Matching SD Antiquity pickups?

[jrcorp]

This is a RW/RP question, so get ready. I bought a pair of Surfers awhile back - a neck and custom bridge, used off a forumite. I recently picked up a Strat that I plan on dropping them into, and I'm almost 100% the stock pickups are ceramic, or else I would consider using one of them. But as it is I'm looking for a suitable middle pickup. I would love to get a RW/RP Surfer, but I doubt I could find one used and would also love to avoid spending full price.

 

There's a guy relatively local on CL selling a pair of the Texas Hots - neck and RW/RP middle. My thinking is that I could probably use one of them as a RW/RP in my Strat, but the question is will either work? I remember from reading up on the Antiquities that there's a difference in their construction, and sure enough the magnets are opposite polarity. They both apparently have "top-going" winding though, so I figure the only way to make one work would be physically flipping the Texas Hot "neck" pickup around. As I think about it though, I realize the pole pieces would be staggered backwards...

 

Is there any hope in trying here? Is there any more affordable way of finding a suitable pickup for quiet in the 2 and 4 positions? Thanks.

[PrawnHeed]

Turning it round doesn't change the polarity or phase.

[Wyatt]

Typically, SD and Fender PU's are reverse polarity to one another. So if you have a SD Bride and Neck PU, then a "normal" Fender PU would be RP to the SD's and RW is merely a matter of how you hook up the PU's. Typically you use a Fender neck PU for the middle posiion.

 

However, there is a caveat, I don't know if either the SD Antiquities or the Fender CS pickups follow the rules of thumb. This information should be easily found on the SD Forum.

[cratz2]

I have the Antiquity IIs in one guitar and in another guitar I have Fender 54s in the neck and bridge and an Antiquity in the middle as I wanted RW/RP in that guitar. Sounds great in all positions though the middle Antiquity is maybe 5 or 10 percent hotter than the bridge. Positions 2 and 4 still sound super dupity great.

 

As Wyatt mentioned, usually Fender and Duncan need to have their leads reversed. Not 100% how I wired them though they sound right. Pretty sure I reversed them though that was a few years ago.

[jrcorp]

Thanks for the tips, guys. Between magnet type and resistance/output I'm still searching. I believe the Ant II's are Alnico 5's? I can't find enough info just yet, though that shouldn't be too hard at the SD forum. But as for output... there's an older Fender pickup for sale on another forum, but with less resistance than my SD neck pickup. I feel like that would be tough balancing out? There's all of that, pole piece stagger, and most forum sales seem to be sets. Maybe eBay?

[diceman1000]

You can buy an entire set of Rose hand wounds for $60,$160 for his to of the line

[jrcorp]

 

You can buy an entire set of Rose hand wounds for $60,$160 for his to of the line

 

 

Thanks. While I appreciate the response and advice, I am aware of Ken's products and prices. Seems like every thread mentioning Strat pickups it's a guarantee that you'll be plugging Rose. They probably won't help me here unless I order a custom wound single. Thanks again though.

[diceman1000]

 

Thanks. While I appreciate the response and advice, I am aware of Ken's products and prices. Seems like every thread mentioning Strat pickups it's a guarantee that you'll be plugging Rose. They probably won't help me here unless I order a custom wound single. Thanks again though.

 

 

Just a suggestion, he really does make a very good product though that's why I"plug" them...

[jrcorp]

I appreciate it. If I had the cash I would buy all kinds of stuff, but as it is I got a decent deal on these. I would probably love Bill Lawrence's pickups too.

[jrcorp]

After reading up on Fender pickups, I believe the closest match would be a '57/'62 pickup. The trouble is whether it would compete with the output of the Antiquities - I'm not sure if the neck model could keep up, so maybe the bridge would be better. It's not easy finding specs for them.

 

...or maybe a Tex-Mex? Closer in output... I don't have a clue.

[Wyatt]

Well, looking at this ....

http://fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=599275

 

We get a mix of Fender polarities...

 

North vs. South Polarity Differences: CS 69 5.43k North Polarity CS 68 Left Hand 6.15k North Polarity CS 50 5.84 North Polarity (From '56 Strat CC) AmSe Bridge 7.61k South Polarity Tex-Mex Neck 6.39 South Polarity Tex-Mex Middle 6.47 North (RWRP) Highway 1 2004 All 3 5.88 North Polarity

 

 

As well as...

 

The 57/62 is reverse engineered from a 63 Strat (why didn't they call them 63 pickups?) and is south magnetic polarity and the neck middle and bridge are all the same with no RW/RP middle.

 

 

The "normal" SD Antiquities use South poles facing out magnets...so you want a North-up middle PU.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/1102409_08_10_a/

 

So a 57/63 is NOT RP to the Antiquity II's.

