59/Custom Hybrid UOA5 & Air Mod

[UberMetalDood]

Today was a little breakthrough for me because I finally tried a Dimarzio Air mod on a Duncan pickup. I also used a UOA5 in place of the stock magnet. I got some interesting but predictable results and I think some of you will be very interested in this.

First of all, the 59/Custom with UOA5... What does it do? Well basically it takes some of the modern edge off. I don't think the top end is reduced at all. The highs do seem "softened," but the same amount of top end is still there. As usual, some of the low end and output is reduced with UOA5. As far as I can tell, it becomes what I would consider a "hot vintage pickup." What I mean by that is the "classic" qualities are a bit more emphasized and the modern edge is softened. The output is reduced a bit but still hotter than your typical vintage pickup.

I think it does sound pretty cool, but I still find the pickup to have a very loose feel and bright top end quality. UOA5 isn't going to make a drastic difference. Is it a better pickup after the magnet swap? Well if you want a modern twist on a classic pickup then no. If you want a classic twist to a modernized pickup then yes.

Now the Air mod. I had a left over set of plastic rings and smaller A5 magnet which seemed to have no problem installing in the pickup. It pretty much went back to the way it sounds stock except that some interesting qualities came out. I think the result is similar in a way to the UOA5 mod, but better. The smaller magnet didn't seem to reduce the output any, and it's basically the exact same sound as the stock pickup except that everything is softened a little, it feels a bit more natural and not so slippery-slidy loose as much as before, and it a bit cleaner in the way that an Air Norton is.

The bottom line: The UOA5 mod didn't impress me, but was nice; and the Air mod is almost a must-have.

I don't know if there is a way to substitute the plastic rings with electrical tape or some other kind of plastic or rubber material. I hope someone with that kind of knowledge could chime in and offer some explanations about the materials and how they will affect the magnetic field.

[formula73]

Cool write up, man! Thanks. I've been wondering about this air mod for a little while, myself, having never actually played any of the DMZ airbuckers. I figure a good place to start might be with this 500T I've got here. Pull the side magnets and slide something else in the middle like Itsabass did, except with an A5...hmm...

[UberMetalDood]

Cool write up, man! Thanks. I've been wondering about this air mod for a little while, myself, having never actually played any of the DMZ airbuckers. I figure a good place to start might be with this 500T I've got here. Pull the side magnets and slide something else in the middle like Itsabass did, except with an A5...hmm...

I've seen pickups with what looks to be thin graphite spacers and I wonder if those would make a good Air mod - provided you have a magnet small enough to fit.

[Ashurbanipal]

Interesting - an air mod has been my go-to method for cleaning up ceramic mudbuckers and just taming ceramic pups in general. Now you have to try Frank's 'vari air mod' .

When I did it, I just cut a strip of plastic following the measurements of the magnet side and it did the trick, like in the pic. As long as the materials are non-ferrous, they shouldn't have an effect per se, but I'd guess that the thickness would, as it affects the distance of the poles from the magnet.

[dazco]

Where can i read up on how to do the air mod?

[lazyfinger]

Not to hijack your thread UMD: I wonder if the PG/Custom pup would be different enough to justify... it might be worth trying if you don't find the C/59 as interesting as PG or Custom.

[formula73]

I've seen pickups with what looks to be thin graphite spacers and I wonder if those would make a good Air mod - provided you have a magnet small enough to fit.

I may have seen those. I wonder if cut up business card (or a jacked up old phone card) might work? Of course, the reason I was thinking of using the 500T is because it doesn't have a keeper. The center mag is a monster ceramic.

[UberMetalDood]

Not to hijack your thread UMD: I wonder if the PG/Custom pup would be different enough to justify... it might be worth trying if you don't find the C/59 as interesting as PG or Custom.

I don't know. I get a lot of information reading Blueman's posts.

I may have seen those. I wonder if cut up business card (or a jacked up old phone card) might work? Of course, the reason I was thinking of using the 500T is because it doesn't have a keeper. The center mag is a monster ceramic.

I never saw inside one, but those pickups are super hot. I'm not surprised that the magnet is huge. You could probably order a regular size ceramic mag and then it would give you room to experiment with different materials and sizes. I'd like to know why Dimarzio elected to go with minimal rings instead of thin vertical spacers like you're describing. It seems like it would work as well.

[King IzzO)))]

I may have seen those. I wonder if cut up business card (or a jacked up old phone card) might work? Of course, the reason I was thinking of using the 500T is because it doesn't have a keeper. The center mag is a monster ceramic.

I used a cut up credit card, worked perfect. The 500T is probably a perfect candidate to try it on. You'll need some side spacers too.

[LonePhantom]

I've just used some 3mm rubber sheet trimmed into shims to do half-air mods in the past, it works very nicely, and the material is quite cheap.

[zenmindbeginner]

I like using a toothpick.