Whats your favorite Dimarzio bridge pickup?

[Eric O'Reilly]

Id like to get a heated( or not so heated) discussion on Dimarzio bridge pups, because Im in the market for s good replacement for my AX40 set. Some say tonezone, others say AT-1 others say other stuff! Lets hear your opinion on a good Dimarzio set for the AX40.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

This is what Dimarzio recommend on their website:

These pickups were only available as original equipment on the EVH MusicMan guitar. MusicMan replaced the Van Halen guitar with a very similar model called the Axis, which uses the same pickups. The closest-sounding pickups we offer are the Air Norton™ for the neck position and the AT-1™ for the bridge position.

 

[TNT]

Here's the REAL deal: Norton (not air). This pickup is agressive yet, very colorful, articulate, and is pure rock!! Love it!

The Tone Zone is powerful alright, however it has (in my opinion) very little personality. It will simply utterly destroy anything in its path, like a wrecking ball; has no concern or care, doesn't get emotionally involved with the tone spectrum.

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

So the regular Norton? Over the AT-1, has anybody tried the at1? I read a thread about it on tgp that said it was great, but not the same as the axis, not even that close. Some people are saying an un aired AT1 "is" the axis bridge pu.

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

I know what ever Dimarzio I put in there will be an improvement, even though the stock AX40 pups are good( Ill probably put them in a project guitar) I do want it to be as close as the axis pups. When will they ever just sell those pups already!?

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

I want something a little hotter than the ax40 bridge and with cutting clarity for soloing and tapping.I dont have a real axis or EVH to compare to, so Im kind of in the dark, but I know upgrading the pups will make this a much better guitar. I wish I just got the AX40d! But oh well! If Im willing to drop $750 on a sterling I might as well save an extra few bills and get a used axis. Those EVH's are the holy grail that has always eluded me. They keep going up in value. Never even seen one in person. What a shame! I got to try one!

 

[agt]

I like the Air Zone.

 

[T- Bone]

I put a Norton (bridge) and an Air Norton (neck) in one of my Axis guitars just so it would have a different personality. It's a great pickup that doesn't get enough recognition imo

 

[ZeroFivefour]

Eric,

I know you inquired about Dimarzio pups, but bare with me...

I have an 04 axis and I really like the stock pickups. However I also adore Bare Knuckle Rebel yell pickups. I have them in a prs se singlecut and the guitar is about as gnarly and full of phat rock tone as a 40 foot tall rock god on top of mount rockmore! The calibrated set is pure rock sexyness. The bridge oozes attitude and gnarley wicked rockness, and the neck sounds gorgeously bluesy and chimey.

Just thought I would throw that option out to you. Food for thought.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[dwells]

Crunch lab is seriously amazing

 

[French Kiss]

Di Marzio Transition for sure !

 

[mystixboi1]

Transition!!

 

[paranoid70]

I put an Air Zone in my Silhouette Special. Sounds great!!!!

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

Im thinking the AT-1, the Norton, or Airzone ,which one do you think would be most like the axis? In terms of that hot PAF sound.Im ruling out tonezone, dimarzio now says AT 1,(which I will probably go with) but Im not sure.

 

[wolfbone07]

I'm a big fan of both the EJ pickups and the 36th anniversary pickups.

 

[TNT]

The Norton is that PAF sound on it's BEST day (and, more!)!!!!