Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

A

alkeys

New member
I am looking for a bridge bucker to match up nicely in an HSS strat with
Dimarzio Virtual Solo in neck and middle positions.

Would you recommend Super Distortion or Air Zone? It's going in a fairly bright Alder Hardtail with Ebony fretboard.

I want something that isn't shrill, has sustain and some top end sparkle for playing clean.

thanks
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

alkeys said:
I am looking for a bridge bucker to match up nicely in an HSS strat with
Dimarzio Virtual Solo in neck and middle positions.

Would you recommend Super Distortion or Air Zone? It's going in a fairly bright Alder Hardtail with Ebony fretboard.

I want something that isn't shrill, has sustain and some top end sparkle for playing clean.

thanks
Click to expand...

Tone Zone = P.O.S.
Air Zone = Tone Zone with space between the magnet. Get it? Super D craps all over the Air Zone!
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

SixStringSales said:
Tone Zone = P.O.S.
Air Zone = Tone Zone with space between the magnet. Get it? Super D craps all over the Air Zone!
Click to expand...

That spacing has enough of an effect that the AZ sounds NOTHING like the TZ. Unless you have personally tried the AZ yourself, which it sounds like you have not, don't knock it.

The AZ is a very cool pickup. It matches up well with singles and has a nice fat sound to it. The highs are warm but there. The clean tone is warm, warmer than the Super Distortion.

Both the AZ and SuperD split VERY well so if you wire them up to split in the notch position with the middle pickup, you'll still have that nice Strat quack.

If you want smooth, go with the Air Zone.
If you want crunch, go with the Super Distortion.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

ErikH said:
That spacing has enough of an effect that the AZ sounds NOTHING like the TZ. Unless you have personally tried the AZ yourself, which it sounds like you have not, don't knock it.

The AZ is a very cool pickup. It matches up well with singles and has a nice fat sound to it. The highs are warm but there. The clean tone is warm, warmer than the Super Distortion.

Both the AZ and SuperD split VERY well so if you wire them up to split in the notch position with the middle pickup, you'll still have that nice Strat quack.

If you want smooth, go with the Air Zone.
If you want crunch, go with the Super Distortion.
Click to expand...

I did try it. It sounded different I give you that, but still like the Tone Zone in too many ways. Didn't like it at all. Didn't bother splitting it so I don't know if that helps the sound.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

SixStringSales said:
I did try it. It sounded different I give you that, but still like the Tone Zone in too many ways. Didn't like it at all. Didn't bother splitting it so I don't know if that helps the sound.
Click to expand...

The Tone Zone to me is too fat, overbloated. It's good in basswood guitars or others that need some lows/low mids to fill them out though. The Air Zone sounds good in a wider variety, and is especially good in Strats. The airbuckering is DiMarzio's way of getting A2 type characteristics while using an A5 mag. It totally changes the sound of the pickup.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

I love the Air Zone. Had it in an ash Ibanez SA. Gave me Santana-ish smooth tone with moderate to high gain.
 
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Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

alkeys said:
I am looking for a bridge bucker to match up nicely in an HSS strat with
Dimarzio Virtual Solo in neck and middle positions.

Would you recommend Super Distortion or Air Zone? It's going in a fairly bright Alder Hardtail with Ebony fretboard.

I want something that isn't shrill, has sustain and some top end sparkle for playing clean.

thanks
Click to expand...
SuperD splits very well, but thats the only way youll get sparkle out of a superd. It'll clean up well with the volume pedal tho. Its a good bet for a not- spikey rolled treble tone in my experience, but it aint the most complex or expressive pickup out there. its gonna sound like a SuperD no matter what guitar its in.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

Thanks- I'm also interested in the Air Norton as a bridge bucker. I listened to some clips here a while back and it has a really nice clean sound. I'm afraid it might be too weak of output though to balance out my VV Solos in the neck and middle.

I also like the Norton but have been told it will be too shrill in a hardtail with an ebony board.

Any opinions on the Air Norton or Norton as a bridge bucker paired with my VV solos?

Thanks
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

I'd want to let the charecter of all that alder goodness shine through. I dont know what amp your using, but in general alders very balanced and your looking at pickups like the Norton and SuperD designed more to the likes of bright Floyd roses or hardwood guiatars which need to be tamed by really curtailing the personality of the insrument, or by others wanting a creamy vintage famous Les Paul sound.
Try an Alt8 in that Alder guitar< i doubt youll ever look back, especially with the stop tailpiece and the rosewood board; its gonna really let the charecter of the guitar shine thru and people like that Alt8 cause the highs are not shrill.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

I have Tone Zone in an alder RG that I love. However the Air Zone in the neck of the same guitar, I am still not 100% in love with.

YMMV
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

The Air Norton is actually a very nice bridge pickup with singles in the neck/middle. Definitely worth considering.
 
Re: Dimarzio Super Distortion or Air Zone

Just put a Norton on my maple Gibson. With the Air classic thats in the neck, it sure sounds great. Really smoooth!, yet defined!
 
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