I think Dimarzio AIR have way too much space

[Tone-Analyst]

I spent some time experimenting with gaps between magnets, and I think just removing the keeper bar and inserting tiny spacers is excellent to fix an edgy bridge pickup. However, removing the keeper bar AND also putting tapered slugs like Dimarzio does, creates too much space and weakens the pickup too much. Also making it lose too much definition.

Next thing I'm trying is a ceramic magnet with my aired bridge pickup, because I want to keep the edge on my neck pickup, but the aired bridge pickup is weaker so they're not balanced.

Another cool test was putting tapered AIR slugs in a neck pickup with the narrow tip pointing up. Made my muddy neck Air Classic much sharper.

 

[Aceman]

Interesting. Half-air...

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I personally wished they offered non-air versions of some the air models. Like the PAF 36th or the Fortitude I bet would KILL with the full-on A5 in contact with the screws/slugs.

 

[ehdwuld]

Hmm half aired
to me thats three normal and three aired sluggs

 

[ehdwuld]

I personally wished they offered non-air versions of some the air models. Like the PAF 36th or the Fortitude I bet would KILL with the full-on A5 in contact with the screws/slugs.

Wouldn't that be a PAF Pro DP 151 ?

 

[Aceman]

Hmm half aired
to me thats three normal and three aired sluggs

More like Half-full aired?

 

[Chistopher]

For your "inverse half air mod" how did you remove the slugs from the bottom, just push them out?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Wouldn't that be a PAF Pro DP 151 ?

No, the PAF Pro is a completely different pickup. The DCR is different, it has a brass baseplate compared to the 36th's nickel silver, it has an oversized A5 magnet, and it has a double row of allen screws instead of flathead screws and slugs.

Honestly, the only thing that's "PAF" about the PAF Pro is that it's wound roughly in the ballpark as PAF-types as far as DCR. I've always thought of the PAF Pro more like an Full Shred lite.

 

[Bowtomecha]

I’ve been thinking about 3d printing a spacer for the screws which keeps the air gap but has less material on the magnet side so the magnet can move over just a hair, and printing a thin cap/ring for the slugs to space them from the magnet.

 

[Anficht]

For reference, this is what DiMarzio's Airbucker tech looks like. Here with an Utopia neck model. Notice the narrow spaced Ceramic next to a regular spaced A5 magnet

 

[Tone-Analyst]

For your "inverse half air mod" how did you remove the slugs from the bottom, just push them out?

They are quite snug, the best is to make a wood spacer just a bit thicker than the length of the slug, then drill a hole a bit larger than the slug width. Then you can properly sit the coil on the spacer, line-up the slug over the hole, then push it out clean.

About the Utopia, it's a very recent model (2020). Surprised to see a narrow magnet with non-tapered slugs. These spacers are twice as thick as my Air Classic spacers. That gap between the bottom row and the magnet is massive !

 

[ErikH]

Somebody on here did half-air mods on a few like 10-15 years ago. Can't remember who.

The whole point of the air technology is to give the pickup the feel of an A2 magnet while using an A5. For the longest time they did not use A2 in any pickups. Started with a few of the noiseless singles have A2 and now a few humbuckers have it. One of my favorites that are aired is the Air Zone. That pickup is great for so many things. The Air Classics are another favorite set of mine.

I could see where using it in ceramic mag pickups helps take the edge off and soften it up a bit while still retaining decent output.