 

But accoring the the measurements above...these would be reverse-polarity to the SD's and around the same average output and are dirt cheap...plus I'm a fan of their tone.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=tex-mex+pickup+mid*&_sacat=0&_odkw=tex-mex+pickup&_osacat=0&clk_rvr_id=345557396276

[jrcorp]

 

Well, looking at this .... http://fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=599275 We get a mix of Fender polarities... As well as... The "normal" SD Antiquities use South poles facing out magnets...so you want a North-up middle PU. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage-output/1102409_08_10_a/ So a 57/63 is NOT RP to the Antiquity II's. But accoring the the measurements above...these would be reverse-polarity to the SD's and around the same average output and are dirt cheap...plus I'm a fan of their tone. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=tex-mex+pickup+mid*&_sacat=0&_odkw=tex-mex+pickup&_osacat=0&clk_rvr_id=345557396276

 

 

Thanks Wyatt, good to know - a Tex Mex middle is the one to look for.

[Wyatt]

 

Thanks Wyatt, good to know - a Tex Mex middle is the one to look for.

 

 

In theory.

[jrcorp]

 

In theory.

 

 

Honestly I had looked at a few on eBay before you mentioned them. The resistance seems to fit - a little higher than the neck pickup I have. It seems to fit the RW/RP role well, and the cosmetics are all right - stagger, flat-top pole pieces, parchment cover. I don't care as much about that aspect but it seems right.

[cratz2]

I would say in terms of how they sound, the Tex Mex set doesn't sound much at all like the Antiquity IIs or the Fender CS54s. I like the Tex Mex set... in fact, I've often said I think it's the most underrated set of Fender pickups, but they really aren't much at all like the Antiquity IIs.

 

By the way, the Antiquity IIs are Alnico V, but comparing them to say, Fender 69s, Tex Mex, 57/62s and 54s, I'd say they sound not much at all like the 69s or the Tex Mexes and in the same general ballpark as both the 57/62s and the 54s but still more similar to the 54s.

 

Honestly, other than a difference in volume and output, I really like all these sets and unless I was comparing them back to back, I could easily live with any of them in my #1 strat... I've either have them or have had them all... but I definitely prefer the Antiquities, 54s and the Fralin Vintage Hots to everything else.

[jrcorp]

From the little that I've read, the '54's are all the same polarity (North?) and don't take to drive/pedals well. They're also about as expensive as the Antiquities. I agree that the Tex Mex probably won't sound the same as the Duncans, but I figure it's an easy enough match to hold me over until I find another pickup I like. I had a terrible time finding something RW/RP (for me here) and affordable, so I bid and won on a Tex Mex today. Maybe I'll find something else soon, but I'm not worried about it.

 

I can't remember correctly, but I think I read somewhere that some of the CS pickups are non-RW/RP except as a stock set in certain models (or vice versa)? Either way, hopefully this finishes the set well for now.

[cratz2]

Yeah to further confuse the issue, of a given model of Fender pickup, some versions are RW/RP and some aren't. I know it's true for at least two sets of Fender pickups.

 

Yeah, like I said, I think pretty much any of the pickups I've mentioned, I could live with pretty easily.

 

I tend to buy pretty much everything used so that saves a bit of money and minimizes any loss of I decide to flip something.

[jrcorp]

 

Yeah to further confuse the issue, of a given model of Fender pickup, some versions are RW/RP and some aren't. I know it's true for at least two sets of Fender pickups. Yeah, like I said, I think pretty much any of the pickups I've mentioned, I could live with pretty easily. I tend to buy pretty much everything used so that saves a bit of money and minimizes any loss of I decide to flip something.

 

 

I'm hoping that if the Fender pickup doesn't sound as good to my ears, I can adjust the height to balance it out better with the Duncans. I'm imagining that it'll sound hotter or have a more biting tone to the Antiquities' sweet sound, so maybe lowering it more will brighten it up a bit? There's no way of knowing for sure until I drop them in, and I might not swap them until I've got a new set of electronics too.

 

I always buy used - I honestly can't remember the last piece of gear other than strings or other accessories that I bought new. It's probably something embarrassing like a MIDI controller or a 4-track tape recorder. But nearly all my gear is from either Craigslist or a forum, and I like it that way for the reasons you described.

 

Thanks for your responses, they're much appreciated.

[DaleH]

Tex Mex neck would be a better match tone wise than the middle. It may be revers to the SDs also.

 

Really like my Tex Mex neck pickup.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

Thanks Wyatt, good to know - a Tex Mex middle is the one to look for.

 

 

You buy any middle RWRP you want and reverse the polarity yourself with a $10 Neodymium magnet

[jrcorp]

 

You buy any middle RWRP you want and reverse the polarity yourself with a $10 Neodymium magnet

 

 

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought of that. I imagine it's not hard to find a write-up on how to re-magnetize a pickup. I'd feel safer trying that with a pickup that wasn't worth much to me just in case, but that's an option.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought of that. I imagine it's not hard to find a write-up on how to re-magnetize a pickup. I'd feel safer trying that with a pickup that wasn't worth much to me just in case, but that's an option.

 

 

I just get a plastic ruler, lay it over the poles and then slide the NeoD across the field with the opposing polarity and it'll change the polraity of the poles on a Strat or similar Dynasonic type singel coil pickup and then keep going and it'll fully recharge the magnets.

 

Takes 10mins

 

Modern NeoDs are powerful tho, so don't keep them stored near a ton of {censored} like credit cards etc, or try and store them on a piece of steel:)