Dimarzio AIR Norton mod

[CarlosG]

Hi!
I'm not a fan of my Air Norton in the neck. I don't currently have the money for a new pickup. What modifications can I try with the Air Norton? I've been thinking about hex pole pieces. I'm also wondering if I can get a Norton if I put a metal spacer in Air Norton? Apparently Tone Zone and Norton are a popular combination.

 

[jeremy]

what dont you like about it?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

What do you not like about the Air Norton?

Yes, you can put a metal spacer and turn it into a Norton. It will be louder and fatter if you do so.

I personally feel the Air Norton likes higher value pots, and/or no-load tone knobs (or no tone at all, honestly). Otherwise, it can feel a little dull, especially clean. I recommend 500K and no tone, 1M vol/tone, or just plain 1M volume no tone if you feel like you need it.

 

[Top-L]

What do you not like about the Air Norton?

Yes, you can put a metal spacer and turn it into a Norton. It will be louder and fatter if you do so.

I personally feel the Air Norton likes higher value pots, and/or no-load tone knobs (or no tone at all, honestly). Otherwise, it can feel a little dull, especially clean. I recommend 500K and no tone, 1M vol/tone, or just plain 1M volume no tone if you feel like you need it.

How do you disassemble and change magnet in a dimarzio? I've looked inside one and it wasnt pretty. Do you have to repot the whole thing?

BTW, I think the Norton in the neck is really cool. Didn't like the air norton.

 

[jeremy]

if you change the magnet, you shouldnt need to repot anything as long as you put it back together tight. the coils arent effected so the potting should be intact

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, DiMarzios with Alnico magnets aren't usually epoxied into place like many of their ceramic pups, if that's what you mean.

Shouldn't need to repot it... BUT DiMarzio magnet dimensions are ever so slightly off compared to Duncan or Gibson magnets, I've found. So if you plan to drop one of those in, expect the pickup not to come back together as neatly.

 

[CarlosG]

what dont you like about it?

I can't say exactly which frequencies I'm referring to. This pickup is both dull in sound and can be very bright during the attack, with a bit of an icepick. I'd like a slightly more pronounced sound, without the icepick.
I can't say exactly which frequencies I'm talking about, because sometimes it happens that a pickup that's supposed to have a lot of treble sounds dark, and one that's supposed to have little sounds bright. I suspect it's a matter of the midrange.. I can't judge by ear; I either like the pickup in a given guitar or I don't. I don't like the Air Norton in this particular one. I like a creamy but clear sound without an icepick, with good note separation, and it sounds good in split or parallel mode, like a single coil with a slightly boosted midrange.
Maybe I should try the 500k with No Load Tone, as the guy above suggested. I'm curious how it will affect the Tone Zone, as I really like its sound, although a bit of brightness wouldn't hurt. With a neck pickup, I know it's not a linear result; sometimes it can open up the sound nicely, and it could fix some dullness.

 

[CarlosG]

I realized I couldn't do Norton. Air means there's no metal spacer on the screw polepieces, and the slug polepieces are embossed. So I could do a reverse half-air by adding a metal spacer under the screw polepieces. But I think I'll try hex polepieces first; that'll be the easiest mod.

 

[hamerfan]

The Air Norton was not planned as neck pup, but at one point DMZ used is as ‘a radically neat neck pickup’ whatever that means. IMO only very few bridge pickups work as neck (Sometimes it works with 24fret guitars or maple strats.)
Sell it (or try it as bridge pickup) and get a PAF Joe for an awesome combo.

 

[Chistopher]

The Air Norton was not planned as neck pup, but at one point DMZ used is as ‘a radically neat neck pickup’ whatever that means.

DiMarzio doesn't advertise most of their pickups as bridge or neck. HFH is a great example. It is definitely most commonly used as a neck pickup, but the advertising literature tries to goad you into putting it into the bridge of a bright guitar.

Which I think is a good idea on their part, you will sell more pickups (probably) if you don't box the customers into thinking they only work in one position

 

[jeremy]

i would not like a hfh in the bridge of anything lol oof!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I don't think I'd like the hfh anywhere, personally, LOL. I don't agree with the notion that a pickup has to be extremely bright to be clear.

 

[Sam SG]

I know nothing about them sound wise.
BUT am I the only one that instantly thinks of Ralph Cramdon yelling at Ed Norton on The Honey Mooners when someone brings up this pickup??