Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

[roadstar II]

I have one on the way and was curious about how much more OPEN sounding it is compared to a TZ? this is going into a basswood body ibanez rg 550 with a all maple neck
I had a TZ that came stock in my ibanez prestige 3120 RG and it was too much, nothing classic about it at all!
I guess if the AZ does not work out i will either get a virtual hot paf or maybe just hang myself! :smack: :laugh2:

 

[roadstar II]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

I guess i will just have to be patient and hear for myself when i get it

 

[madguitar26]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

acording to dimarzio they are very much alike but air zone being its vintage version should translate into way less muddy tone.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

bro i keep tellin ya that the virtual hot paf is what you need
the air zone is more open than the Tone zone BUT not as open as a P.A.F
**** you may even find that the AZ is better than a P.A.F?\
it all depends on what guitar and amp you use it though?
I still vote for the Virtual hot PAF which is slowly becoming my favorite PAF :dance:
it is a lot like a 59 bridge but has more output, they kill in the neck as well!
sounds like "sweet child" of mine by slash

 

[wildstar]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

bro i keep tellin ya that the virtual hot paf is what you need
the air zone is more open than the Tone zone BUT not as open as a P.A.F
**** you may even find that the AZ is better than a P.A.F?\
it all depends on what guitar and amp you use it though?
I still vote for the Virtual hot PAF which is slowly becoming my favorite PAF :dance:
it is a lot like a 59 bridge but has more output, they kill in the neck as well!
sounds like "sweet child" of mine by slash

Do you mean that you've tried/heard the V Hot PAF in the neck? Or do you mean the normal Virtual PAF Neck?

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

Do you mean that you've tried/heard the V Hot PAF in the neck? Or do you mean the normal Virtual PAF Neck?

yeah the V hot paf in the neck
it is fatter and warmer than the virtual paf neck model
now keep in mind if you like say the bite and clarity of say a duncan jazz you aint gonna like the V hot paf in the neck
BUT if you dig say slashes neck tone then you would love the V hot paf in the neck spot

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

I have one on the way and was curious about how much more OPEN sounding it is compared to a TZ? this is going into a basswood body ibanez rg 550 with a all maple neck
I had a TZ that came stock in my ibanez prestige 3120 RG and it was too much, nothing classic about it at all!
I guess if the AZ does not work out i will either get a virtual hot paf or maybe just hang myself! :smack: :laugh2:

well you will hear for yourself obvously BUT i can say this
the air zone is much more PAF(translate into more open,cleaner,dynamic,etc)
than the tone zone ever will be
the TZ is more for the duncan distortion crowd, it has more bass obviously and a little less gain than a DD but they share some similarities
the air version zone is much like the custom wound dimarzio EVH bridge pup
as a matter of fact in a blindfold test you would have a real hard time discerning the two
\so bro if you like the custom wound EVH you will like the AZ :burnout:

 

[roadstar II]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

well you will hear for yourself obvously BUT i can say this
the air zone is much more PAF(translate into more open,cleaner,dynamic,etc)
than the tone zone ever will be
the TZ is more for the duncan distortion crowd, it has more bass obviously and a little less gain than a DD but they share some similarities
the air version zone is much like the custom wound dimarzio EVH bridge pup
as a matter of fact in a blindfold test you would have a real hard time discerning the two
\so bro if you like the custom wound EVH you will like the AZ :burnout:

are you serious?
i love the dimarzio in the axis guitars!
it has the tone i am after actually
but you cant buy them, dimarzio says the tone zone is the closest? i did not agree with this after hearing the tone zone?

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

are you serious?
i love the dimarzio in the axis guitars!
it has the tone i am after actually
but you cant buy them, dimarzio says the tone zone is the closest? i did not agree with this after hearing the tone zone?

bro here is the lowdown on the custom wound dimarzios
eddie went to dimarzio after hooking up with EBMM for his sig guitar
steve blucher (main pup designer for dimarzio) made eddie several pups to test out and one was the tone zone another was the norton,one was the humbucker from hell.
steve thought eddie wanted a neck pup that had a single coil bite and tone but no hum and maybe a little fatter,warmer well eddie did not! :smack:
so he made him a real,warm fat toned pup that still had good clarity and some bite and with lower string pull, hence the air NORTON was born
the ONLY differnece is that the production air norton is not as hot( 12.4K) vs eddies 14.7K) and has "dual resonance" coils (mis- matched coils)
the one that had the single coil tone but the power of a paf that eddie did not like became the "humbucker from hell" as it is known in production.
now on to the bridge pup, the first was the tone zone, eddie liked some things about it and hated other things.
so steve made several variations on this theme, one is now called the NORTON(not the air one!)
the other is now called the AIR ZONE and the other is the BREED NECK(which VAI is using in the neck of his jem,this pup actually sounds great in the bridge!
the only thing that is different about the eddie custom wound bridge pup and the air zone and breed neck is once again the air zone and breed neck have "dual resonance coils" and the air technology is on the air zone
the eddie pup does not have air design or dual resonance coils
sound wise they are very, very similar
like i said in a blindfold test you would have a real hard time recognizing which is which.
many think that paul gilbert was the reason the tone zone was made but he was NOT
he adopted it after eddie did not want it! :laugh2:

