Hey guys, Long time lurker, first time poster. Recently installed a Dimarzio Norton in the bridge position of my 2018 Standard. All I can say is I wish I did it sooner. I was afraid the mids would just be too much for that guitar, but all it did was give me a lot more bass and tamed the high end a bit. Crazy harmonics all over the place, but still works fine for some classic rock riffs while being able to handle the heavier stuff extremely well. What would the suggestion be for a good neck pickup to match the Norton? I'm thinking Air Classic or 36th Anniversary PAF, maybe even a Air Norton. Currently still have the 61R in there, but it doesn't match the Norton as well as I wished it would. Trying to stay with Dimarzios since I really appreciated the great customer service I received and they don't put a stupid logo on their pickups like the other guys Thoughts? Also does anyone know the volume pot specs on 2018 standards? I've seen some people say 300k and some 500k. Not really feeling the need to change, just curious.
Dimarzio 36th would be good match. Most use 500k with Dimarzio, but if there is enough treble no need to change.
Thanks. Noticed that as well. Looking for people’s opinion on them paired with a Norton. I like the 61R currently in my guitar, but it’s really lacking mids when paired with the Norton. I need a bit more clarity. Output is also lacking in the 61R compared to the Norton, which was expected considering the 61R has 7.7k vs the Norton’s 12.6k. I raised the neck pickup, but that really did not with help the lack of clarity. Which one do you guys like the most?
Your Gibson has 500k pots and should be on a PCB if it’s the factory wiring. A PAF type would match a hot bridge pickup very nicely. The 61 in the neck is a very good neck pickup. If it’s not what you like you can of course swap it out. Others have suggested good options. I personally would swap the Alnico 5 in the Gibson 61r and drop in an Alnico 2 which would fatten it up a little and turn that pickup into a 59 Tribute, which a lot of people consider an amazing pickup (in a Les Paul at least). I have a T-Top clone and a PAF in my 2018 SG standard and I think that combo works awesome.
Another good option for a nice clear neck pickup is a Gibson 490 with an Alnico 5 magnet swap. If you want a little more punch you can go with the 490T plus Alnico 5 - that is a modern day T-Top clone, which are regarded as the most articulate Gibson pickups. The 490T will fit no problem in the neck position of your Gibson SG.
If lack of clarity is an issue, you could try lowering the pickup while raising the polepieces. Another option, as @Derald suggested, is a magnet swap. I might gravitate to Unoriented Alnico 5. This should retain most of the treble and bass of the stock Alnico 5, and add some of the midrange found in Alnico 2. Alnico 8 might be “too much” for the neck position.
Going to be honest, I never thought of the 490. I’ll definitely look into it. Really like the 61R, I just feel like I want a bit more output. Thanks for the tip!
The 61r is a great pickup. If you want more output from it you would raise the pickup but that will reduce the clarity. A 490 will have more mid and upper mid range. The pickup itself isn’t higher in output but the frequency is higher which gives the impression of higher output without being muddy which can happen when you have high output neck pickups.
