a multimeter on them, but it was pretty easy to test where the signal break was without one. I'll do the due diligence later today, and put my multimeter on it. I am not really happy to make this claim, and I am not sure it wasn't something I did some how. But it's not like this is the first time I've worked with a soldering iron, if you read my earlier posts. All the pickups were purchased around the same time from the same batch order at the same dealer.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Which Ants, anyway?

Strat pickups with proper vintage construction are always flimsy because the thin wire goes around the outside of the base. I had one of those DOA from a purchase recently (seller used newspaper to wrap them, not smart).
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

Antiquity strat, Texas Hot. I've lost two neck models and now, one RWRP middle pickup at this point. The first neck pickup died about a year and a half/two years after purchase. The second one died a few weeks ago, that would be about 5 years after purchase, and the third died a few days ago.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

I bought all three within the space of a week. When the first pickup died, I got the custom hot bridge to replace it. Then the other two died just recently.
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

jones said:
I bought all three within the space of a week. When the first pickup died, I got the custom hot bridge to replace it. Then the other two died just recently.
Click to expand...

You're the Reaper for Pick-Up Heaven! :omg:
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

I know, right? Perhaps my sweat has become unusually caustic recently. Maybe I should see a doctor. I don't see any melting on the pick guard....
 
Re: Worst luck with Antiquities ever.

jones said:
I'll do the due diligence later today, and put my multimeter on it.
Click to expand...

I've bought a lot of PU's, and would be lost without a multimeter. I'll think you'll find them to be pretty handy. I check every PU I buy to make sure it's working, so I can send it back if necessary. With HB's, you want to make sure both coils work. Plus you can test pots, as they have a wide tolerence limit.
 
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