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Air Norton & Tone Zone similar in sound?

7K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  MFB 
#1 ·
So I finally get around to setting up my RG1570, bought it with the AN + TZ installed and is it just me or do they sound very similar? I mean they both sound good, nice harmonics & decent output, but when I switch between the bridge & neck I don't hear a drastic difference at all. The TZ might sound a slight bit crisper/sharper but no so much that I find switching between the pups is really necessary. Is this how they are supposed to sound or something wrong here?
 
#2 ·
hi matey, i use tone zone's and air norton's, i have an air norton in the neck of my jpm, and in the bridge of my rg3020 there's a tone zone cuurently. they are a wellmatched pickuo set firstly, you shouldnt ge any volume fluctuations between them on switching anyway. ||The tz is very harmonically rich, not the fattest of pickup's by any stretch of the imagination but in the right config (direct body mounted as yours should be) should be reasonably beefy. the more you beat a tz the mre you'll get out of it! i find they are great for pinched harmonics and also an interesting fact about these is they were a pickup designed for evh when his music man was in the design stage's, however it got knocked back but it went to production on its own merits. the air norton is a silky smooth and much thicker but still don't miss out on those pinched harmonics and doesn't give as much distortion on the front end of the amp. my fave neck pickup might i add! your axe sounds fine. they are a realy good match. if you want something a bit more hot on the bridge try a steve special, d-sonic or maybe go mad and try a d-activator!
 
#3 · (Edited)
I guess I am used to a little more tonal variety having played mostly strats. I am really looking for something a bit heavier in the bridge for some good 80's metal riffing: megadeth, metallica, zakk, lynch etc and something a bit cleaner with good harmonics but still beefy in the neck: maiden, thin lizzy, van halen etc.

What would you recommend? How would the Paf Pro in the neck go with a Super 3 let's say? Or maybe even the Breed pups?
 
#4 ·
It depends a lot in the guitar, I have an Air Norton / Tone Zone in my RG570 (With a HS-2 in the middle) and I love it, it is very balanced but each pickup has it's own characteristics, but before they went to that guitar they were supposed to belong to my RGA121, but when I tested then on her, they sound almost as having only one pickup (the Tone Zone there sound almost like a neck pickup), so form my experience I can tell this is a great combo, but it doesn't work in every guitar.
 
#6 ·
Thank you. All your input has been very helpful.

This being my first Ibanez, an RG1570, I wasn't really quite sure what to expect. Other than the extremely thin paint I am pleased overall with the craftsmanship of the guitar. Currently my other guitar is a 96 Fender Lone Star although I have had many others over the years LOL

I'm trying to avoid pup combos that blend so well together that neck & bridge are almost indistinguishable from each other. I want something that matches well but when you switch from the neck to the bridge & vice versa you can tell. Something that almost makes it sound like its a different guitar.

I was already considering the Super 3 but since you mentioned the Super 2 I decided to give it a look. On paper those pups appear to be what I am looking for. Both high output, S3 in the bridge geared more for the mids/bass for riffing with the S2 in the neck definitely geared toward treb/mids for soloing. Although I don't use the middle much, any suggestions to match with the S2 & S3 combo? An HS-3 perhaps?

Oh well, now to find someone willing to trade their S2/S3 for my TZ & AN!!!!!!!!!!
 
#7 ·
If you want 80's Metal, Try the X2N/Tone Zone combo, its a little different, stands out, and very few people are using that combo. Harmonics scream on both pickups, Tone Zone Shreds in the neck and the X2N is a bone crunching metal machine in the bridge. I can't say enough good things about it. I have 2 Vids on youtube demoing this combo and Michael Romeo has also been using it for a very long time. it Rocks!
 
#9 ·
The D-Activator combo should be fine too they are more modern and bright than the combo I give you (Super 2/3) but es a great combo.

For the middle I suggest getting a reverse wounded Red Velvet, for any of this two combos or any other Hi-Output combo.

So for modern sounds go with D-Activators, for more classic Super 2/3
 
#10 · (Edited)
As luck would have it I find myself in possession of a Seymour Duncan set JB(b) Jazz(n). Since this is a no cost option for me (friend) I was wondering if any one has any experience with how this setup combo would sound in the RG1570. Also, the JB is a standard JB not the trembucker spacing. How much of a difference will this make if any? Thanks!
 
#12 ·
Any thoughts on how it would sound? I had an ESP EC-1000 JB(b) 59(n) and thought it sounded like crap. But then I had a Jackson SL1 with the TB-4 JB trembucker in the bridge and thought it sounded very good just needed a little extra if you know what I mean. I have no experience with the Jazz, so I was wondering if anyone could chime in and give me an idea how these pups would sound in the RG1570. Thanks!!
 
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