Description
This is one of DiMarzio’s most enduring pairings for a reason: the Air Norton (DP193BK) in the neck and the Tone Zone (DP155BK) in the bridge cover a huge amount of sonic ground without stepping on each other’s toes.
The Air Norton was originally conceived as an Airbucker take on the Norton, meant for high-gain bridge duty — but it turned out to shine even harder in the neck position. Its patented Air Norton magnetic structure cuts string pull, which frees up sustain and gives you a warm, deep, open voice that never gets muddy. It’s hot without turning to mush, and it throws off harmonics you don’t normally expect from a neck humbucker. Alnico 5 magnet, 4-conductor wiring, 270mV output, 12.58 Kohm DC resistance. Try it through 500K pots for extra treble sparkle.
Down at the bridge, the Tone Zone earns its reputation as the cure for thin, buzzy-sounding bridge pickups. It’s a high-output design, but with a dynamic range that actually responds to how hard you dig in — dig in for full-on power, back off for cleaner, quieter tones. Massive bass and low-mid presence give it a big, chordal sound, while patented dual-resonance coils keep the overtones alive so single notes still have character. It also splits into a genuinely usable single-coil sound. Alnico 5 magnet, 4-conductor wiring, 375mV output, 17.31 Kohm DC resistance.
Recommended for solid body and semi-hollow guitars. This listing includes both pickups, plus a free set of D’Addario EXL145 heavy strings.
- Air Norton: Alnico 5, 4-conductor, 270mV, 12.58 Kohm, introduced 1995
- Tone Zone: Alnico 5, 4-conductor, 375mV, 17.31 Kohm
- Air Norton patents: 4,501,185 & 5,399,802
- Includes free D’Addario EXL145 heavy string set
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