[jos]

I read that Tone Zone + Air Norton is the closest, but that comment is decades old, maybe there is a new pickup that is closer, or a new consensus?

I also found a comment from 2012 saying that the AT-1 bridge is the closest according to Dimarzio (http://forums.ernieball.com/ernie-ball-music-man-guitars/53970-finally-found-dimarzio-axis-bridge-pu.html)
 

thanks!

[buddroyce]

Both the Tone Zone and AT-1 all get you close to the ball park but they're not quite the same as the Axis pickups. I feel the Tone Zone has the body while the AT-1 has the bite. Both are equally good on their own but I don't know if there are any newer pickups that would be closer these days.

[jos]

Both the Tone Zone and AT-1 all get you close to the ball park but they're not quite the same as the Axis pickups. I feel the Tone Zone has the body while the AT-1 has the bite. Both are equally good on their own but I don't know if there are any newer pickups that would be closer these days.

and if you had to pick one to replace your axis pickups hypothetically, which one would you go for?

[buddroyce]

I'd probably end up going with a Norton but that's mostly because I already have another guitar with a Tone Zone and another with the AT-1.

[jos]

I'd probably end up going with a Norton but that's mostly because I already have another guitar with a Tone Zone and another with the AT-1.

not the answer I was hoping for, I was more wondering which one you thought was closest to the stock axis

[HarlowTheFish]

not the answer I was hoping for, I was more wondering which one you thought was closest to the stock axis

I would go AT-1 because it's pretty easy to add a bit of low end without messing with the sound too much vs. adding top end, and an Air Norton (maybe with a half-air mod but not that necessary). If you really want the closest thing, just keep an eye on Ebay and Reverb, the stock Axis pickups pop up there once in a while.