DiMarzio Breed

Mid/high output passive humbucker.
Tested at 356k.

Installed in an Ibanez Jem777sp.
Installed in the bridge position.
Replacing Dimarzio PAF Pro.
I also have an Dimarzio Steve's Special in the neck position.
I have tried alot of different pickups in the bridge position.
Including the FRED and Steve's Special. My main reason for changing it was, I thought the other ones lacked mids.

To me it is not as High of an output as Dimarzio describes it to be.
I would say it's a mid to high output. My Steve's Special had more output. I am using a Yamaha T100c Soldano signature tube amp with an Acoustic 468 cab and a Boss GT-6 for added effects.
This pickup has a lot of mids. Highs are smooth which is very important to me. Low end is a little muddy when strings are struck a bit too hard. I play instrumental rock/metal and some progressive rock as well. I think that this pickup is really good for screaming harmonics, even better then the FRED. However, I would not recommend it for neck position because of the muddy low ends. Let's face it, the neck pickups give you almost twice the 1/4 more bass then the bridge.

If I had a problem with this pickup I would replace it.
I've been playing for 18 years now. I also have an Ibanez SG style guitar that I have installed the Steve's Special in the bridge position. A Gibson Nighthawk Standard, a Gibson ES335 with the FRED in the bridge position and a Yamaha Classical.
This is where this pickup really shines : picking response! AWESOME!
Picking lightly produces a nice clear even sound. Pick harder and the sound just comes out like a raging bull! This is great! I still think Dimarzio could of lowered the low end response of this pickup though. I would really like to get a real Bill Lawrence but the waiting time before you get one is quite long.

Humbucker with 12 adjustable pole pieces

Bridge position in my Ibanez RGA121. It's a mahogany body, thick maple cap with a bolt on rosewood neck. Also installed a PAF Joe in the neck. Both pickups were recommended by Steve Blucher of DiMarzio.

I had to replace the Ibanez V8 because the bass wasn't particularly distinct. It was a little floppy.

Medium high output compared to the V8. Less bass, but it has clarity and balance. Middy and not too trebly.

I emailed DiMarzio tech for advice: "First, I want the best compromise to get both a Metallica Black Album guitar sound and a Social Distortion sound. Second, it should sound reasonable without distortion. I like to hear rich tones when I chord. I like a full tone it being too dull or mellow."

It hits the mark. Seems to have great balance for the construction of the guitar and using heavy diostortion. Not dark sounding at all, but middy, punchy and clear. Fooling around on my Roland Cube 30 recto channel, it doesn't get buried by the effects. The V8 did. The combo sounds more musical rather than the V8's lack of clarity and clustered low end sound. V8 isn't a bad pickup, the Breed is just that much better.

Through my G Major, Mesa 20/20, Celestion Vintage 30 it is first rate.

Would buy again. Playing for 35 years and like balance in a guitar without giving up too much ground in any particular area. It's got to sound sweet, punchy and powerful.

Passive humbucking pickup with medium to high output

This was the stock bridge pickup in the Jem 7DBK, although I soon replaced it! Steve Vai uses this pickup on rare occasion.

The output of the breed bridge pickup is mid-high output. I was using the Jem 7DBK with a Mesa Boogie DC-5 head and minimal effects. For me, this pickup was incredibly middy in the bridge and did not have a good EQ balance. The tone lacked character and sounded fairly dull. I replaced the pickup in little time.

I've been playing around 11 years and have tried a number of guitars and pickups. For me, a good bridge pickup will inspire you to play and be creative. If the sound is pleasing to your ear, that will happen naturally right? Well, this pickup just wasn't able to do that for me. I truly believe it sounds somewhat uninspiring and stale. The only good thing I can say about the tone, is that the highs roll off nicely and are not harsh. Its decent for lead work due to the cutting mids, but is garbage for rhythm.

Overall I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this pickup. I honestly believe tons of players out there "think" they like this pickup just because its a Steve Vai model. Perhaps they like the idea that such a guitar virtuoso endorses and (rarely) uses the unit. Either way, the EQ is not well balanced, and the pickup is a heaping pile of mids, lacking character. Its decent for lead work, which is why I can give it a 6, but altogether, I expect more out of a good bridge pickup.

Humbucker.
See www.dimarzio.com for more details.

Installed in Ibanez RG2550 Prestige. Bridge posistion. I replaced DiMarzio/Ibz pickup (oryginal RG2550 pickup).

Other pickups on guitar - Dimarzio Air Norton (neck)
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): metal, instrumental rock, blues
Reason for pickup change: looking for "that" sound. Standard RG Prestige pickups aren't good enogh IMO.

