jazzmaster antiquity II pickups

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i know these threads can be a bit dry, but...

i just bought a nice little 90's MIJ jazzmaster off craigslist. here's my dilemma: i was going to go get the low output seymour duncan pickups on them (per the earlier discussions on this board, and the fact i can now hear with my own ears the crappiness of the stock pickups), but then the guitar guy i go to talked me into seymour duncan anitquity II jazzmaster pickups instead.

apparently, they build the pickups like they used to in the 60s, then they do something weird with magnets to age them artificially, and then they charge you more. but there's a place online that sells them for not that much, so the cost isn't that big a deal.

anyway...is my guitar crazy to recommend these? anyone have any experience?

― Mark Danjer (Danjer), Monday, 24 July 2006 21:45 (nineteen years ago)

my guitar doesn't talk, except when i go all frampton on it. i meant to type "guitar guy."

― Mark Danjer (Danjer), Monday, 24 July 2006 21:47 (nineteen years ago)

Unless you NEED your guitar to sound like it's been treated poorly for 30 years, get some Fender replacements from a Fender repair center.
John J has one of them right now, but I've called it.

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Monday, 24 July 2006 23:43 (nineteen years ago)

then they do something weird with magnets to age them artificially

Ha-ha. Don't they teach anybody anything in high school science class anymore? You want "aged" magnets? Hit them with a hammer until done to taste. But why would you, as the GZeus implied, is the real question.

― Urnst Kouch (Urnst Kouch), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 01:47 (nineteen years ago)

M--: if JJusten has spares, or GZeus backs out, and you arrange for them, I can pick 'em up on my way back to Chicago.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

John's store does ship. I doubt Fender is...prompt on their shipping of some random parts for a moderatly successful reissue.

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 07:12 (nineteen years ago)

it'd be more fun to pick 'em up, tho.

― gbx (skowly), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

i don't want your stinkin' help, gbx.

has anyone actually tried any antiquity pick-ups though?

guitar guy is trustworthy (geoff benge, for any chicago folk) and doesn't stand to make any money off my decision. he said he's installed both and thinks the antiquity's sound closer to a warm vintage JM sound than new American pickups.

― Mark Danjer (Danjer), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

I don't understand why people want a 'vintage' sound.
Why not a GOOD sound, or the sound of the guitars USED ON THE RECORDS people reference?

The AV pickups are wound under the tutilage of someone who has been winding pickups since the heyday of the JM.

They won't sound like old, mistreated, crusty rusty unpotted pickups.
They'll be more consistant pickup to pickup, they'll have virtually no microphonics, and they'll LOOK better(not rusty).

The Antiquities might sound better to him, but that doesn't automatically make them a better pickup.

What do you want? The sound of an old, crusty Jazzmaster, or a new Jazzmaster?
The AV pickups sound like the old Cure and Television records.
The Antiquities will sound like...old crusty Jazzmaster pickups pulled from an old crusty Jazzmaster.

Which do you want?

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Tuesday, 25 July 2006 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

i want it sound like the television records. your advice, duly noted.

― Mark Danjer (Danjer), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

No prob, man.

No offense to your bud, but I'm one of those dudes that gets sick every time he sees one of those Fender Relics.

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Wednesday, 26 July 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

**i want it sound like the television records. your advice, duly noted.**

You might not be able to get all that close without checking what amp set-up Verlaine used. I think he was using a Fender (don't know what model) with some kind of home-made preamp.

― Dr.C (Dr.C), Thursday, 27 July 2006 09:45 (nineteen years ago)

SDs are good pickups, but there are a number of custom winders out there that I'd recommend considering first, if there is a specific sound you want a set to nail. Wolfe of Wolfetone Pickups will work with you to design and wind pickups to the specs you'd like, and Jim at WCR is another great guy to deal with. Agree with Dr. C about the amp as well, this is more important to the tonal equation than a set of pickups.

― ALLAH FROG (Mingus Dew), Friday, 28 July 2006 05:49 (nineteen years ago)

I'd love to know on which songs TV used a Jazzmaster and which ones a Jag. He also occasionally used a Tele or a Strat in Television.

― Dr.C (Dr.C), Friday, 28 July 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

i was just reading some tom verlaine interview where he talked for a while about his set-up. basically said he played whatever guitar that he could get his hands on, becuase he was poor cheap. and that he only ever used guage 14 strings.

― Mark Danjer (Danjer), Saturday, 29 July 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

I use 12s. I found 13s too 'single minded' in their tonal spectrum.

― The GZeus (The GZeus), Saturday, 29 July 2006 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

i'm not sure that tom verlaine ever did use a tele or strat in television, however richard lloyd did. on RL's website (currently down) theres a link on there that goes in depth as to what gear they were using. in particular, much of the guitar tone is preamped by an echoplex set to no delay.

around the time of Adventure, TV was using a lucite dan armstrong guitar, if you can believe it. and the thing about heavy strings is 100% true- i have never known a band to be more bitchy about being in tune.

as for an amp- you want a silverface twin reverb. that is EXACTLY the sound of those records.

― reverend rock, Saturday, 29 July 2006 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

I read something where TV said that he had a Tele and a Strat around in the studio - I'll try and re-find it. Could be that he never used them. Lloyd was mainly using Strat, you're right.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Sunday, 30 July 2006 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

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