Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.

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Offline tonejam

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Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.
« on: September 01, 2015, 11:21:26 PM »
Since there hasn't been many posts lately, just letting everybody know I've taken out my AT-1 and put my Air Zone back in (bridge position). Mine's a partscaster, mahogany body with maple top.
I keep swapping between these PUPS, love them both, but wanted to try something new. I've always split the Air Zone to slug coil, as it has a little more output. Even turned it so slug was closest to bridge.
This time I've split to screw coil, and can report that, yes, it is a sweeter sound. Thanks Slugworth, and others, who've pointed this out.

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Offline greenlion

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Re: Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2015, 07:20:16 PM »
I tried to like the AT-1 twice, and was really disappointed with it. I didn't have it in a 25.5 inch scale Ibanez though. I like the Air Zone, but find it a little bit boring after a while. How would you describe the AT-1 in your guitar?

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Offline tonejam

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Re: Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2015, 10:05:02 PM »
Thanks GREENLION, I didn't think anyone was going to reply. What's happened to the forum lately?
As stated, I really like the AT-1. It has a little more character than the Air Zone, which, I agree, can seem a little bland. I think the At-1 has more tops. I split my bridge PUP a lot, as I play some country stuff, so that's important to me. Both split well, but the AZ is a definite winner there.
Which one I prefer really comes down to the neck PUP I'm pairing it with, and I've just changed from a SD "Hot For Tele", to Dimarzio Pro Track. Tons more bottom end, and the AT-1 sounds thin in comparison.
Back to Air Zone. Geez I'm glad I didn't sell it!

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Offline slugworth

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Re: Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2015, 02:10:27 PM »
I concur with pretty much everything mentioned here.

Greenlion, in my experience the Air Zone needs to be in a lively piece of wood before it will really come alive. I love Ibanezes, but I'm picturing a bolt-on Basswood job with a tremolo bridge (and all the wood missing there). I think that may be why it fell flat for you.

Sorry I haven't been visiting the forum as much lately. My wife has been leaning hard on me to stop buying and selling guitars so much, so I haven't been experimenting with pickups as much lately either. So when I do post, I feel a little like a broken record. Everything I say has been said before.
DIMARZIO MODELS CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY OWNED: 68 TOTAL

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Offline greenlion

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Re: Air Zone and At-1: swappin' and turnin'.
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2015, 05:22:22 PM »
I've had the Air Zone in a Strat, a Jackson Dinky, an RG and I still have it in a PRS Santana SE. I do like it. It is well balanced, although you have to keep it out of guitars with too much bottom end. It is open and airy, and it doesn't make you work very hard. Sometimes I just want a bit more quirky character in a pickup, which the Air Zone doesn't have. It is very balanced.

I'm using it right now with a humbucker from hell. I like the combo, I just wished the HFH was a little more powerful. Their EQ and character go together well. I'm thinking about replacing it with a PAF Joe.