DiMarzio Air Zone F-Spaced

Passive humbucker, check the DiMaarzio website for specifications.

Installed at the bridge position in an ESP Horizon, replacing the original 15 or so year old ESP humbucker (I also removed the rails type humbucker at the bridge, also stock ESP, at the same time due to corrosion).

I love playing my ESP, but since getting it a year ago I've been annoyed to the point of not playing it by the thin, hollow, spongy tone I was getting - sounded especially bad compared to my Gibson Les Paul (stock pickups). As soon as I fitted this Air Zone, even before I'd put all the strings back on and I was just testing it to see if it worked, my tone sounded infinitely better.

Only artist I know of using it is Page Hamilton (Helmet, David Bowie) whose tone is killer, and had a lot to do with me choosing this pickup as a replacement.

Output level is pretty high, but really balanced and even - not harsh, or artificially bassy; very precise but not clinical. Reminds me of a good hi-fi sound, that kind of neutrality that doesn't colour the sound and lets the varying characteristics of different music shine. If you play heavy, you'll get a ballsy sound; play delicately, you'll get a delicate sound - sounds obvious, but it's surprising how many set ups destroy the character of your playing.

It responds fantastically to picking style and strength, and the great tone and sensitivity kind of encourages you to play better too! Calm, clean stuff has warmth without losing definition; big, open chords with a dash of overdrive produce classic, rich rock tones and it'll go all the way up to precise, chugging metal riffs too. Really versatile.

I've been running it mostly un-effected into a Marshall JCM800 2x12, but also through GarageBand and Amplitube on my iMac and it even sounds better through the computer! Extraneous noise has definitely reduced, and the response and charachter can clearly be heard set against old recordings made with the last pickup.

I can't fault it, I just wish I'd bought one sooner.

Definitely would get one again, in fact I might even put one in my Les Paul. Getting this has really opened my ears to the difference pickups make to tone.

Making comparisons with pickups isn't easy since any description of the sound is subjective by definition, and you can't really try them out unless you can get hold of a guitar like yours with them in. So, there's an element of risk involved, but one well worth taking in my view.

I got this pickup largely because I like Page Hamilton's tone, and at least part of the reason he uses them is supposedly because they're good at preserving your sound even with LOTS of gain - something I was keen to achieve because I love that big chords/lots of distortion sound (think Hum, Helmet, Failure, My Bloody Valentine). They do exactly that, and a whole lot more besides.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: approx 16

Model of guitar or bass: MIM Fat Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock MIM humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: MIM Stock Singles
Artists using this pickup: Me and some other people....
You musical style(s): Progressive, Sabbath, Maiden, Blues, Floyd, Bad Religion, Slayer
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup had an unpleasant thin 'texture' and didn't 'react'.

Perceived output level: Seemed similar to the stock pup, which I think was fairly ballsy itself, maybe less
Tone: Balanced, slightly muddy in a good way
Sonic evaluation: Strat through Marshall Jackhammer and 40W Marshall Valvestate
Quite a warm nice tone, reacts well, would like to try it through something bigger and clearer (amp is a bit bland)
high e and b strings are quite bright PAF sounding, fatter PAF sound on lower strings

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As above

Comments: Would probably get another.
Playing for 15+ years.
Compared to a PAF Pro, this is less bright, warmer tone.
This pretty much got me sound I wanted, something that could give me a vintage metal tone like Trouble, it could be crunchier, but it's good enuff

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 323 millivolts. D.C. Resistance, 17.49K

Model of guitar or bass: Peavey Wolfgang Special w/ Floyd Rose.
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock pickup(s)
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Air Norton in neck position.
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, but EVH should have the Air Zone in his guitars!
You musical style(s): Anything rock orientated.
Reason for pickup change: First off, I bought the Wolfgang because the guitar itself is a joy to play. Everything about it feels right, for me. Right away I was'nt crazy about the stock pickups but I though, " give them a chance. The guitar is new and I'm just not use to the pickups yet." Well, I NEVER could get use to the stock pickups. It's not that they were potent, but every frequency within the bridge pickup had a very razor-like quality about it. The highs were just obnoxious. Loud with the ability to cut steel but no muscle. The worst part about the bridge pickup was, when used with any amount of overdrive or distortion I always sounded out of tune. Meaning this: You know when you're tuning your guitar by harmonics and you get that "waver" when the notes are'nt in tune? That's how the higher notes sounded. This was not an intonation problem because anytime I played any one high note (and I mean ONE, not two at a time)I got that waver. Two notes at a time was hell! One night just to see what would happen, I raised the bridge up quite high, played a high note and guess what? That "waver" was practically gone. That's when I knew these pickups had to go.

