[StratDaddy]

I've just discovered through experimentation that I love the tone of the regular Norton in the neck position of my HH strat. My reason for joining this forum was to ask the following:

How dramatically does the Air technology change the pick attack and dynamics of the pickup?

Is the tonality as close to identical as Dimarzio indicates?

I most recently had an Air Classic installed and one of the reasons I pulled it from the guitar was that the pick attack always seemed softer than what I wanted, I don't want that quality if it effects the Air Norton similarly.

The advantage the Air Norton would give me is the lowered output, giving me more flexibility with my bridge oickup choice. (That is where the regular Norton was before I gor the experimentation bug.) The advantage of the Norton is that I already know I like it there with downside that the output is higher, since I usually like about 50% more output from the bridge for my use.

Due to spacing whether I choose Norton or Air N I've got to buy another pickup anyhow, so it's not a tiebreaker that I already have a Norton.

[marcwormjim]

If you’re handy enough to replace your own pickups, you can “air” the magnet of the Norton and see for yourself.

There are decades of marketing mumbo jumbo clouding info about the Air pickups, but I don’t think anyone will disagree if I describe the mod as decreasing the amount of voltage the pickup is able to induce. I would say that, yes, aired pickups exhibit a softer pick attack as a byproduct of this; as I’ve previously A/B’d recordings of a pickup that’s been aired against recordings of the pickup without the mod, but lowered away from the strings until it has a similar output. But those recordings are long-gone, and I have only my faulty memories for reference.

[mertay]

You'll probably want to check liquifire or newer petrucci PU's.

Petrucci used the AN upsidedown or a modded version of it and my guess is as you mention, the attack. I'd like to think although not the same character (even if the eq spec.s seem similar) probably the later releaced ones solved such problem.

[StratDaddy]

Thanks both. As I continue to read reviews around the web I often hear that the Air Classic was particularly noted for its softer pick attack whereas the Air Norton does seem to get universal praise without soft pick attack being mentioned too often as a detriment. Perhaps the Airing has less of an effect on the higher-dc pickup.

Also, I still find myself troubling to select a bridge humbucker that balances to my liking compared to the standard Norton in the neck despite enjoying the tone it gives. To raise the output to the increase I usually prefer between neck and bridge leaves few options, even fewer noted for their less than intense gain abilities.

Perhaps where I will start is with an Air Norton and replace the Norton to the bridge. This time around I'll make time to evaluate the Air Norton within the window of the exchange period and if it needs to be replaced I will try one of the selections mentioned above.