# Dimarzio Air Norton "S" Review



## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 11, 2007)

I installed this in my TFS6 last nite, & played it all morning at church.

I haven't purchase my Dimarzio #EP1111 swith yet, so this review is based on my guitar being wired with both humbuckers on full, no splitting in either position.

I used the Diezel VH4 model for my crunch tone, and the same patch with some stomp & ping-pong delay for the lead. For Cleans, I used the Acoustiverb preset & solo'd on it a little blues ditty for a clean song by hitting the stomp for a bit-o-boost.

Much to my satisfaction, this pickup purchase was a good choice.

With a little vigor, you can push it while playing clean & still retain the articulation. This kinda reminded me of the guitar sound in Tracy Chapman's "Give me one Reason". It has the initial "snap" & attack like a traditional single coil, then goes into PAF territory for the sustain & decay. Each note rings beutifully & retains its character all the way through until the end of the note fading away. I love the warmth of it, coupled with the bright attack. The attack, while bright, isn't painful or unpleasant, it's very well balanced. Played by itself in the neck, chords were warm & smooth, but coupled with the bridge pickup, in this case, a Multibucker, the treble provided from the bridge p/u adds enough more articulation to hear every nuance within a band mix.

In crunch, & lead, it responds very much the same, but this is where it seems to want to sustain for a week. Hit the note, leave for vacation & come back to the same note waiting for further instructions. The output seems to be just at the right level to push the amp a little, but remain completely articulate, no mud whatsover.

It's no wonder that this pickup as a full sized humbucker is so popular, but now that it's available for strat or tele guitars, I really think it can open up an otherwise electronically lifeless Fender. The other guitar player on our team fell in love with it immediatley, & is now going to order one for his strat's neck position. I recommended him getting a Tone Zone "S" or Super Distortion "S" for the bridge & let me wire it up with the Jem scheme for even more tonal variety. That way he can still retain some strat character, but have the meat & potatoes of a more capably equipped guitar.

If you have a single coil routing in your guitar & are not happy with your currenty pickup, ie; low output, not warm enough, not enough tonal variety, I'd strongly suggest you check this pickup out.

I'm glad I did.


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## ohio_eric (Feb 11, 2007)

What position did you put it in? What's the "Jem scheme"?

Thanks for the review.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 11, 2007)

I installed in the neck position.

The Jem Scheme is using a 5 position switch, you get;
position #1, Bridge humbucker, full on.
#2, Inner coil from bridge, middle single coil
#3, Middle single coil
#4, Middle single coil, inner coil from neck
#5, Neck humbucker, full on.


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## ohio_eric (Feb 11, 2007)

You know if it was me I'd put three hum cancelling pickups in it and instead of splitting the neck and bridge I'd run them in parallel instead of series when in combination with the middle pickup.



Hope you keep loving the pickup.


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## Leon (Feb 11, 2007)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I installed in the neck position.
> 
> The Jem Scheme is using a 5 position switch, you get;
> position #1, Bridge humbucker, full on.
> ...



that's how my Ibanez RX170 is wired up. it's not too bad


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 12, 2007)

EVERY GUITAR I'VE OWNED WITH A H-S-H CONFIG, I'VE WIRED UP LIKE THIS EVER SINCE THE IBANEZ JEM WAS INTRODUCED. PACKED AWAY SOMEWHERE I HAVE A CLIPPING FROM A GUITAR MAG WITH THE SCHEMATIC POSTED, BUT NOW I JUST USED THE ONE FROM DIMARZIO'S SITE.

THE 4TH POSITION IS REALLY NICE FOR CLEANS.


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## Leon (Feb 12, 2007)

that's cool. i'm actually a bit undecided on how i want to rewire my RG570. it has a TZ/AN combo, with what i believe to be the stock single coil. part of me wants to wire it up just like i did my RG7621 (with two parallel/series push/pulls) and do something fun with the single coil (like taking the plastic bobbin off the pickup, and running 6 white LED's in the pole holes), or doing that JEM config.

i really like the simplicity of two pickup guitars, and parallel humbuckers give me all the single coil sound i need, but then this AN single sounds damn interesting. arg!


