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New member here and new to the Eastman family. I just secured a 2018 SB59/V in Amber and it is awesome. I got it brand new in a shop that had it for 5 years, got it with tags and everything. Came with Duncan Antiquity pickups. The shop where I purchased it is going out of business and there are no other Eastmans around. I know they now put custom wound Lollar Imperials in their guitars. I’d like to know the general tone difference between the Antiquities and Lollars in this guitar. Other than one pickup set being potted and the other not, has anyone done a genuine comparison between the two? As the Lollars are custom wound and not available for separate sale, I have not seen a solid comparison video online. Can anyone comment on the true tone differences? Thanks!
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I can't help you on this one Rob, but welcome to the site and do hang around for the craic.
Alan
''Bad company done got me here …'' - Rev Gary Davis
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Putting this info here for future reference for anyone asking a similar question. After some email exchanges with Eastman and Lollar, I learned the following. The Lollar pickup is a little bit higher output than the Antiquity but they are very similar. Here is a description from Lollar on the pickups they wind for Eastman.
[align=start]“Lollar’s custom-designed Imperial humbucker pickups for Eastman feature alnico 2 magnets, which give them warmth and a soft attack character on the note. They offer moderate output and excellent string-to-string articulation. They have a present and punchy low end that doesn’t get muddy or mushy and a detailed high end that is clear and articulate without being harsh. They are very dynamic, reacting to player input and volume control settings very responsively, cleaning up nicely when playing softer or rolling down the volume pot. They are lightly wax potted for the optimal balance between tonal liveliness and resistance to microphonic feedback. Compared to the standard Imperial humbucker pickups, the ones built for Eastman are just a little mellower and darker, resulting in a warmer tone.”[/align]
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Congratulations on your guitar, I am sure you will love it.
Unless you are one of those people who are forever chasing something they haven't got (good luck to you if you are, by the way) I wouldn't spend too much time wondering about the differences between the Lollars and the SD Antiquities. I have the Antiquities in a T59/v and the Lollars in the SB59/v. I know they are different guitars and they do sound different, but I don't think about the SB59 when I am playing the T59 and vice versa. I love them both and use them both for everything. I think the description you posted is pretty accurate and, except for the last sentence, most of the attributes apply to the SD pick ups as well.
Remember, humbucking pickups should sound like beefy single coils and the SD Antiquities in particular, do exactly that.
The fact is that even if there is a discernable difference, one is not better than the other and you probably would only hear any difference in a side by side comparison. The guitar you have is capable of doing everything you want and more. The rest is noise.
Let us know your thoughts after you have had it for a while.