It's mid-power rather than high-power pickup. It has enough output to play rock, clasic metal (heavy) and suit well for light music (jazz, blues). Not for death/black stuff.

I'm using Laney TF-720+Celestion V30 cab and Hafler T-2 preamp as drive before amp.

It's fantastic balanced !!! Mids are great, trebles round (but still not enough for me), basses tigh and not muddy ! To have warmer sound maybe I should change my guitar.

You can play power chords with - they sound nice ! Maybe because this pickup dosn't have realy high output.

If it was destroyed or stolen I would try other pickup maybe. Breed is great and suit me well but... a'm just curios.
I wont' change my pickups untill I will buy good amp (Carvin, B52 or Marshall tube amp) and then I will see how it realy sounds !
I've played Seymour Hot Rails and SH-6 Super Distortion, DiMarzio Tone Zone before. Breed is diffrent pickup - not just output and power. It has something more inside. Try one !!!

These are moderately high output, but fairly compressed humbucking pickups.

Installed in Ibanez SZ520, both positions. Numerous other pickups were tried in this guitar, see precise comparisons below. Changing the pickups due to neverending "quest for tone." Guitar is mahogany body with thick maple cap, very bright sounding, 500k pots.

Breed bridge: I love the Breed bridge for rock and metal. It's fairly compressed sounding, VERY middy, but not quite as bassy or lacking in treble as the DiMarzio tone chart would suggest. I've had a lot of Seymour Duncan pickups in this exact guitar, so I can explain this pickup in those terms. It is most similar to a Duncan Custom Custom, very smooth and middy, but it is more balanced than the CC, with more bass. Overall, the E.Q. is more similar to the ceramic Duncan Custom, which I like a lot, but there is less bass and a lot less treble. There is a slight delay in the attack that is reminiscent of the Duncan Full Shred, but it is far less noticeable, and the Breed bridge doesn't have the FS's boxy-sounding lowermids. Someone on the Duncan forums described this as a "polite" sounding pickup, and I have to agree, though it is well balanced but midrangey, warm, sustainy, and sounds great for rock and light metal. There is a roundness to the tone, for lack of a better word, that makes my Ibanez sound like a much more expensive guitar (namely, a PRS). BRIDGE RATING: 10.

Breed neck: I am still getting used to this. It's a good sounding pickup, and a perfect match for the bridge model, but it doesn't have the zing or life of a Seymour Duncan '59 neck model, which sounds incredible for leads in this guitar. I did pull the '59n, though, because it sounded garbled under high gain. The Breed neck has the exact right amount of power and sustain that I wanted for a neck pickup, it's just a little flat sounding, that's all. There is more emphasis on the bottom of the notes than the mids, and switching to the bridge from the neck is like turning on a Tubescreamer. I think putting in some regular screws and pulling a row of the hex poles might open it up. I've also had an Air Norton in the neck, but that was boomy, hollow, and too hot. I think that it's a good rhythm pickup, but it sounds kind of faded for solos, so in that respect, it's the opposite of a '59. Still, the in-between position sounds great, and having the bassier neck version mades a good, but subtle, tonal change when I want it. NECK RATING: 7.

My major criticism of this set is that it's all or nothing: spinning the volume knob does nothing to sweeten or temper the sound, and there are practically no changes until the pickups snap off when the knob reaches a full spin. Likewise, with 500k tone, rolling back the tone knob only muddies things up a bit. Of the two, I like the bridge pickup immensely, and I think the neck pickup is okay. Also, I had to set them right up next to the strings to get the best sound, and sometimes the strings hit the polepieces and make a noise because of that. I have never had that issue with any of the Duncans I have used. But then again, I never found a Duncan E.Q.'d exactly the way I wanted--the Duncan Custom was close, but harsh on the top end. I use the bridge pickup more than anything, and I think the Breed Bridge is fantastic.

I would buy the Breed Bridge again in a heartbeat. It is the warmest bridge pickup I've ever played, and I have played a lot (and wasted a lot of cash swapping out pickups, including Duncan Custom Shop ones like the EVH, plus JB, Demon, Distortion, Pearly Gates, etc.). It sustains perfectly, and works fine for rhythm. I would probably think of something else for the neck, but I might come back to the Breed neck again anyway, just because it opens up the bridge model's possibilities, and it's got the compressed dynamics I like. I am leaving the neck in there, though, it sounds fine and reserved, and I've done enough to my credit card bill by endlessly swapping out pickups.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Artist 1980 and Les Paul Standard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: super distortion
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): rock and metal
Reason for pickup change: The Super Distortion was too muddy

Perceived output level: Very punchy. without the mud
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: 1980 Ibanez artist or Les Paul into a Mesa Boogie Nomad 45

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: It's perfect. I have tried all kinds of pickups: super distortion, evolution, tone zone, norton, duncan distortion and none of them worked. I have finally found the pickup I want.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 13K [i think]

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG470
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Standard Ibanez V7 OR V8
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Tone Zone
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): Rock/pop/metal
Reason for pickup change: I was looking for a set of pickups that would give me more tone rather than lots of gain.