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 12, 2007)

I USE THE PETRUCCI WIRE FOR TWO HUMZ ON MY RG7620. IT SPLITS TO THE INNER COILS IN THE CENTER POSITION. ONCE I GET THE DIMARZIO SWITCH FOR THE TFS6, I'LL WIRE IT UP THE SAME WAY.

WITH THIS WIRING, I DON'T NEED AN H-S-H- CONFIG, I GET THE CLEAN SETTING I WANT OFF OF THE CENTER POSITION.


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## Leon (Feb 12, 2007)

maybe i'll just go that route with the RG570. i don't really want a 5-way switch anymore. i could do a Tele 3-way like that, sans push/pulls. it's a pretty rock'n guitar, no need to clean anything up with parallel configs! 

i was also thinking, i could use a push/pull on the tone knob for turning on/off LEDs in the single coil, should i decide to light up that guitar... and idea that's growing on me... for better or worse


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 12, 2007)

I have a 3-way tele switch in my RG7620 wired up ala JP, it's real simple to do. I can re-post the scheme if you need it.

I'm installing a push/push pot in the tone position to turn on/off my led's once I finish the remodel.

I was gonna dis-assemble it tonite & start sanding, but I've been up since 4am 'cause I had to go to work early, & I have the trots, so I'm just gonna take it easy tonite.


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## Leon (Feb 13, 2007)

the JP style Tele 3-way is the same as the standard Tele schematic on StewMac.com, right? i think that's the one i followed last time. thanks though!

you've got LEDs too? where are they?


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## Code001 (Feb 13, 2007)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I have a 3-way tele switch in my RG7620 wired up ala JP, it's real simple to do. I can re-post the scheme if you need it.
> 
> I'm installing a push/push pot in the tone position to turn on/off my led's once I finish the remodel.
> 
> I was gonna dis-assemble it tonite & start sanding, but I've been up since 4am 'cause I had to go to work early, & I have the trots, so I'm just gonna take it easy tonite.



I'd personally love to see this diagram.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Feb 13, 2007)

Code001 said:


> I'd personally love to see this diagram.




HERE YOU GO. AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS SCHEMATIC DEPICTS THE USE OF EITHER A STANDARD 3-WAY TELE TYPE OF SWITCH FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THAT ROUTING ALREADY IN THERE GUITAR.

THE OTHER SWITCH IS DIMARZIO'S PART #EP1111 WITH IS THE EXACT SAME SWITCH USED IN THE EBMM JP MODEL. IT'LL FIT IN THE STANDARD HOLE OF AN LP TYPE OF SWITCH, SO THEORETICALLY, YOU COULD WIRE UP YOUR LES PAUL WITH THIS SCHEME.

ENJOY.








& FOR THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE EITHER SWITCH, BUT WOULD STILL LIKE TO SPLIT THE COILS, THERE'S THIS SCHEME WHICH PUTS THE SWITCH IN THE VOLUME POT.





OR, IF YOU PREFER, PUT THE SWITCH IN YOUR TONE POT.


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## Code001 (Feb 13, 2007)

You rule! Thanks so much!!!!!


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## shadowgenesis (Apr 15, 2007)

edit:
so the first half of this image is how it would be done in a standard HH 3-way switch? (i'm being retarded today)


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## Toshiro (Apr 15, 2007)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I installed in the neck position.
> 
> The Jem Scheme is using a 5 position switch, you get;
> position #1, Bridge humbucker, full on.
> ...



I use a similar wiring for H-S-H, except I have the "JPM" wiring for the middle position, inner coils of the humbuckers. I find the single coil by itself useless.


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## ohio_eric (Apr 15, 2007)

I like this wiring for a H-S-H guitar.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Apr 15, 2007)

shadowgenesis said:


> edit:
> so the first half of this image is how it would be done in a standard HH 3-way switch? (i'm being retarded today)



The first schematic is using Dimarzio's special 12 pole 3 way pickup selector as is standard on the EBMM JPM.

The switch down below is using a standard Fender Styled 3 way Tele pickup selector, which is what I use on my RG7620.

Since my TFS6 has a standard LP 3 way switch, I have to use the Dimarzio Part #EP1111 switch.


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