[oilpit]

I just made this demo of my new Andy Timmons BB Preamp, I used my Strat with a Norton/Cruiser/Chopper demo.  Hope you guys dig the tones, the Norton is just unreal!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8F5DWgkjeQ

[zenmindbeginner]

Great job on the demo Oilpit! It sounded great on my iPhone, I'm gonna check it out on my Mac as well. 

[wxs3]

Nice job oilpit! Nice tone

[KH Guitar Freak]

Got a F spaced Norton installed in the bridge position of my Schecter Tele USA, in conjunction with a 36th anniversary PAF neck in the neck position. Both can be individually coil splitted. Suffice to say that the Norton is an underrated pickup, and I dig the tones. Works fairly well coil splitted as well. I dig it coil splitted and running in conjunction with the full humbucking setup of the 36th anniversary PAF neck. Very Rolling Stones like in tone...

[buddroyce]

I already have the pickup. I want that pedal now.

[Speeddemon]

does anyone use it on an alder guitar? how does it sound on clean tones?

Yep, in an alder bodied (maple neck) Charvel So-Cal Pro Mod.
like this one.


So far, mine has 2 mods to it; (3 if you count the pickup change) a push-pull volume knob, to split the Air Norton (neck) and a D-Tuna. Planned mods are a Floyd Upgrades big brass trem block and a brass trem-stopper.

Anyway, I like its clean tones as far as humbuckers go. It's quite balanced and definitely not muddy/choked. I think, clean, it comes quite close to the clean tone of a Duncan JB.
But because of the higher treble content of a JB I wouldn't go for it in an alder/maple guitar. I have tried a Duncan Distortion in that guitar once; super tight and punchy. Ultimate tone, were I to play late 80's/early 90's thrash only (think Kreator meets Dark Angel).
The Norton does metal well too, but just less 'extreme' than the DD. I like a more 80's hard rock/heavy metal tone for this guitar, since it's my Adrian Smith-axe for a Maiden tribute, so nice match. (yes, I'm aware that AS used Super D's)

[Rand-O-Monium]

Back to the name thing,I thought it was one of Satriani's "prototypes" while working on the Fred,as well...
Glad they released it,it's sounded great in every guitar I've tried it in!

[David McGrath]

I recommend the Norton for a more aggressive distorted rock tone on a 335 with a P90 in the middle position.

I also use a Bluesbucker in the neck position,it being a P90 - like model in a humbucker size(way superior to the Duncan Phat Cat,in my opinion!);I like P90's /sound -a - likes,in the middle position.

The SDS1 is a Di Marzio special order single coil -size P90 sounding model,which sounds great in the middle position,wired out of phase,and on its own volume control,it adds great presence to humbuckers such as a Breed in the neck position,and a Super 3 in the bridge position.You need to be able to dial off the nasal reverse phase tone a tad,when using a distorted tone.

The SDS1 is a very good middle position strat pickup on it's own with distortion.

[gauchosilvertone]

Over at Jemsite one member recommended I try a Norton in the neck of my 1990 RG550.  I'm sick of the wimpy, honky tone of that guitar (my default guitar is a Gibson SG) but I have a feeling it could be awesome with the right pickups (for me- meaty, ballsy, don't care too much about super fast articulation or anything.  Plus it's gotta clean up well and sound as good overdriven and with light distortion as it does under high gain).

I've got a Tone Zone coming for the bridge.  What are your experiences with a Norton in the neck?

Thanks!

Gaucho

[slugworth]

IMO it's too big, too loud, too much.  I'd sooner use a Tone Zone in the neck.

[gauchosilvertone]

I did try the Norton in the neck.  It did require lowering it a good deal, but the volume didn't overpower the Tone Zone.  The problem was with the tone... too airy, the attack was too fluffy and not responsive enough. 

It will probably find a semipermanent home in my mahogany strat.  It sounds pretty good there.

I'm curious as to the Tone Zone in the neck though.  Why would you be more apt to try that than a Norton?  Just doesn't make sense to me since the TZ has more output, more bass, and more mids. 

Gaucho

[mesa0131]

Well put Gaucho, I am leery about putting anything in the neck of my guitars that has high range rolled off on the eq. the further away from the bridge you get, the louder and darker the tone gets. So even it out with a brighter pickup! I think the Paf pro is my go to as its got body and warmth yet cuts through nicely. Crystal clear with enough low and mid to keep a thick response. Plus split and parallel works nicely. Norton or tonezone in the neck? Hmmm, no thanks. Too much output for me. But had I the option I would try out of sheer curiosity.

[KH Guitar Freak]

Hmmm, I actually was considering getting a Norton installed in the neck on one of my guitars. Comes with a Dimarzio Tone Zone/ Dimarzio HS2/ Dimarzio Air Norton combination. When I have the Tone Zone set up as I love it, the Air Norton seem a little too low output compared to the Tone Zone. This is even with it being very close to the strings. I wonder if someone is wrong here... 

[m3tafunj]

I flipped my Norton 180 degrees in the bridge slot because I didn't like the way it accentuated the high notes on the B and E strings.  It almost made them sound thin to my ears. 
So now the coil that was nearest to the bridge is closer to the neck and vice versa.   Flipping it, seemed to accentuate the mids near the center of their range instead of the upper mid range, but the low end loosened up a bit.  It sounds pretty fat for leads, but if I use it for chords con the clean channel of either of my solid state amps, it overdrives the amp easily.  I guess I could lower it a tad.  It also seems like I can get harmonics (pinch and tap) easier this way, but maybe I was just lucky and my fingers kept landing on the right spots.   

This is in a RG1570 running through either a Vox Pathfinder 15w or Roland Cube 80, which needs to be replaced before I can really judge the tone from the Norton. 

[JackGriffiths]

It seems this is a much loved pickup on here - I'm looking to get one for the bridge of a mahogany HH Telecaster to replace an old Dual Sound - just too much output and warmth for what I need - I'm completely in love with the sound of PAF Pros in mahogany but have been keen to try this one out for some time now, for something a little more punchy and powerful, yet still dynamic, responsive and articulate. So far, I've read all the stuff about it I wanted to read; tight low end, powerful upper mids, clear top end, awesome harmonics, etc. How do you think it compares to a PAF Pro, for reference, in the bridge in mahogany, for just that little bit 'more'? The guitar has a single 500k volume pot, no tone.

Jack