I don't get the hype with Fishman Fluence

[youngthrasher9]

I like them. I like the classics in my Jackson, they’re actually pretty versatile. The moderns, in my opinion, do two things very well (split cleans and chugsss), and do crunch tones not awesome in my opinion.

 

[Dayn]

I have the Abasi 8s in my RG2228. I used to have EMG808s, then EMG808s with the 18v mod, then EMG808Xs, then EMG808Xs with the 9v mod, then finally the Abasi 8s. The tonal variety, the overall sound, and the responsiveness felt far ahead of my EMGs.

My Strandberg Boden Prog 7 came with Fluence Moderns. I like them a lot, but now that I've tuned it down a full-step the sound is incredible.

I'll be getting another 7 with Fluence Moderns at some point. I have plenty of guitars with passive pickups too. I dunno, I just like the sound of all of them, all the pickups have different character but all blend together with the same amp settings, so it's all much of a muchness.

 

[Grindspine]

I have Fluence Moderns in my Legator 8 string. I do like that they have the tight sound that I expect from a multiscale with active pickups. I also like that they have a push-pull voicing option on the two pickups.

I do not like that the battery life is shorter than the EMG 81, 85, 81x, 60x, 66-7, and 57-7 that I have used. With EMGs, I typically noted the signal sounding a bit anemic before total failure. With Fluences, I pressed record and had the battery die so quickly that it sounded like a bit-crusher pedal. I ended up saving that take on a recording and using it for an intro, but to emulate it, I pretty much just drop my guitar volume to equal the threshold of my Decimator II pedal.

As long as you watch the battery life, the Fluences have been perfectly solid pickups in that guitar for me.

 

[cindarkness]

Fishman EMG

I have both, well 7 string vs 6 string but still - I like em both. If anything the Fishmans are more versatile.

 

[Guamskyy]

I had regular moderns in a Schecter 7 string that came stock with them, and I hated them. Everything for me sonically was emphasized in the wrong places, and to top it all off the clean tones weren’t that great either.

Luckily, I got a deal on some abasi moderns and switched them out: that was when I was convinced on fishmans. One day I’d like to try classics, but until then, abasi moderns >>>

 

[Asdrael]

Gimme a pickup that's voiced like a classic EMG 81/60 set on V1, Duncan SH-5/Jazz set on V2, and V3 is voiced like an old Tele or something.

Isn’t that basically the Townsend set? I have it in my RGA321 and while it’s good, I still really do not like the active voices. Thanks for reminding me I should sell it lol

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Isn’t that basically the Townsend set? I have it in my RGA321 and while it’s good, I still really do not like the active voices. Thanks for reminding me I should sell it lol

apparebtly the Devs are voiced even smoother and darker than EMGs.

 

[Asdrael]

apparebtly the Devs are voiced even smoother and darker than EMGs.

I don’t have a lot of experience with EMGs nor with other Fluences to place them in regards to each other but compared to passives pickups I have experience with, the Devs are still hot, bright and compressed as fuck when in active mode. Passive is an okayish humbucker, split (neck) is the strength of the setup imo.

Then again I am not an active guy so ymmv.

 

[Demogorgoth]

I tried an Fishman Fluence Modern out considering how popular they’ve become in extreme metal, thinking it’d get me a more saturated, thicker sound. Granted it’s only the bridge pickup in a 6 string Black Metal Arrow, but it ended up being the total opposite of what I expected. Thinner low end, honky mid range, brighter high end.
Ended up throwing an EMG 81 Metal works in using the Fishman pots and wiring and it’s just everything I was chasing. I even went back to the Fishman after a bit just to make sure I gave it a proper shot and found the same results.
Some really love the Fishmans but for me, it’d be an immediate EMG swap for a new guitar.

 

[Destropiate]

I have not used Fishmans so I have no idea how they stack up. I still use the old EMG 81/85 set in my Les Paul. My 7 string RG has a Dimarzio D-activator in it, and I have a Squier Contemporary Jazzmaster with their SQR actives in it. Its insane how similar I can make those guitars all sound just by adjusting the gain on my amp/boost pedal, and my graphic EQ.
My thought process on pickups swaps now is that Im only doing it if a guitar doesnt have the level of output I want. There are so many other options for tone shaping, unless you are a plug straight into the amp kinda guy.

 

[ronster]

I wasn't familiar with them until 2019 and tried some out. The thing is that when you get non-Fishman pickups, every one of them will sound different due to the nature of how they are built. Fishman uses a building process that makes every pickup sound exactly the same so you know what you're getting. I now have them on 4 different guitars, and I personally like them a lot. To each their own, I get it. Having multiple voicing options makes each guitar much more useful.

If you have active pickups of any brand, I highly recommend using Fishman's rechargeable battery system. It gives 100% power to your actives until it's completely depleted. I have added them to numerous guitars, and they work way better than a 9v battery.

