Dimarzio Breed

[Dodger]

Gday im new on these forums. My first question for you all is what do you think of the dimarzio breed pickup? Im soon to replace the pick ups in my fender strat and do a H-S-S config and the breed sounds like my kinda thing but other opinions are always appreciated. By the way im talking about the bridge model.

 

[inter]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Hi Dodger,

Welcome to the forum.

There's alot of informative stuffed that's been posted about your question in previous threads. Do a quick search and see what you come up with (ie 'breed'). Once you've read the various opinions, let's hear what you think.

BTW, the paf pro is a cool Dimarzio Humbucker if your concerned about matching the ouput level of your single coils.

 

[RG 2570]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Gday im new on these forums. My first question for you all is what do you think of the dimarzio breed pickup? Im soon to replace the pick ups in my fender strat and do a H-S-S config and the breed sounds like my kinda thing but other opinions are always appreciated. By the way im talking about the bridge model.

the breed set was my first dimarzio replacements for my ibanez RG.
the bridge one is like a less bassy tone zone with not so much output.
the breed is real good for filling up the tone of thin sounding guitars.
they were designed for the jem guitars which have very thin necks and floating trems.
I was told that the trem and thinner neck make the overall tone thinner than a fixed bridge guitar with a chunkier neck and vai wanted his one jem to have a more classic les paul tone. i feel they did a good job since the breeds are very fat/warm toned

 

[Dills]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

I have a breed bridge model in my sg, they sound warm very balanced I actually was concerned about there being to much mids and bass, but once i put it through its paces it does have alot of mids and bass but the trebles still cut through, so in other words it sounds quite balanced almost like a PAF PRO but louder and fatter, and not as much presence as a paf pro. It is good if you want to warm up,fatten and replace a thin sounding bridge pickup that has to much shrill high end like my sg did.
My only concern is that its not as smooth as I would have liked, because it has alot of bite and has this sort of chick sound when picking, which is not a problem because the bridge always tends to have more bite than the neck. If you want a slightly lower output humbucker with more presence try the breed neck in the bridge.

The paf pro is also another good choice lower in output than both of the above but is more transparent and cuts through very well its also great with single coils cause it dosent drown them out. It took me a while to find a sweet spot with that pickup but once i found it it sounded really great. Better than all the above.

 

[guitarshredder]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Dills, what do you think about the Dimarzio Evolution's (Steve Vai), since your signature says that you've used them???

 

[Dills]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Dills, what do you think about the Dimarzio Evolution's (Steve Vai), since your signature says that you've used them???

Even though this is a breed thread: Evolutions to me are very high output humbuckers that are sometimes hard to control, very easy to get feedback and all sorts of werid responses from them (which is quite cool in a way) but to me they sound not very warm and mellow and the highs are quite sharp and peircing, which is great for cutting straight through in the mix, quite an agressive pup, and fairly tight sounding. Not my kind of thing tho.

 

[Dills]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

One of my friends once told me the Breed was one big, warm and friendly mass of midrange. :laugh2: With dropped tunings, it usually gets mushy and cannot cut through the mix easily because it doesn't have the aggressive midrange of the Tone Zone that would shoot out of the depth. But with regular tunings it's cool, except in mahogany and similar woods.

Note that Greg Howe uses a DiMarzio prototype in the bridge position on most of his guitars. It's called 'Sunny Caster', and according to DiMarzio's customer support, it's fairly close to the Breed. Get the Breed, Howe cannot be wrong. :13:

I think the breed is great for dropped tunings, real thick and smooth and that is in mahogany it is not muddy. and also i think it will work in any guitar that has a bridge spot that needs to be warmed up , including mahogany. Ive heard it sounds great in the bridge of strats. This is just my opinion to tone.

 

[Dodger]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Thanks for your replies,

Yeh considering the fact that the bridge position on strat is that piercing to the ears i was thinking the breed would be a good choice. Shouldnt be a problem if i dont like it since Dimarzio has such a good return policy, ive been considering maybe others such as the paf pro or even a tone zone but i dunno i just hear such mixed things about the tone zone but ill neva know until i try right?

I should have wateva pickups i eventually decide on in my guitar within the next week and ill tell you all how it goes.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

The Breed is a great pickup. That and the Air Zone are two of the best buckers that DiMarzio makes IMHO.

