Air Norton 7 . . . need help !

[Exhale]

I've put a AN7 in the neck position of my RG1527 and I wonder if changing orientation (screw pole pieces towards neck or towards bridge) would alter significantly the tone. I have put mine with the screws on the neck side. I wonder because the AN7 does not sound as I expected and I have seen that both orientations are possible and usable for this pickup. So maybe I'm wrong but I would really like to know because I'm a newbie in quality pickups. So how did you guys install the Air Norton 7 pickup in your axe? Details would be of great help!

Regards,

Exhale.

[Labrie]

I installed mine with the screws facing the neck. I've also been curious if changing it would affect the sound but I don't use it that much so its not a big concern to me.

[dragsternj]

As far as i know it does make a difference, the one in the neck needs to have the wires towards you (when the guitar is laying infront of you) while the bridge one should have the wires towards the pots (away from you). They sound brighter in one direction (don't remember which).

From DiMArzios Website

Does it matter which direction I install my pickup?

Most humbuckers are symmetrical and their sound does not change at all when installed backwards, but some have a slightly different sound if you install them in the opposite direction from normal. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of taste for such a subtle difference, if you can hear the difference at all. Those models include the Air Norton™, Air Zone™, Evolution® neck, bridge and 7-string, FRED®, Humbucker from Hell™, DLX Plus™ neck and bridge models, Virtual P-90™, Blaze™ neck and bridge models and Tone Zone 7™.
The Steve’s Special™, the Bluesbucker® and the MegaDrive™ have distinctly different sounds if you turn them around, and there is no ‘right’ installation direction. The Bluesbucker® is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the bridge, while the MegaDrive™ is brighter-sounding with the adjustable screw coil towards the neck. The Steve’s Special™ is brighter-sounding if the coil on the pickup’s cable exit side is toward the bridge.

[hittman7]

I have a 7620 that I put an Air Norton 7 in the neck with the screws toward the bridge and it sound wounderfull. Keep in mind I was using New-7 before. I looked on this site for the "proper way to put it in and found mostly opinions. Try it both ways and let us know how they sound.

Cheers, James

[moore5150]

I think almost everyone I have seen with an Air Norton in the neck has the screws towards the bridge. Not that it is the right or wrong way to do it, but it seems the most popular way. I know from looking at pictures of John Petrucci's old Ibanez guitars that that is how he had them installed. For what it's worth.

[rory]

I installed my Air Norton with the screws toward the bridge. I previously had it with the screws toward the neck; I haven't noticed a difference in tone.

[timi_h]

its just one guys opinion against anothers! with sounds theres never a better or worse, theres just opinions (although a lot of it is a rather shared opinion! who wants a pup that feeds back and has no clarity!!)

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by hittman7

I have a 7620 that I put an Air Norton 7 in the neck with the screws toward the bridge and it sound wounderfull. Keep in mind I was using New-7 before. I looked on this site for the "proper way to put it in and found mostly opinions. Try it both ways and let us know how they sound.

Cheers, James

i have a 6 string version in one of my gutiars and was looking at the 7 string version as well.

with the bar pole peice pickups like the mega-drive d-sonic and x2n, i think it matter because the coils are set up differently. I am not too sure about standard pole peice pickups though. I could possible see if the coils were purposly voice one way or another what it matter the orientation of the pickup but other wise i dont think it would make much difference