 

[roadstar II]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

wicked, after reading your last post about the vanhalen dimarzio i really think i did the right thing trading for the air zone! :beerchug:
cant wait to hear it now!!!

i have to admit that in wildstars clips the virtual hot paf did not sound all that much different than the air zone

the guy(wildstar) i traded with is super cool and a grerat guy!
he told me IF i dont like the AZ he will work out a way for me to get the V hot paf!
now this is one cool dude to trade with!
we need more guys like him around!~ :beerchug:

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

wicked, after reading your last post about the vanhalen dimarzio i really think i did the right thing trading for the air zone! :beerchug:
cant wait to hear it now!!!

i have to admit that in wildstars clips the virtual hot paf did not sound all that much different than the air zone

the guy(wildstar) i traded with is super cool and a grerat guy!
he told me IF i dont like the AZ he will work out a way for me to get the V hot paf!
now this is one cool dude to trade with!
we need more guys like him around!~ :beerchug:

yeah that is a very nice thing for him to offer bro! buy him a beer on me!
you will like the AZ it is just a matter of finding it's sweet spot when you adjust it on YOUR guitar
start real close(1/16th) then slowly work your way down till you hear the tone you like!
best of luck bro!

 

[FretFire]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

steve thought eddie wanted a neck pup that had a single coil bite and tone but no hum and maybe a little fatter,warmer well eddie did not! :smack:
so he made him a real,warm fat toned pup that still had good clarity and some bite and with lower string pull, hence the air NORTON was born
the ONLY differnece is that the production air norton is not as hot( 12.4K) vs eddies 14.7K) and has "dual resonance" coils (mis- matched coils)
the one that had the single coil tone but the power of a paf that eddie did not like became the "humbucker from hell" as it is known in production.
now on to the bridge pup, the first was the tone zone, eddie liked some things about it and hated other things.
so steve made several variations on this theme, one is now called the NORTON(not the air one!)
the other is now called the AIR ZONE and the other is the BREED NECK(which VAI is using in the neck of his jem,this pup actually sounds great in the bridge!

Are you saying that all of these pickups only came about from working with EVH on the Axis guitars? If I'm not mistaken, most of these pickups were out long before those guitars were released...

 

[akozols]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

bro here is the lowdown on the custom wound dimarzios
eddie went to dimarzio after hooking up with EBMM for his sig guitar
steve blucher (main pup designer for dimarzio) made eddie several pups to test out and one was the tone zone another was the norton,on............................

I can second this info about the Tone Zone/EVH pickups. I've talked to Steve B a few times. I had an EVH at one time and installed a TZ because I prefered the sound. If you get a TZ and set it far away from the strings(1/4" or more) you can get close to the EVH sound. Steve told me when people called looking for the EVH sound, he would recomend the AZ is they were going to install it at regular distance from the strings.

As far as "air" vs. regular pickups...... I have a Peavey with 16K alnico pickups. I like the tone but they were too hot. I went nuts and made them air versions of the pickup. I like them much better now. They have the same qualities that I like, but when you lower the volume they clean up so much better. Notes tend to breath a little bit more.

al

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Is the air zone a lot different than the tone zone?

I can second this info about the Tone Zone/EVH pickups. I've talked to Steve B a few times. I had an EVH at one time and installed a TZ because I prefered the sound. If you get a TZ and set it far away from the strings(1/4" or more) you can get close to the EVH sound. Steve told me when people called looking for the EVH sound, he would recomend the AZ is they were going to install it at regular distance from the strings.

As far as "air" vs. regular pickups...... I have a Peavey with 16K alnico pickups. I like the tone but they were too hot. I went nuts and made them air versions of the pickup. I like them much better now. They have the same qualities that I like, but when you lower the volume they clean up so much better. Notes tend to breath a little bit more.

al

yeah in a nut shell the custom would EVH is basically a non "dual resonance "
tone zone

the air zone has the tone of the custom owund EVH but maybe just touch less output which to me is fine