Perceived output level: Hot it`s about the same as a super distortion pickup
Tone: Bassy but not to muddy.
Sonic evaluation: Beringher Vamp, Pod xt, Marshall JMP1

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play everything from covers of 60`s 70`s 80`s + rock/metal this pickup handles everything very well.

Comments: if this pickup was stolen i wouldn`t buy another one, not for any other reason than it isn`t the sound that i`m after. if you play heavy, heavy metal ie. Metallica etc. then this pickup is for you if not i don`t think its really any better than the V7/V8 that it replaced. which had a better clearer and more toppy Tone in the neck position.[my personnel prefrance]not a bad pickup just not me.

Pickup features: Humbucking / passive / med-high output
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Tom Anderson
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan 59'
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarizo Fast Track 1 neck and Virtual Vintage 54 middle
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): jazz, fusion, and anything I am called to do in order to make a living
Reason for pickup change: an experiment

Perceived output level: more than a 59' Duncan but similar in dynamics and overall sensitivity / far less than a super Distortion but a similar tone
Tone: very even and responsive with no weird boosted frequencies like many of the newer dimarzio pickups
Sonic evaluation: This guitar is a Tom Anderson Hollow Drop Top and the amp is dependant on the gig. the three rigs are 1. A Bogner Shiva head and a Mesa 1x12 3/4 back cab for any thing that is to feature me (blues gigs or fusion gigs) 2. a Holland 1x12 Lobo 20 with a Boss Blues Driver for any needed gain (small room Blues Gigs and jam sessions) 3. a polytone baby taurus (1x8 85 watts rms) with a old Digitech RP3 for verb, delay, chorus (for any clubdate, reggae, straight ahead, or a gig where my amp is only a small moniter). This pickup is great with all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: jazz and fusion are my passions but I play all styles in order to do this for a living

Comments: I originally bought a Virtual PAF based on the description on the Dimarzio website. A store was having a buy 2 dimarzio pickups and get one for $40 off so though I have never really liked Dimarzio humbuckers as much as Duncans after buying two Virtual vintage single coils I went for the Paf job. It was a vile over trebly over present non dynamic thing which was not what I wanted. So I called Dimarzio tech support and told their guy that I wanted a pickup with a similar tone to a Duncan 59'. He suggested I try the Breed neck in the Bridge and offered to exchange the pickup for no additional cost so I aggreed. While waiting I put a spare 59' in and was totally satisfied. Well after a year I just got an itch to try the thing out and wired it in. IT IS INCREDIBLE. It has all the sensitivity of the 59 and is equally smooth but somehow is much more articulate in high gain situations without sounding harsh. It is my new Favorite bridge pickup ( I really never though anything would make me leave my trusted 59') It sounds very similar to a super distortion without so much output that the clean is unpleasant and it seems to sustain a bit better than the Duncan as well. I LOVE THIS PICKUP. I guess I am supposed to state my qualifications so you have some idea of my tonal knowledge. I have been playing for 32 years (but I am only 35 damnit), have a masters degree in jazz performance, Teach jazz guitar and jazz studies at 3 universites (how I wish one would give me a faculty job), and gig regularly in whatever situation pays best as well as with my Fusion group CountItOff in festival situations.

Pickup features: humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs: see web site for details

Model of guitar or bass: rg 2550 ex VB
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock ibz/dimarzios
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Vai, and enyone who buys them
You musical style(s): rock, metal, jazz, blues
Reason for pickup change: Ive never heard or tried these, they had great feedback on them.

Perceived output level: fairly high, but not super distorted. A very usable amount.
Tone: Balanced with a bassy undertone. Very middy when using single note phraseing solos. Very Clear and defined. They are NOT trebly or thin!
Sonic evaluation: Using them with Ibanez guitars w/ Edge pro trems, through a Carvin Legacy halfstack. This combonation is very versitle in sonic styles.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly rock and metal, some progressive and jazz, blues. Its a good all-around pickup that will do almost anything you want it to.