Rock on, my friends. I just wanted to share some information I learned while investigating their pickups.

 

[Metallica35]

I tried them a while back. The different voicing feature is cool, but the modern active setting was extremely bright and the low end was muddy. The passive voicing on the modern pickups had a brutal low-mid range bump. I forget exactly what frequency it was. I want to say it was around 700hz or so. It was awful. No matter what I did, it made me sound like I was copying Tosin's tone from Animals as Leaders (cool tone, but not what i was going for). I'll stick to my EMG-57/66s or BKP Warpigs. If it ain't broken don't fix it...

 

[HATEMORPH]

Personally, I really fell in love with them and they’re my favorite pickup. For me they sonically fit perfectly within my amp settings but, above all, the articulation and consistency with its sound are excellent.
I have multiple guitars with them and the beauty of it all is I can literally pinpoint the differences in sound due to the specific guitars hardware and woods(even just slight sonic variations).
Rather than having a great sounding EMG 81 or Seymour Duncan blackout in the bridge and then having a different guitar with the same pickup, yet the guitar just doesn’t seem as great as the other. I’ve had so many EMGs (81 specifically) sound horrendous in a guitar, but used a different EMG 81 and it brought it back to life. I don’t have these problems with my FF modern guitars.

That’s just my experience, I haven’t had any bad ones, thankfully.

If anyone is looking for a real “EMG 81” sound from Fishaman, check out the Mick Thomson sig set and I’ve heard the Devin Townsend set, too, but I haven’t tried them, so I can’t give an opinion.

 

[MAJ Meadows SF]

Drank my hater-aid this AM so time to shine: I generally hate the Fluence line. Tried quite a few, and can’t find a fit for my ears and rigs. The Moderns that came in my ESP USA were plucked out within days (waiting for the right covered EMGx set to arrive). They did have great harmonics to be honest. But those bright, cocked wah voicings don’t work with Marshalls and similar clones. The SLO was the only tolerable pairing, although I only had cabs with V30s at the time. Years ago I tried the Merrows and had the same conclusions. I get what they are spaced for, and if I had an 8 string I would be more inclined for them sitting in those tunings to thumpidy bumpidy clank clank in absurdly low tunings (that’s a lie; I’d only be playing the same handful of Meshuggah riffs).

The KsE set was the first I ever tried and was so shocked at how disappointed I was. If you listen to the live recording they did during the commie quarantine years and compare to other recordings with EMGs, it’s stark how bright and wah’ish they sound vs EMGs.

Mick Thomson’s set is the only Fishman’s I jive with, and I think it’s because they have more of an EMG flavor. So I agree with the OP: not a fan. I love their piezo stuff, especially the Power Bridge & Chip system. But not my thing for pickups. Someone mentioned the Blackouts: I do like the AHB2 and AHB1, in that order. Especially if you remove the shunt to drop the output, or wire the pins to a toggle so you can use it as a boost, the pickup is mean. I left the one in my LTD SD-2 to have a different sounding voice to the EMG loaded axes.

 

[Alex_C]

I have a set in one of my Kiesel 7 strings. They are OK, but the cocked wah sound takes a moment to get used to. I also get some mud on some of my amp models vs the Kiesel Polarity pickups.

 

[wrdleatr54]

I don't care for them either. They lack the punch of active pickups. The Open Core Classic that came with on my Jackson Modern Ash 7 is pathetic. I replaced it with the Open Core Modern which is barely any better. Can't wait to get rid of them but I'd have to do some routing to fit something else in there.
That said, Fishmans work better with amps that don't like active pickups.
Because they're more expensive than other pickups they're considered a "premium" feature and a way for manufacturers to justify a higher price in a guitar. That's the only reason brands are pushing these. And Fishman is really going for the whole ridiculous artist signature thing.

 

[Franko]

That is a totally valid point about trends in guitar pickups coming in and out of popularity.
But I kind of feel like, in the world of active pickups the EMGs have been the ones that have ''stood the test of time''
but now literally EVERY guitar player who was an EMG person is now with fishman.

Seriously, other than Zakk Wylde and Kirk and James, is anyone still using EMG?!?

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

Drank my hater-aid this AM so time to shine

 

[Crungy]

That is a totally valid point about trends in guitar pickups coming in and out of popularity.
But I kind of feel like, in the world of active pickups the EMGs have been the ones that have ''stood the test of time''
but now literally EVERY guitar player who was an EMG person is now with fishman.

Seriously, other than Zakk Wylde and Kirk and James, is anyone still using EMG?!?

Their artist roster looks pretty good to me, maybe not all people at Metallica/Zakk Wylde levels but I'd say important nonetheless.

 

[LegionsOfRaum]

I really like the Fluence pickups. Have them in a bunch of my guitars, and used them to record my bands latest album. If you think they are too bright, maybe dial back the treble and presence on your amp to compensate...