All user reviews for the DiMarzio DP193 Air Norton

I use this mic on my Ibanez S540 FM for 6 months. And I really enjoy. Both say right away, the guitar has changed ... violently. In the neck position, the velvety softness of the microphone is fully expressed. Legato or game with a pick, it's still round and accurate! This model is for nickel floyd on my guitar, the spacing is adequate.

I do not regret my choice, I would. As for the price, it is like it is ... I wonder just as Ibanez guitars present at Euro 2000, do not even have microphones major brands like DiMarzio. In short, it's another debate ...

Split with the microphone in the middle, there is a great delight. Its the attack type tele ... and yes! Amazing. It's very musical. And rock / blues at will.

I love it!

The DiMarzio Air Norton is probably one of the more famous pickups in their line, thanks in part to John Petrucci and Ibanez using them throughout most of the J-Custom line. This pickup features DiMarzio’s “air gap” technology which basically means there’s a space between the pole pieces and the magnet. It features slugs on one coil, adjustable pole pieces on the other, an Alnico 5 magnet and four conductor wiring.

If you’ve ever wanted a fat, silky smooth, compressed lead tone, this is your pickup. I can’t recommend this pickup enough for those wanting that awesome Petrucci-esque lead tone. The midrange on this is heavy but not boxy, the low end on this is huge without sounding too woofy, and the treble is pushed back to keep the treble strings from getting too piercing. Split coil sounds are absolutely wonderful, and it sounds really good in parallel, too.

If you’ve ever heard Dream Theater, you’ve heard this pickup being used. John used this throughout most of his career, and his current neck pickups are just tweaked versions of this. It works in any wood out there, but I find it sounds best in basswood. There’s just something about an Air Norton in basswood that makes everything seem “right.”

If you’re in need of a fat neck pickup, this should be your primary choice. They’re very abundant on the market, so they should be easier to find than the current variants of this pickup. While it’s struggling to stay relevant with DiMarzio’s recent LiquiFire, it’s still an awesome pickup. Unlike some of the other variants, this has an Alnico 5 magnet which I think really makes this pickup. It’s one of the secrets that helps make the signature tone scream without sounding overly harsh or feeling stiff when doing those fast shred lines.

Everything has been said about the Air norton but I go to my personal opinion.
The air norton is well suited to guitars with mahogany table and / maple neck, unlike the Paf Joe that I find "rikiki" on mahogany except coupled with Mo joe (config effective even on mahogany.)
I liken the Paf Joe and the Air Norton has two apples, an apple would Paf Joe that we would reaps a little early, a little "green" acid "while the Air Norton would be a ripe apple, plump and tasty.
The Air Norton is very sensitive to the height that separates the strings and micro bridge which it is associated, I currently handle coupled to a D sonic bridge on a guitar in mahogany, maple table, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard.
It is undeniable that the Air Norton may have a side "plastic" in its midrange which can become invasive and unpleasant, just lower it, if the bridge is two / three mms string, just behind the Air Norton 5 / 6 mms ropes to lose this side "plastic" and become a formidable neck microphone with a frequency in its richness and a nice size.
To summarize, it is a microphone that picks up "place" so do not hesitate to drop and the bridge pickups coupled with high output levels, style or tone zone D sonic example.
For my part, very happy couple's Air Norton / D Sonic.

(Originally written by mojito753/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I bought it two months ago and installed it in the neck position of my Ibanez S470 SOL (with its Norton brother on the bridge). I can only confirm the sound quality of these pickups.

In the beginning, I used it with a 9-42 D'Addario string set and I was very disappointed. The sound had a poor definition and no punch. I then tried a D'Addario 10-46 string set and I was blown away. Great sound, very precise. I think the problem was the magnetic field of the pole pieces, which impeded the strings to vibrate freely. So if you're thinking about upgrading your pickups with these (for a higher output level), consider using a heavier gauge string set.