DiMarzio Air Zone VS Super Distortion

[LesPaulRules]

Has anyone compared these two pickups in the same guitar?

I actually like the Air Zone quite a bit, and would be curious how it compares to the Super Distortion. Their specs seem pretty similar on the DiMarzio website, though the SD has more output.
(I have an old Super D thats been hanging around in a box for years. Your comments will determine if the old soldering iron gets fired up). :smokin:

 

[wixedmords]

Re: DiMarzio Air Zone VS Super Distortion

The Super Distortion is a gritty HO old-school pickup that isn't too middy.

In comparision the Air Zone is much more open sounding, likely the most open sounding Dimarzio I can think of. The Air Zone is fairly evenly balanced but doesn't have the output of the SD.

I have each in different Jacksons, and they are much different sounding. A little more mids in the Air Zone, a little less mids in SD. The real difference is how open sounding the Air Zone is.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: DiMarzio Air Zone VS Super Distortion

They're very different. The AZ is an Alnico 5 magnet (obviously air gapped) so it's a far weaker magnetic field than the Super D, which is one of the strongest. The Super D has an oversized Ceramic magnet, brought up to the strings by two large threaded slug poles. So the Super D is all about obtaining a hot output from the magnet, and the AZ is more from the wind, with reduced magnetic strength.

The Super D is very thick and bricky sounding, very crunchy and aggressive. The AZ is smoother, and less compressed in the mids. So it's like having more mids and less mids at the same time, depending on your attack, and the tonal properties of the guitar.