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8K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  The_Grindfiend 
#1 ·
How would you describe the mids of the Breed bridge PU? The tone chart says it has more mids than the heavy-middy/bassy Tone Zone!!. Do you think it's true? How are the mids in comparison with the Norton mids , or the PAF Pro mids?
I am seeking for very fat mids (think Vai's tone on Jibboom), but not too much (no boring only-middy tone).
I tried Evo and TZ but didn't like them too much. I'am torn between PAF Pro/Norton and Breed.

Ced777
 
#2 ·
The Breed if memory serves right, is a hotter PafPro (like i said i think) so it has the same overall sound, but with added bite

I find the Breeds most versatile, but it's not just a harmonic demon, it's very well balanced to my ears, and has some great tones locked away inside

If you like the PafPro's i'm sure you'll dig the Breed

HTH

Rob
 
#3 ·
I agree, I love my breeds they are a nice fat Paf Pro. They have a lot of lower mid's to them so they aren't nasely, instead they sound very fat with a lot of attack. Harmonics are everywhere, it just doesn't scream like an Evo or a Fred would in the higher registers of the B and E string. But these things still wail!
 
#4 ·
I like PAF Pro mids (fat to my ear without being to prononced or overwhelming). If a Breed is a hotter PAF-Pro, it would be the deal I think. It is a bit surprising because the tone chart says PAF Pro and Breed are really different:

PAF Pro: good treble, few bass, not so much mids.
Breed: less treble, LOTs of mids, lots of bass (closer to a TZ)

I know that numbers and tone chart doesn't reflect the reality all the time.... My fear about the Breed is that this PU has too much mids. unbalanced PU are quickly boring to my ear. I had a Duncan Custom Custom but didnt like it: too much mids.

Breed = hotter PAF Pro is right?

Ced777
 
#5 ·
I recently played a JEM7DBK with the Breeds and was impressed with them. They are quite different than the EVOs which I'm used to, but I think I like them better. They seem more refined, and are fatter and rounder. Not to say you can't make them scream, because they'll definitely do that. However, they'll also do some things the EVO won't.
 
#7 ·
DiMarzio Breed
(Passive humbucker)

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Submitted at: 10:11, 9/11/2003

Product Info
Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:
Price Paid: US $59
Purchased from: replacement from DiMarzio for Tone Zone

Instrument
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.

Sound
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.

Overall Rating
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. :)

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value

Submitted by: Mac-P <jamming@optonline.net>

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#9 ·
Ok, I found the perfect combo for my PRS: Fred bridge, PAF Joe neck.

Next guitar now: my Ibanez S470 "custom" (mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fretboard).

I tried today a PAF Pro in bridge slot. I found it to be less open and bitey than the Fred. Harmonics are not so easy to obtain. The PAF Pro has a high-mid spike. The FRED is supposed to be more middy, but I found that the FRED has more of a open/balanced tone, treble/mids/bass are there. The Fred mids are wider, I don't hear a narrow spike in mids. PAF Pro is middier to my ear: less treble, a high mid spike, good bass.

What other PU can I try? I don't want to put another FRED (I want to change). I would like a bit more "over the top" PU, more output.

What I need: clarity, bite, lots of harmonics, power, fatness. Open tone if possible (like PAF Pro and FRED, not like TZ or Norton)

I tried : Evo (too cold and harsh, but incredible harmonics), TZ (too much bass, lacks clarity), Norton (not enough open, like dynamics, a bit compressed), PAF Pro (lacks output, too much nasal, harmonics are not easy to have).

My next choice could be a Breed. Fatness, power, clarity. I am just afraid it would not have enough bite and harmonics.

Others ideas?

Ced777
 
#11 ·
You could be right. I tried the TZ a long time ago but I can remember it was too middy/bassy for my tastes (but it was another guitar/amp). If no the Breed, maybe the Airzone? Less bass, better clarity?

But I don't trust too much the Dimarzio's tone chart. The descriptions are pretty accurate, but the treble/mid/bass don't give you always a good view of the reality.

I tried a Virtual PAF too (neck and bridge). I really would like to find a Virtual PAF bridge with more output, more power. It was a winner, but lacks output for my style (harmonics were a bit hard to produce, but the overall tone was great).

I will receive soon a Duncan Distortion. Seems to be the Evolution with a bit more fatness. Could be the deal.

Ced777
 
#12 ·
the breed neck is the fatter paf pro,i talked to steve blucher at dimarzio about this,he told me if you like the pro but want more fattness/output get a breed neck model and you can use it in the bridge spot with a pro in the neck or just use 2 breed neck pups, in your guitar
he also told me that the breed bridge one is right in the middle of a tone zone and norton :wink:
 
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