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Duncan Antiquities

charliechitlins

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,023
My #1 Lester (Mrs. Jones) sports a pair of Duncan Antiquities.
I've only had this guitar for about a year, and got it when I was really jonesing for a classic Lester/PAF tone.
When I first saw this guitar, I did not expect to like it and actually only tried it out to be polite to the seller.
Well...It nailed everything I had hoped for, and I made it mine.
Recently, I had a chance to A/B this guitar with an ES-175 with a legit, unopened PAF.
Despite the vast difference in body style, I would NOT want to have any money riding on my ability to tell the guitars apart in a blind taste test.
Big props to Seymour.
 

Stephens

Active member
Joined
Dec 30, 2001
Messages
438
I’ve been listening to some clips of the Antiquity Humbuckers and they sound really good! They seem to allow the overdriven notes to come through with a little bit of clarity in the note at the same time. Reminds me of the Custom Buckers in my WW R8 that I really like. I might have to give these a try.
 

Al G

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2022
Messages
11
I remember a looong time ago on this forum a lot of people liked Antiquities and some claimed that putting different magnets in them made them sound even more PAF like. I wasn't a fan of the Antiquity bridge, but liked the neck pup vert much.
 

Stephens

Active member
Joined
Dec 30, 2001
Messages
438
I remember a looong time ago on this forum a lot of people liked Antiquities and some claimed that putting different magnets in them made them sound even more PAF like. I wasn't a fan of the Antiquity bridge, but liked the neck pup vert much.
I remember that as well. I don’t recall what they were swapping out the Alnico II with, but I do remember people were very happy with the results of the magnet swap.
 

guitplayer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
The thing I like about them is the consistency. They all sound the same.
A nice bell like sounding T-top in the neck and a bridge ant. is the way to go.
 

Al G

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2022
Messages
11
I remember that as well. I don’t recall what they were swapping out the Alnico II with, but I do remember people were very happy with the results of the magnet swap.
Seems it was full strength Alnico 5 and Alnico 4. Some liked one more than the other. Then again, it was a long time ago and my memory isn't what it used to be.
 

charliechitlins

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Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
1,023
I remember that as well. I don’t recall what they were swapping out the Alnico II with, but I do remember people were very happy with the results of the magnet swap.
Well... I'm comparing the Antiquities...the neck one, at least...with a 1958 PAF and I can't imagine how they could sound more alike.
I understand the need to tinker, though.
 

jb_abides

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Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,280
Seems it was full strength Alnico 5 and Alnico 4. Some liked one more than the other. Then again, it was a long time ago and my memory isn't what it used to be.

It was a big trend, peak discussion around 2000-2005ish, IIRC. And this isn't 'data' driven, it's just my remembrance. It makes me 'gulp' to think that was around 20 years ago.

This before the full-on boutique wave: Lollar, BareKnuckle, ThroBak, DrVintage, and more...

Pickups and amps kinda followed the homebrewing into gastropub into craft brewery explosion. We are entering the taproom phase :LOL:
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I pulled TroBak pickups out of an early 70s LPC and put Antiquities in. They sound way, way better to me. YMMV
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
Antiquities are as good as any boutique PAF style pickup out there. Some guys don't particularly like the degaussed A II magnets. Easy enough to swap out for whatever you like (I tend to like A IV myself), or simply re-gauss (is that a word?) it by holding a very strong ceramic magnet over the polepieces..

As far as I could see, SD was never about making PAF replicas. Sure, they can do it (and do it quite well) but they seemed more focused on developing new models with different sound characteristics.
 
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