Comments: If it was destoryed or stolen, id be ordering another pair the same day. My search is over, ive got the pickups i wanted finnaly. Ive tried Evolutions, Fred, gibson PAF's, and various crapy vendors. These are the final word in pickups

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG 62 re-issue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio Tone Zone
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates
Artists using this pickup: Steve Vai
You musical style(s): Jamband, funk, fusion, reggae, rock, bluegrass, latin, etc
Reason for pickup change: Tone Zone was horrible. Needed more warmth and clarity.

Perceived output level: Powerful, but not too powerful. Not a distortion class pickup, but definitley more ballsy than a vintage pickup. Perfect for an anemic bridge slot to balance with the neck.
Tone: Warm, solid and clear. Much clearer and warmer than the Tone Zone. Less distortion and more mids. Much more natural sounding. Less treble as well.
Sonic evaluation: My main gigging rig is my SG through a Fender Blues Jr. and a whole bunch of vintage Boss effects. I use clean sounds much of the time (at least half). Amp set "clean with edge" (pre-amp on 4). Distortion currently provided by an old vintage Boss SD-1. I use my volume knobs a lot to control everything.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play jam band stuff (Deady, Phishy, Allmansy, reggae funk fusion soul stuff). There is LOTS of improv and single notes, so I like a very full bodied tone both clean and distorted.

Comments: I agree with the reviewer who said that this pickup deserves to be more popular than it is. This is one amazing pickup. And I am 100% a guitar geek who has tried everything.
I originally wanted to warm up the anemic bridge slot in a 62 re-issue SG. For those of us who know, the SG's bridge can get quite bright and shrill. Also the neck pickup always seems louder and bigger because of the positioning and extra bass. So I wanted a bridge pickup that was louder (but clear) with much more bass, more lower mids, and rounded off treble (I always found myself lowering the tone control).
I am a proud member of the Seymour Duncan forum and 1st tried a Duncan Custom 5 (alnico V magnet) due to all the hype on the boards. I was bitterly dissapointed. It was totally lacking in mids and it was WAAAAY too bright. The lack of mids made the brightness seem worse, and the guitar got much "smaller sounding". So so so thin. Ugh.
So someone suggested the Duncan Custom, which is the same pickup with a ceramic magnet (which adds mids over the alnico V). It definitley added mids, but there was a lack of low end, and even MORE treble (ouch). Still, due to the added mids the pickup sounded "bigger" in the mix. But no go.
Next tried the DiMarzio Air Zone after checking out the chart. That was very very good. A very nice pickup. Much warmer than both Duncans, more mids, more audible in the mix. Sinlge note solos sound wonderful. Beautiful singing voice. Great pickup. But there was still slightly too much treble for my taste (the SG's bridge position is RIGHT by the bridge, so it is REALLY bright).
Next tried the DiMarzio Tone Zone. Don't know why. Absolutely horrible. Like an Air Zone with a cheap overdrive pedal on it all the time. Not clear at the same settings that all the other pickups were clear at. Boo. Seemed even brighter due to the "edge" factor. No way. I can't believe this pickup is as popular as it is. The Air Zone is SO much clearer and "high quality" sounding.
Next I threw in an old pre-logo Duncan JB I had lying around. That was actually VERY nice. The JB is a very "mid voiced" pickup, so the guitar instantly became bigger in the mix of the band. Many people slag the Duncan for being too bright, but it isn't nearly as bright as the Duncan Customs. JBs tend to have more mids and less bass and treble. The JB sounded really nice, but I still wanted more bass and even a little less treble (I threw that JB in another SG where it remains).
.....AND I knew that I still hadn't tried the DiMarzio Breed. So I sent back the Tone Zone (DiMarzio's return policy is top notch), and got a Breed.
Problems solved....almost. The Breed has slightly more mids and slightly less treble than the Air Zone. I liked it. A lot. Solos sounded great. Much of the same qualities as the Air Zone. Very similar pickups. As a matter of fact, the Breed and Duncan JB are very very similar as well. They both have very strong mid content that makes the guitar "bigger sounding" with a band. Great for single notes. The Breed is more powerful than both the Air Zone and JB. A bit more "umph".
.....but I found that my high end woes were still there. So being that the Breed is pretty mcuh the warmest pickup you can get (that I know of), I changed the volume and tone pots on the bridge postion to 250k pots (and kept the 500k's at the neck). Problem SOLVED. Awesome (for those of you who don't know, a lower value pot will bleed off more treble to ground). That shaved that extra treble right off the top, and the pickup is full bodied, warm and rich. Blends perfectly with the Duncan Pearly Gates at the neck (my favorite neck humbucker by the way). There is still plenty of treble and the pickup still sounds like a bridge position. :-)