Perceived output level: If I'm not mistaken, Dimarzio rates the Air Zone as a big PAF sound. A PAF with more. I think thats a good description.
Tone: Big sound, no doubt, but overall very well balanced. The highs (in my guitar) can be a tad spikey when used thru a loud clean amp, but just turn your volume or tone control down a bit and it smooths out nicely.
Sonic evaluation: Right now I'm using a Carvin SX100 solid state amp (not one of the newer ones), a Carvin Vintage 16 amp, Tonebones Classic and Hot British pedals, a Boss delay and a Boss EQ pedal. In addition to sounding out of tune with the stock Wolfgang pickups, articulation was another big problem. That is no longer a problem with the Air Zone. No matter how much gain I dial in from the Tonebones the Air Zone provides a thick, well balanced ARTICULATE tone. The Air Zone was my first choice of pickups to try and I was immediatley impressed. Thank God, too. So I was very lucky not to go thru a long and frustrating trial and error period trying out various pickups. I've had the pickup in my guitar now for about two weeks, and I am very happy with it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a good match for the music I like to play and write, and it sounds very good when split. Very little drop-off in volume. Get's more trebley, does'nt quite sound like a true single coil but it provide's a decent sound.

Comments: If the pickup suddenly quit working I would get another one, no problem. I can't say how well it would work in other guitar's, but in my guitar it's what was needed. I would like to say how pleased I am in my dealing with the people at Dimarzio. Anytime I e-mailed a question to one of their tech's I ALWAYS got a response within a day. Very, very helpful people, even the kind lady (wish I remembered her name) who took my order over the phone. Even though I paid full price by going thru Dimarzio direct, it was nice to know that I would have them within a week! If your current bridge pickup give's you a tone that sound's like 1000 wasp's crammed in a jam-jar I would advise you to try the Air Zone.

Pickup features: Humbucker, Passive
Impedence or other specs: See other reviews

Model of guitar or bass: Washburn Falcon (Wing Series)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan TB-4
Other pickups on guitar: Air Norton (Fspaced)
Artists using this pickup: I really dont know
You musical style(s): Rock, hard rock, Blues, Metal
Reason for pickup change: Sh 4 was too thin, too dry, and sreaming.

Perceived output level: Medium-High
Tone: Very Balanced, Very Friendly Warm, Singing.
Sonic evaluation: Mesa tube amp / Peavey Revolution Solid State, Boss pedals, EHX pedals, Zoom 707 II multieffect. Guitar: 5 pieaces neck thru body, ash wings maple top, 15 year old, 11 pounds weight Washburn Falcon air norton in neck position.
This is the finest instrument I ve ever tried. The richest sound I ve ever heard. Forget Gibson Les Paul, MusicmanAxis. This Falcon is the category of Anderson Guitars!
It was equipped by Seymour pichups. Neck was an original trembuck,bridge was a TB 4. These are not bad, but they sounded too dry for my taste. My problem was, that Ash body staggeres the sound of normal pickups in bridge position. I tried Breed, Air norton, SD Invader, even mighty Tone Zone. The solution was Air zone. his was all the region are OK! Sustain is incredible. i love the tone of this instrument. Air norton Air Zone is in my opinion the best combination, for player looking for warm balanced in every situation usable sound. This setup is very versatile if you have a coil split. This way you can reach even the classic Fender quack and Twang tones.
Air zone is bass medium heavy, but very friendly not flat, or blunt, or dull sounding pu, with absolutely correct high region. I tried it even in a Yamaha pacifica (maybe the best fender idea strat copy) and Air zone sounded fantasic in this cheap construction alder body guitar as well. METAL PLAYERS!!! This pickup is very suitable for killing, Its a Warhammer. With my mesa sounds like MM Axis Bridge. With solid state revolution ultra gain channel. Kills just like heavy Acid!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, rock, metal, hard rock

Comments: Best Dimarzio Humbucker!!! HAIL