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As usual, entire question is in the title. Interested in the neck pickups.

I have only used either of them in the bridge. Although I suppose they might sound good in the neck position. Although I think the PAF Pro might be a bit dark in the neck. The PAF Pro is more focused and defined it sings although slightly underpowered and its treble reponse is warm and clear. The Air Norton is more aggressive and it has a sharp treble with a lot of harmonic overtones. I found the Air Norton to bright and nasty for the bridge position.

Snowdog

Both pickups are designed for neck position use IMO, though there is a specific bridge position PAF Pro model. I find the PAF Pro to be a bit more vintage sounding, cleans up very well, and has a very cool quot;tubularquot; round sound under gain. Listen to Satriani's quot;House Full of Bulletsquot; or quot;The Mighty Turtle Headquot; and that's the PAF Pro without a doubt. The low E string sounds very cool, fat and punchy but still has a somewhat hollow character.

The Air Norton comes across being more modern to me, also cleans up nicely, but can take on a few different voices depending on where you're at on the neck and how you're attacking the strings. The reference I always use for this pickup is Petrucci's solo on the Dream Theater song quot;Scarredquot;. When he's shredding it sounds round and vocal, then when he digs in and waggles that wide vibrato it sounds aggressive and pissy.

Both are very cool pickups IMO, and are my two favorite DiMarzios and two of my favorite neck pickups ever (along with the PGn and A2P).

EDIT: FWIW, what body wood are we talking here? I had the PAF Pro in an all mahogany Schecter and it did get a bit muddy on the low end, while the Air Norton did well in a mahogany guitar. The PP definitely likes woods more along the lines of basswood, etc.


Originally Posted by FretFireBoth pickups are designed for neck position use IMO, though there is a specific bridge position PAF Pro model. I find the PAF Pro to be a bit more vintage sounding, cleans up very well, and has a very cool quot;tubularquot; round sound under gain. Listen to Satriani's quot;House Full of Bulletsquot; or quot;The Mighty Turtle Headquot; and that's the PAF Pro without a doubt. The low E string sounds very cool, fat and punchy but still has a somewhat hollow character.

The Air Norton comes across being more modern to me, also cleans up nicely, but can take on a few different voices depending on where you're at on the neck and how you're attacking the strings. The reference I always use for this pickup is Petrucci's solo on the Dream Theater song quot;Scarredquot;. When he's shredding it sounds round and vocal, then when he digs in and waggles that wide vibrato it sounds aggressive and pissy.

Both are very cool pickups IMO, and are my two favorite DiMarzios and two of my favorite neck pickups ever (along with the PGn and A2P).

EDIT: FWIW, what body wood are we talking here? I had the PAF Pro in an all mahogany Schecter and it did get a bit muddy on the low end, while the Air Norton did well in a mahogany guitar. The PP definitely likes woods more along the lines of basswood, etc.mahogany body strat with all maple neck and wilkinson trem. I'm considering pairing one of the two with a tone zone in the bridge. What others might work well?

As you know, I'm also a huge satch fan and I love that tone on house full of bullets.


Originally Posted by Xeromusmahogany body strat with all maple neck and wilkinson trem. I'm considering pairing one of the two with a tone zone in the bridge. What others might work well?

I had the Air Norton/Tone Zone combo in a strat and found them to be a good match. You can get even more versitility out of them by wiring them to a Stew Mac Mega Switch which will allow you to split coils in positions 2,3,4. According to a Dimarzio Tech I spoke with, this combo was suppose to be the closest to the EVH MusicMan Axis guitar pickups. I never compaired them and my musical taste/interest have changed so they both sit in boxes.

I have a BC Rich Elvira Warlock with the TZ in the bridge and an Air Norton
in the neck. It's brutally rawkin. It's got heat, fatness, works up a great fret sweat.
The Air Norton adds a great punch imo. All in all it's a wikkid fat sound combo.

I've tried both of them but in very different guitars. The Air Norton is warmer and hotter than the paf. The Paf Pro faintly reminds me of paul Gilberts neck tone.