I don't get the hype with Fishman Fluence

[Franko]

Am I alone on this? They are sooo bright.
When they first came out I thought it was weird because I associate Fishman with the acoustic guitar world.
But then literally every metal guitar I know made the switch over. Why did they do that? Is it because they genuinley like them?
Someone help me understand. Did the company just throw money at everyone?

xoxo

 

[Emperoff]

 

[Dambo55]

Because they're the Newest, Coolest Thing man!

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

Neither do I, but I haven’t tried them
I guess it’s the fact that they get put stock in every single guitar that turns me off so much. And they look a bit…well they’re not ugly, it’s just that futuristic look isn’t a good match for everything.

 

[Crungy]

I haven't tried them yet. Kind of want to, kind of don't based on people's opinions I've read.... Too bright/thin or too cocked wah seems to be the general consensus.

I could see there being a use for wanting something less thick at times but generally that hasn't been a want or need for me.

 

[NickS]

I've only had one guitar with them and I didn't keep it very long. I would much rather have EMG's if I want active pickups, whereas a guitar having Fishmans in it is almost a deal killer for me.

 

[Crungy]

I've only had one guitar with them and I didn't keep it very long. I would much rather have EMG's if I want active pickups, whereas a guitar having Fishmans in it is almost a deal killer for me.

Do you remember which model it was? 6 or 7 string?

 

[NickS]

6 string, pretty sure they were Classsics.

 

[Edika]

I'd say the hype of new pickups and technology in addition with a lot of push from artists. At some point it was EMG's on all guitars, then we had the Nazgul Sentient combo. Then the BK pickups where the rage and now Fishmans.

I've been curious and got my first guitar with Fishman Moderns, a 7 string and had put Classics on another 7 string. I didn't like the Classics that much. They were ok and maybe good for lower gain stuff. But a lot of versatility with the two voices and single coil option.

The Moderns are tight and bright. Maybe not ideal for standard tunings and bright guitars, but for low tuning they'd be really good. I have the guitar in drop A and it sounds mean! Surprisingly the active voice has more bass than the passive voice. They're hot though and benefit from being moved away from the strings.

I have a couple of dark sounding that could benefit from them and a few low tuned guitars that they'd work well with! But I would not go out of my way to replace my current pickups!

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I always thought the Modern hype was funny because they me of a lot of the stuff people complained about EMGs but even moreso.

 

[Shask]

If they are too bright then turn on the HF Tilt.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I'd say the hype of new pickups and technology in addition with a lot of push from artists. At some point it was EMG's on all guitars, then we had the Nazgul Sentient combo. Then the BK pickups where the rage and now Fishmans.

Don't forget Blackouts - possibly the most overhyped pickup model ever!

Blackouts were the answer to basically every pickup recommendation request for a few years on Ultimate Guitar's forum, just before everyone started suggesting C-Bombs and C-Pigs instead...then EMGs seemed to start getting hyped again (when people realised Blackouts had been massively overhyped)...then it was Crunchlab/Liquifire...then Black Winters...then Nazgul/Pegasus & Sentient...then tight, modern-voiced BKPs (i.e. models other than Nailbomb & Warpig)...and then Fishmans. Lundgren M7 (+ M6 / M8) was somewhere in there too.
Have I got that about right?

 

[Matt08642]

I think Fishman technology has some fantastic ideas, like how each pickup is 100% identical and essentially "printed". I like the dual/triple voices, I like the extremely versatile wiring options for actives, the battery pack backplate thing, etc. Unfortunately the only thing I don't really like yet is the way they sound .

Granted my only hands on experience was some Epiphone with I think Moderns through a 5150 iconic combo at guitar store volume and videos/clips on YouTube, but the 6 string ones just don't appeal to me much.

I'd still like to try a 7 string set (or even throw an 8 string open core ceramic in my M80M), but they're also prohibitively expensive for me to just be tossing sets in as a "maybe"

Don't forget Blackouts - possibly the most overhyped pickup model ever!

Blackouts were the answer to basically every pickup recommendation request for a few years on Ultimate Guitar's forum, just before everyone started suggesting C-Bombs and C-Pigs instead...then EMGs seemed to start getting hyped again (when people realised Blackouts had been massively overhyped)...then it was Crunchlab/Liquifire...then Black Winters...then Nazgul/Pegasus & Sentient...then tight, modern-voiced BKPs (i.e. models other than Nailbomb & Warpig)...and then Fishmans. Lundgren M7 (+ M6 / M8) was somewhere in there too.
Have I got that about right?

I still refuse to believe anyone with ears likes Blackouts. Once in a while I throw the AHB-1 set in since they swap so easy with EMGs and take them out within an hour lol.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

To be fair I think Fluences are here to stay. It's been 10 years and they're still going strong. The Blackouts were introduced in 2007 and by the early 2010s everyone already moved on.

I agree the tech is great. Just wish the current lineup didn't... suck? lol. 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.

 

[Emperoff]

Seriously though, EMG dual-pickups (89/TW) are so ridiculously awesome that I have zero interest in Fishmans if sticking to actives. I'd trade a noiseless single coil tone for the extra voices any day of the week. Fishman single coil voice is a regular coil-split. Not noiseless, and not a real single coil tone.

I've got a 24V modded EMG 707TWX-R wired in single coil mode as default (humbucking when pot pulled) and it fucking rules. Amazing cleans and crunch tones, pull the pot for hi-gain leads. Profit.

I really like the look of Fishmans, though. I *might* get a set for a little something coming my way

 

[CanserDYI]

EMG>Fishman.

 

[budda]

I have a couple friends who arent about hype who have enjoyed them, but i havent tried them nor sought them out. Ymmv.

 

[CTID]

I picked up a KM7 mk3 with fishmans a month or so ago. KM in the bridge and a classic in the neck. They sound pretty good - not mind blowing, just that I don't think I'll swap them out. I've been passives only for 17 years so the battery aspect seems like it might be a pain in the ass, but I guess I'll see how that actually pans out. The different voicings are cool, as well. Overall pretty pleased but I could understand people not being interested. Also haven't tried Moderns or anything recently (or in a context other than a guitar store at a low volume) so I can't say how the KM compares to that

 

[Alberto7]

Had Fluence Modern 8s in my Boden. They were god-awful in that guitar.
I changed them to a set of Elysian Valkyrie 8s and now I can tell that the guitar itself is (unsurprisingly for a strandberg) very tight and bright. And it was EVEN MORE so with the Fluences. Like they exaggerated all of the qualities that the guitar already had, and it was way too much. Extremely hot, super peaky in the high mids, honky, with a weirdly super tight low end that seemed to be unresponsive to EQing (though it could just be that I'm dumb and don't know how to EQ).

I'd be willing to give them a shot in a darker-sounding guitar.

 

[Crungy]

still refuse to believe anyone with ears likes Blackouts. Once in a while I throw the AHB-1 set in since they swap so easy with EMGs and take them out within an hour lol.

Sorry to let you down but I kinda liked the 8 string Blackouts lmao

I've since replaced them with 808X's and won't be going back. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 8 string Blackouts to someone trying EMG shaped pickups.