Fishman Fluence Modern set - My thoughts

[JB_From_Hell]

The passive voice in the Moderns is not based on a particular pickup, but rather an idealized hot, passive ceramic. V2 in the Classics, the hotter sound, is based on Frank’s old holy grail JB.

[Lucius Paisley]

I grabbed a set of Fishman Fluence Moderns to see what the hype was all about. TBH, I was a bit skeptical. I was under the impression that there was a lot of marketing involved, but I really wanted to try them because I love trying different pickups out.

I'm usually not the kind of guy who looks for versatility in a pickup. I don't play anything but distorted chugs with some ocasional leads and very rare clean passages. These pickups, however, offer A LOT of different options. Coil splits, two voicings, an output pad, and a switchable high-end rolloff. TBH, I didn't wire it all. I'm just running a single volume knob where the push/pull toggles between the two different voicings.

The passive voicing is kinda cool. It's supposed to be inspired by the Bill Lawrence 500XL in the bridge, or so I've read. I've never tried one of those, but I've tried the Dimebucker, and it's nowhere near as harsh, but it's kinda similar in that it's not an overly mid-focused (for a high-output pickup), and it's hot but not overly so. It's a cool sound, but I don't feel it's as good as my favorite passive: the Duncan Black Winter. Not that it's trying to be a Black Winter, though. Maybe it's just a taste thing. I do like it, but I just don't love it. The neck pickup in the passive voicing is great for cleans, though. Super clean, and not plinky or weak like many neck pickups tend to be.

The active voicing... man... where to start. I absolutely love it! My all-time favorite bridge pickup has been the EMG 81 ever since I've tried it many years ago. No matter how many pickups I try, I always end up coming back to the trusty old 81. It just sits in the mix right, and it records beautifully. The Modern Ceramic bridge pickup is everything I like about the EMG 81, and then some! It's slightly tighter (yes! I found that hard to believe at first, but it is) and slightly clearer. It has a bit more high-end detail, and slightly less low-end mud. If you want a fat/thick sound, this is probably not the pickup for you. But for me, and EMG 81 fanboi, this is perfection. The neck pickup in the active voicing is fantastic as well. It's smooth like the EMG 85, but it's nowhere near as dark/muddy. It balances much better with the Modern Ceramic bridge pickup than the 85 does with the 81. It's definitely more 85-inspired than 60, IMO. It's not as harsh or chirpy as the 60 can be up past the 12th fret. I love how it works with the Ceramic in the bridge as a set.

So all in all, yes, there's definitely marketing involved in these pickups' reputation, but man, they totally lived up to the hype for me. The active voicing sounds incredible, and the passive voicing is totally usable. Add coil-splitability to that, (as well as tons of other options), and the pickups are truly something else.

So now I want a different set of Fluences to try in my other LTD, lol.

I guess they wired mine wrong, I'd switch between the "two" voices (single pickup w/ volume) and they were exactly the same.

[Rex_Rocker]

I guess they wired mine wrong, I'd switch between the "two" voices (single pickup w/ volume) and they were exactly the same.

Yeah, probably. There is a distinct difference between the two voicings, even under high-gain. There's a difference in tone, but it's even bigger in feel. I feel the neck pickups' voicings are a bit less distinct than the bridge's, but they're still noticeable.

I just fired these up again, (EMG 81/85 set), and now I know what I'm doing wrong. The decay is equally as aggressive as the attack. These pups are waiting for you to hit that next note. But they won't wait long. These are sweet. But you gotta make them work. They simply aren't my style. I like to hit a note and let it ring. These pups go into battery saving mode before I hit my next note.

I get it. They're great pups. But I think they're going to divorce me.

Yeah, they're not for everyone. Many people don't like the 81/85 combo. I must say it's an acquired taste for me. But I love the 81.

I find it weird that you find they don't sustain well. I personally have never found sustain has much to do with the pickups, but rather the instrument itself, but EMG's are fairly compressed, so the sustain should be there.

Either way, if they don't work for you, that's fine. I like them a lot, personally, but there's definitely better options if you're playing mostly clean.

I like the moderns, but I love the fishman classics.
The moderns are very stiff and without a pretty modern amp they didn’t sound amazing. But once I put them in drop A and had an amp with enough gain and low boost they are really good. I’ve heard the passive sound is voiced after a custom.

The classics don’t need as much to sound great and they really cut through the mix compared with the passive JB equipped guitar I have. Just all around great. Especially the active voice 2, which I have as default.

I used to used the 81/60’s a lot about 10 years ago, I still have one 81tw/89 set. Most of my Emg’s got replaced with blackouts. I really like the metal blackout for brutal midrange and huge output.

I definitely want to try the Classics. Thing that's kinda stopping me is that I don't like PAF's, and that's 50% of those pickups, LOL. I had my phase where I was experimenting with vintagey pickups (59, WLH, Slash, PAF 36th Anni, Burstbucker, PAF Pro), but I'm kinda over that. I prefer the feel and tone that I get from modern, focused pickups.

I do love the JB, though. That's my golden standard as far as "classic"-sounding pickups go. And I really like what I hear from the clips in those pickups' V2. So I'm kinda dubious

The passive voice in the Moderns is not based on a particular pickup, but rather an idealized hot, passive ceramic. V2 in the Classics, the hotter sound, is based on Frank’s old holy grail JB.

Makes sense. V2 on the moderns really doesn't sound like anything I've tried. It's definitely a cool sound, though.

V1 on the Willie Adlers is based on a Distortion, right? I'd probably go for those without a doubt if they offered more finishes. I want my next set to go into a silverburst LTD with chrome hardware, so the worn gold would probably look terrible in it, LOL.

[ArtieToo]

I personally have never found sustain has much to do with the pickups, but rather the instrument itself . . .

That's probably true. I'll know for sure fairly soon. I think I'm going to drop my Mustain's in here.

BTW, this in a Schecter C-1 Platinum.

[LesStrat]

Thanks for all the info. This is an interesting thread, and I don’t venture into the pickup lounge often, because I like my current setups.

I’ve enjoyed this thread.

[ArtieToo]

Thanks for all the info. This is an interesting thread, and I don’t venture into the pickup lounge often, because I like my current setups.

I’ve enjoyed this thread.

It is good. I might try those Classic's.

[Rex_Rocker]

Thanks, dudes, haha. I love chatting about pickups too.

So BTW, does anyone know what the "black nickel" finish on the Devins look like? Is it sorta like the EMG Hets? It looks darker in the product pics. It just looks like glossy black. Wonder if they might fit a silverburst LTD with chrome hardware aesthetically.