The Breed is big warm and full. Very similar to a JB but with a bit less "snarl" and a bit more bass.

Also it has two rows of adjustable hex screws which are WAY cool. You can really tune in on exactly how you like your string balance.

The DiMarzio that is under the radar.

 

[StrykeBack]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

how would you compare the air zone to the breed? I just put the air zone in the bridge and the virtual paf in the neck of my ibanez SZ. I really like the virtual paf, so warm and glossy. The air zone, I was expecting a lot more bass but I guess the bridge just isn't suppoed to have the same thumping bass as the neck position has. Thats only in cleans though, once it goes through my rocktron metal planet it sounds alright and the harmonics on it are great.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

how would you compare the air zone to the breed? I just put the air zone in the bridge and the virtual paf in the neck of my ibanez SZ. I really like the virtual paf, so warm and glossy. The air zone, I was expecting a lot more bass but I guess the bridge just isn't suppoed to have the same thumping bass as the neck position has. Thats only in cleans though, once it goes through my rocktron metal planet it sounds alright and the harmonics on it are great.

The Air Zone has a bit less mids than the Breed. Also a bit more top end.

You are right, the bridge will usually have much less bass than the neck. That is why you realy need to choose your neck pickup properly so it doesn;t overpower your bridge.

If you want more bass and the ABSOLUTE thickest bridge pickup that still isn't a metal pickup, try the Rio Grand BBQ. Think of it like a JB/AirZone/Breed but with noticeably more bass and less highs. Oh, and just as much "snarl" as the JB.

It is SO thick however, that the Rio Grande Genuine Texas neck may be the best match for it. The BBQ EASILY overpowers the Pearly Gates, '59 and Jazz necks in the thickness department.

 

[Dodger]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Ive just ordered a dimarzio Breed bridge model direct from the Dimarzio distributer in Melbourne . It will be at my door in less then 2 weeks free shipping. Ill tell you all how it goes.

I was actually considering the Air Zone aswell but just felt some underlying power telling me to get the Breed. If im not totally satisfied with it ill send it back and give the Air Zone a try.

 

[StrykeBack]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

hah, and dimarzios' tech guys thought my guitar would be too dark with all the mohogany....Well I really don't want to change the virtual PAF in the neck. I love it. They seem to match well, I might try and raise up the bridge pup just a bit more closer to the strings and see if I can't pick up so more lower end. Will that mess with the sustain at all because ofthe magnets?

And yeah, I had heard about the bbq sets but are those just for country or how much do those go for?

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

And yeah, I had heard about the bbq sets but are those just for country or how much do those go for?

Just for "country"? What would make a pickup only suitable for country? Too much pickup truck?

Only kidding man! Look at pickups by their EQ, output and tonal character instead of categorizing them by genre.

The Rio Grande guys like their pickups big warm punchy and fat. So that is what the BBQ (bridge) and Genuine Texas (neck) are. Rio only makes two true humbuckers and those are them.

Think Billy Gibbons in the fatness department. Or SRV if he used humbuckers. Warren Haynes. REALLY fat. It could be too much for a bass heavy guitar depending on your taste. Makes an SG sound more like a Les Paul. They are big and loud, but not a "distortion" class pickup. About as much output as a JB, with a very similar "snarly" "growly" push in the mids. MUCHO balls. Can get real nasty or sweet. Well rounded.


I personally LOVE the set in my #1 SG. It's what the guitar should have come with in my opinion. They knocked the JB/PG set out of there (and I HIGHLY recommend the JB/PG set). They are not cheap, about $100 each (I have nickel covers), but are handmade and absolutely worth it if you like the sound.

Also, the Rios are not NEARLY as bright as many pickups. The top end is very warm. For me, they allow me to actually USE the treble control on my amps (I used to keep the treble and presence "off"). I find the Rios VERY balanced when used together in the same guitar (Texas & BBQ), and I can now make full use of the EQ controls of the amp. I can even use the "bright" switch if I want to (I never was able to before).

They clean up VERY VERY well (especially single notes which sound big and clear), and have an enormous amount of warm crunch if you distort them. The "in between" sound (both pickups on) is like a real Tele. There's your country sound. Perfect.

If your guitar has any issue with thinness they can be a godsend. Quite a few people on this forum have a strong opinion both pro and con of the Rios. I am one who loves em.

