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Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Bridge Pickup Review

Open your ears to the Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Bridge—a time capsule of tone. But can its vintage soul truly ignite your modern sound?

  • Overall Rating
  • Build Quality
  • Performance
  • Value for Money
  • Design
4.4/5Overall Score
The Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Bridge Pickup features dual Alnico 2 magnets and a 10 kΩ resistance, delivering a vintage late-50s sound profile with woody mids and sweet upper harmonics. Its vacuum wax potting ensures stability against feedback, making it ideal for high-gain settings while preserving the guitar's original aesthetics.
Specs
  • Weight: 1 ounce
  • Dimensions: 6 x 3 x 1 inches
  • Material: Plastic cover, Alnico 2 magnets
  • Color Options: Cream cover with relic’d finish
  • Warranty: Not specified
  • Brand: Seymour Duncan
  • Model Number: Antiquity P-90
  • Compatibility: Gibson routes, Les Paul Special
Pros
  • Delivers a late-50s sound profile with woody mids and sweet upper harmonics.
  • High output with 10 kΩ resistance provides clarity and a honky mid punch.
  • Vacuum wax potting eliminates microphonic feedback for stable performance.
  • Easy installation into Gibson routes without modification, preserving original wood.
  • Aged aesthetic with lightly relic’d covers enhances visual appeal.
  • Compatible with various models, ensuring broad usability.
Cons
  • Not suitable for players seeking new instruments, as it excels in restoration projects.
  • Flipping magnet polarity is inadvisable, which may limit customization.
  • The wax potting reduces sensitivity, which could affect some players' preferences.

The Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Bridge presents dual Alnico 2 magnets, a technical choice yielding woody mids akin to the wisdom found in silence.

This 10 kΩ resistance tightens the low end, much like discipline strengthens character, while the vacuum wax potting serves as a stabilizing force against feedback.

The authentic late-’50s voice remains suspended in time, inviting the listener to hear how these historical specs manifest in the present.

Key Takeaways

  • Delivers a late-50s sound profile with woody mids, sweet upper harmonics, and tightened low end via dual Alnico 2 magnets.
  • Generates high output with 10 kΩ resistance, offering clarity and a honky mid punch that supports the mix.
  • Features vacuum wax potting that eliminates microphonic feedback, allowing for high-gain exploration without sacrificing tonal purity.
  • Installs easily into Gibson routes without modification, preserving the guitar’s wood through a standard soapbar footprint.
  • Displays an aged aesthetic with lightly relic’d covers and darkened hardware, visually mirroring its historic sonic character.

Fit & Dimensions

Should a craftsman seek to seamlessly integrate the Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 into their instrument, they will find the standard soapbar footprint, measuring a precise 6 x 3 x 1 inches, a harmonious foundation.

This compatibility, spanning Gibson routes to modern incarnations, allows one to serve the musician’s need for preservation, akin to honoring a sacred vessel without alteration. The braided push-back lead, humble yet sturdy, mirrors the virtue of reliable connection. Weighing a mere ounce, this component offers stability, a quiet reminder that even the smallest physical offerings can anchor the soul in service. While this component excels in restoration projects, it must be noted that the market also boasts best electric guitars available for players seeking new instruments.

Late-50s P-90 Sound Profile

The dual Alnico 2 bar magnets and elevated 10 kΩ bridge resistance function as the technological heart of this component, generating a field of energy that yields woody mids and sweet upper harmonics, akin to the spiritual resonance found in a life of discipline. This sonic architecture serves the ensemble, providing a tightened low end, a foundation of stability, and a honky mid punch that cuts through the mix. It offers the gift of clarity, ensuring every note supports the collective song. This bridge position acts as a servant leader, balancing power with grace, much like wisdom applied to service. While P-90s are the focus here, the market for best bass guitars has evolved to offer similar versatility and low-end punch for the rhythm section. Furthermore, these tonal qualities are often prioritized when determining the best acoustic guitars for professional recording sessions.

Vacuum Potting & Squeal-Free Performance

Beyond the harmonious richness of the magnets and coils, the physical stability of the component is secured through vacuum wax potting, a meticulous process that removes the air which separates the turns of wire. By stabilizing the internal structure, microphonic feedback, the howl of uncontrolled vibration, is silenced, a service that guarantees sonic purity for the attentive listener.

This wax insulation, akin to a disciplined spirit, grants the musician freedom to explore high-gain domains, or fuzz-drenched landscapes, without losing tonal clarity. Ultimately, this construction allows the player to serve the song fully, unburdened by the chaotic squeal of an unstable world. While this model is expertly crafted, those searching specifically for best acoustic guitars for beginners might need to look at hollow-body instruments instead.

Drop-In Installation & Routing Guide

Setting out upon the installation process reveals a design focused on preservation, allowing the standard soapbar footprint to occupy its designated space within the instrument’s body without demanding invasive modification. This respectful integration honors the instrument’s original form, much like a steady faith honors one’s foundation, requiring no new routing for Gibson or Epiphone routes.

The braided push-back lead wire offers a tactile connection to the past, simplifying the path to sonic restoration.

  • Standard Fit: Preserves existing wood, avoiding unnecessary alteration.
  • Simple Wiring: Braided lead guarantees a smooth, reliable connection.
  • Universal: Serves various models like the Les Paul Special.
  • Non-Invasive: Protects the instrument’s structural integrity.

While this pickup is designed for electric guitars, musicians seeking the warm tones of nylon strings will find the best classical guitars offer superior playability and sound quality.

Aged “Played-In” Vibe & Feel

Adorned with a lightly relic’d finish, the bridge pickup presents a visual narrative of history and endurance, reflecting a soul that has weathered the passage of time with grace. The darkened pole screws and aged baseplate offer an aesthetic of humble service, mirroring a life dedicated to quiet purpose rather than vanity.

Utilizing Alnico 2 magnets and vacuum wax potting, this component provides a stable foundation for others, ensuring feedback remains controlled even amidst high-gain environments. Its late-50s tone, rich with woody mids, resonates like a comforting hymn—a tribute to the beauty found in resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Cream Cover Plastic or Metal?

The cover is plastic. Its vintage aesthetic is achieved through hand-aging, a process applied to the plastic housing, pole screws, and baseplate to create a played-in appearance for those valuing authentic instrument restoration.

Which Pickup Height Screws Fit This Model?

Standard mounting screws are provided to fit this model. These components guarantee proper installation within a compatible route, allowing the user to set the pickup to their preferred height for peak performance and tonal response.

What Gauge Wire Is Used for the Braided Lead?

To facilitate installation for others, one requires the lead wire gauge. The provided data does not specify this technical dimension. For precise information enabling correct soldering, users are directed to consult the manufacturer directly.

Can I Flip the Magnet Polarity for Hum-Canceling?

It is inadvisable to flip the magnet polarity. The manufacturer’s specific aging process secures the magnets.

Modifying this assembly could damage the fragile components, compromising the pickup’s intended sonic characteristics and reliability for the user’s instrument.

Does the Wax Potting Affect the Pickup’s Sensitivity?

The vacuum wax potting reduces sensitivity, which helps one serve by ensuring a controlled performance. This process effectively suppresses unwanted microphonic feedback, allowing for a clean signal that remains stable even when utilizing high-gain amplification.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 Bridge, with its vacuum wax potting and 10 kΩ resistance, serves as a steadfast anchor for your signal, a reminder that spiritual resonance requires a stable foundation.

This pickup, functioning akin to a disciplined prayer, eliminates the squeal of feedback, allowing the player to find vintage clarity amidst the noise, proving that true tonal integrity is often a journey of meticulous refinement.

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