[SUPERPOWERS3]

Hello everyone

I bought an Air Norton S for my start with Rosewood neck.
I noticed that with lots of gain the pickup was really articulate for shredding.
Split with the middle pickup it was really nice.
BUT clean it sounds like a blanket was thrown over my speakers.
Not a bad sounding pickup but doesn't seem that versatile.
Has anyone else experienced this?

I have a custom made MAPLE body DUO-SONIC that is very bright.
I currently have a Duncan lil 59 in the bridge and it sounds really good.
Any thoughts on using the Norton S in the bridge to warm things up.


UPDATE:
I installed the Air Norton S in the bridge of my Maple body Duo-Sonic. I decided to put an HS-3 in the neck.
Really good results.
I did find the ANS to be very sensitive to height adjustment.
I read somewhere that this is a "polite" pickup. I agree. Not hairy or rude, very smooth.
I thought the output was good but not incredibly hot. It was warm but not muddy. There was 0 of the ice pick sound some complained about.
The HS-3 is warm in my opinion and has a nice chime.
I wasn't looking for balance per se.
I like a weaker neck pickup so I can clean it up using the pickup.

[HarlowTheFish]

It's a fat neck pickup, but it's not that warm in the bridge - a lot of folks actually find it kinda pokey. I'd go for something like a Chopper (if you still want a kind of single-coil vibe with some humbucker tossed in) or a Tone Zone S for maximum fatness and a good bit of output.
The AN and AN-S IMO are pretty unusably fat in the neck - I'd only really use them in a jazz guitar with only the one pickup (and even then I'd probably go with a Tone Zone rather than an AN). In the bridge it's kinda weird and finicky and folks are generally pretty so-so on it.

[buddroyce]

I actually don't mind it in the bridge but I do personally prefer the full size Norton in the bridge.

What kind of pots are you using? 250k or 500k?

[SUPERPOWERS3]

I agree too fat in the neck.

I have swapped both 250 k and 500 k pots and it hasn't improved the neck mud much.
I was using it with a rw/rp Duncan Alnico 2 single coil and it sound incredible in the notch position together.

I took it out and put a Fast Track in the neck and it is much better.
Still has a nice single coil chime and more of what I was looking for.

I'm planning to put a Pro Track in the bridge of the Duo Sonic  if the Norton doesn't work out. 

I think what I may do is to wire the Air Norton S in permanent parallel in the neck position of my Duo Sonic.
Take some of the mud out.
That's plan C.

I'm determined to experiment with the Norton as much as possible.

I have a few guitars with the Tone Zone & Air Zone.
LOVE the Air Zone. It is hands down my favorite pickup.
 I wanted to try some different stuff.

[darkbluemurder]

No experience with the Air Norton S but with the full size Air Norton in the bridge I found that 500k made it too thin. I have it in a HSS strat in the bridge with 250k and it sounds great there. I would not use it in the neck spot of anything but I am not going for a warm neck tone.

If you like the Duo Sonic as it is then you should not change anything. On the other hand there is no harm in trying - you can always go back.

Cheers Stephan

[SUPERPOWERS3]

Hello
That is helpful.
I try to not swap out pickups I'm in love with, but I seem to have "pickup-itis" and can't let the pickups live in a guitar forever; with few exceptions.

I am really curious about the Norton, so I am trying it out in various places.
I agree, I can always go back.

I am just surprised people love it as a neck pickup, when it is so muddy.
Although it sounds great and articulate with overdrive/ distortion.
I don't think it sound anything like a Tone Zone or a PAF Pro, which I have used in various guitars over the years.

I appreciate all the thoughts and opinions.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Air Norton a is a good choice for the bridge of your duo.  It's like a fatter chopper.

[SUPERPOWERS3]

I think your comment is interesting.

I feel that the Norton seems to have a really wide range of perceptions.

The Tone Zone seems to be universally agreed upon, lots of mids and toward the hot side.
Of course, some people may not like it, but at least people seem to agree on the character.

This make me think I should really try to film a video with the Norton in the bridge of this guitar.

Not many maple body guitars out there either.