DiMarzio Forum

DimarzioForum.Com => The Pickup Place => Topic started by: mobys436 on March 18, 2021, 01:24:44 AM

Title: Turn an Air Zone into a Tone Zone?
Post by: mobys436 on March 18, 2021, 01:24:44 AM

Is this doable? Are the slug polepieces tapered at the bottom, so I'd need to place metal spacers on both sides of the magnet bar, rather than just on the screw polepieces (as with typical humbuckers)?

I ask because I can't seem to find an f-spaced zebra tone zone to buy (at a reasonable price anyway), but an air zone is available. Read a lot about doing the air mod on tone zones, but not the other way around on the air zone.

Title: Re: Turn an Air Zone into a Tone Zone?
Post by: darkbluemurder on March 18, 2021, 04:53:28 AM

There should be threads on how to de-air an Air Norton. In principle it should work the same with an Air Zone or Air XXX.

Cheers Stephan

Title: Re: Turn an Air Zone into a Tone Zone?
Post by: mobys436 on March 22, 2021, 12:00:32 AM

Interesting food for thought. I have some spare magnets, and I wonder if using an alnico 8 on a stock air zone would be about equal as a stock tone zone

Title: Re: Turn an Air Zone into a Tone Zone?
Post by: greenlion on April 03, 2021, 01:06:34 PM

I doubt it. Isn't the Air Zone just a standard A5 magnet?
A8 sounds/feels nothing like A5 in the pickups I have tried it in.

Title: Re: Turn an Air Zone into a Tone Zone?
Post by: buddroyce on April 04, 2021, 11:33:28 AM

I don't remember the slug poles being tapered although that can always change without us knowing.
I would probably give the Air Zone first and see if you like it.