DiMarzio Air Norton F-Spaced

Passive humbucking, 4-conductor

Musicman Axis Sport hardtail
Bridge
Original (Dimarzio Cutom wound for Musicman)
Original on neck and Dimarzio PAF DP103
I always considered the original Custom wound Dimarzios to be a bit dull and too hi output. Kinda searched for a same sound, less output version of the originals.

Medium Output, more towards vintage PAF than hi output
Selfmade full tube amp, cross between Sodlano SLO100 and hot rod Marshall, 3 Channels
Tone of Air Norton: Compared to the Custom Wound Dimarzio it is pretty near: Overall character is the same. But playing feels not as good as original: less bite, less growl, less spongyness. It does sound good clean and at light crunch. In combination with the Custom wound neck PU it is a bit too low in output. The typical parallel sounds (parallel combination of both bridge and neck coils) sound more glassy, especially with the PAF on neck position.
I play mostly rock stuff, more prog-oriented. I use 4 sounds ranging form Clean to classic HiGain (not Newmetal).

I can only compare it to the original custom Dimarzio the guitar comes with. As described in the "Sound" section, it sounds simlar with less output, but does not meet my demands to sound the same.
To my ears and most of all to my playing feeling the original is a great rock pickup. It excels for overdriven and higain tones, and - after the little experiment - is still the best rock pickup I have heard and played. I even like it for Clean now.
That does not put the Air Norton to shame, because this one has its good moments more for vintage oriented stuff.
So I threw the Air Norton out and put in the original one.

Pickup features: F-spaced humbucker
Impedence or other specs: See dimarzio.com

Model of guitar or bass: BC Rich ST3
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Tone Zone
Other pickups on guitar: Evans single coils
Artists using this pickup: Who knows, who cares?
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, fusion
Reason for pickup change: Tone Zone sounded harsh, middy, and nasally on this instrument

Perceived output level: Medium-hot; much less than the Tone Zone; more than a PAF copy
Tone: Balanced, smooth, but to my ears a little screechy and fuzzy
Sonic evaluation: Playing through a Crate Club 50 tube amp. Pickup is in the bridge position of a 25.5" scale length, strat-style BC Rich with floyd type trem. Guitar is naturally bright sounding. The pickup responds amazingly to adjustments in height - you can really play around to findd a specific height and tilt that meets your needs. Very rich harmonically, just doesn't work in this guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Would work for just about anything; would totally depend on the guitar and amp and settings you use

Comments: I might try this in the neck position on a warmer sounding instrument. It would give a good all-round overdriven tone, warm but clear. In the bridge of this guitar it is just too top-endy, and shrill. The lower output would make it a good match for a guitar with the Tone Zone in the bridge, say like a shorter scale mahogany bodied guitar.