 

[StrykeBack]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Yeah, I've heard nothing but good reviews of them....i wonder what they would sound like in an ibanez artcore hollowbody? Was looking at getting one of those, since i obviously wouldnt' be using it for high gain distortion. That is one thing I wanted to be able to do with my SZ.

Now that I've played it more and messed with the eq I think I'l be happy with the virtual PAF/ airzone set I have for now. the airzone sounds really good with my rocktron metal planet pedal...gives it a very high gain distortion feel like a mesa rectifier. Actually the guy from Pillar Has the exact same pickups through a rectifier and I love his distortion tone. I guess if I want the U2 strat tone i can coil tap my airzone and get their perfectly...odd.

Warren Haynes was someone that I thought his tone was awesome. I have the Dave matthews live in central park dvd and that guy plays a couple songs with them with huge solos and his gibson sounds awesome. My v. paf will probably get me most of the way there, it would be the amp that would have to take me the rest of the way on his tone...oh yeah and his fingers too

 

[Dills]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

hah, and dimarzios' tech guys thought my guitar would be too dark with all the mohogany....Well I really don't want to change the virtual PAF in the neck. I love it. They seem to match well, I might try and raise up the bridge pup just a bit more closer to the strings and see if I can't pick up so more lower end. Will that mess with the sustain at all because ofthe magnets?

And yeah, I had heard about the bbq sets but are those just for country or how much do those go for?

Country u must be kidding :burnout:

 

[Majestic]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

Dills, what do you think about the Dimarzio Evolution's (Steve Vai), since your signature says that you've used them???

I think the Evolution is an OUTSTANDING pickup, when put in the RIGHT guitar.

In a JEM, or any other thin guitar, with a thin, bolt-on neck, and and a stainless steel Floyd Rose bridge, it's going to sound annoying.

When I took it out of my Ibanez, and put it in my hardtail Charvel, I was nothing short of stunned. (this was 8 years ago, before I had the valuable input from these forums).

It's only about a 13k wind, which is about medium output. It's clear, tight, and agressive, with great note separation. Unfortunately, I suspect it sounds best in the guitars owned by players who AREN'T LOOKING for the type of sound that an Evolution offers.

Basically, I think it sounds great in a hardtail guitar, especially one without a Floyd. It's not my primary guitar, nor my primary sound, but it's become more than a "stunt" guitar to me. I think it's great. Sort of like a Duncan Custom, but even tighter and more focused.

Putting in a warmer sounding guitar can take the pickup from "annoying" to "open & aggressive", without question.

 

[The Don]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

After playing my Distortion-equipped Gibby LP Custom and my Breed-equipped Alder bodied, cheapo American Strat, I've come to a startling conclusion...

The Breed in my Strat can go toe-to-toe with the Les Paul at relatively high volume levels!

The Breed-equipped Strat seemingly overpowered a Les Paul while I was jamming with someone... and to my ears, there is only a slight difference between the Strat and the DD-equipped Pauly. That difference came in rhythm guitar - Metallica, Maiden-esque. Leads sounded just as thick and full with the Strat as the Les Paul, if not a little thicker. Just because the specs say the Breed has chopped treble and increased warmth doesn't mean it lacks BITE, especially in the bridge position of a Strat!

 

[Dills]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

The Breed-equipped Strat seemingly overpowered a Les Paul while I was jamming with someone... and to my ears, there is only a slight difference between the Strat and the DD-equipped Pauly. That difference came in rhythm guitar - Metallica, Maiden-esque. Leads sounded just as thick and full with the Strat as the Les Paul, if not a little thicker. Just because the specs say the Breed has chopped treble and increased warmth doesn't mean it lacks BITE, especially in the bridge position of a Strat!

The breed definelty has alot of bite, even tho the treble is slighlty rolled off I think thats what makes it cut through, especially in the mids.

 

[adrian]

Re: Dimarzio Breed

I have a Breed in the bridge my Strat; see picture. It´s basswood body, Kahler trem and ebony finger board, so it´s not so easy to get right pickups. But I have had the Breed for almost two years now, and have no thoughts to change. It´s warm and fat and covers everything I need to do in the heavy rock and blues department. It can be split too, so I sometimes use the second single coil (not closest to bridge) for fat country twang.