A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

[Gone_Shootin]

A few weeks ago I posted a couple questions about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups. Well, a couple weeks ago I got them wired up in my Jackson USA KV2, and, well, meh.

Don't get me wrong, they do sound good, but I just don't think that they're worthy of all the hype they're getting. Will I buy more of them? Maybe. If they start a custom shop that let's you pick what you want in the pickups. But honestly, I'm just as happy with my Duncans and EMGs.

YMMV

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

I'm on the fence about giving them a try. They are kinda pricey, but there's lots of hype around them.

Everyone keeps raving about how clear they are. To me, they sound kinda bright and slightly thin in every comparison I've heard of them vs. the EMG's, Duncans, or whatever they're inspired on. Maybe it's something I missing?

The idea of having multiple voicings is kinda cool. I'd rather have a single voicing I love, though. Is the passive voicing on the Moderns kinda Duncan Distortion-y? Or what is it based on?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

The idea of having multiple voicings is kinda cool. I'd rather have a single voicing I love, though.

This is were I'm at...I'd rather have a single voiced pickup that is great (Dimebucker, Screamin Demon, Fat 50s, BL500s, Pearly Gates) than have a multi-voiced pickup that sounds good but not great.

I really like the idea behind the Fluence but just not sure they would work for me...the response and feel is something I'm really worried about as some pickups sound really good but my playing just doesn't jive with them. My $0.02

 

[Artie]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

This is were I'm at...I'd rather have a single voiced pickup that is great (Dimebucker, Screamin Demon, Fat 50s, BL500s, Pearly Gates) than have a multi-voiced pickup that sounds good but not great.

Not only that, but it's just fun to have multiple guitars with different pups. As long as one's budget will support it. Kinda why I don't mind cheap-ish guitars.

 

[Adieu]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

What makes ME curious is why nobody seems to be marketing (at least, overtly) an EMG-style preamp packaged in a stompbox... because technically, that's a non-challenge to say the least.

Yeah the EMG design uses separate inputs from each coil, but surely there are ways to simulate that.


hard to believe they've locked it down so airtight with patents, which should've expired twice over the 1970s

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

I'm on the fence about giving them a try. They are kinda pricey, but there's lots of hype around them.

Everyone keeps raving about how clear they are. To me, they sound kinda bright and slightly thin in every comparison I've heard of them vs. the EMG's, Duncans, or whatever they're inspired on. Maybe it's something I missing?

The idea of having multiple voicings is kinda cool. I'd rather have a single voicing I love, though. Is the passive voicing on the Moderns kinda Duncan Distortion-y? Or what is it based on?

On the Moderns, voice 1 is supposed to be active voiced and voice 2 is supposed to be passive voiced. Voice 1 reminds me of an EMG 81/85 set. But voice 2? I'm not sure what to compare them to, I suppose a Distortion set would be as close as you could get. And to their credit, the Fishmans do sound very clear, but not enough to garner the hype they're getting, imho.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

What makes ME curious is why nobody seems to be marketing (at least, overtly) an EMG-style preamp packaged in a stompbox... because technically, that's a non-challenge to say the least.


hard to believe they've locked it down so airtight with patents, which should've expired twice over the 1970s

Well, there's this. I suppose you could put it in a stompbox housing if you really wanted to. Heck, throw the idea up on that Duncan Idea Lab site.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/accessory/blackouts-preamp-long-shaft?__uuid_ref=5b92af9c02c58

https://www.seymourduncan.com/accessory/blackouts-preamp-short-shaft?__uuid_ref=5b92af9c04fbd

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

This is were I'm at...I'd rather have a single voiced pickup that is great (Dimebucker, Screamin Demon, Fat 50s, BL500s, Pearly Gates) than have a multi-voiced pickup that sounds good but not great.

From what I've heard, it may well be two great sounds. The Greg Koch demos sure make it seem that way.

 

[Artie]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

Isn't this basically what the SFX-01 is?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

And to their credit, the Fishmans do sound very clear, but not enough to garner the hype they're getting, imho.

That's kinda what I'm wondering about. Because, I mean, a single coil is also "clearer" than a humbucker the same way a '59 is "clearer" than a JB, but that doesn't really make it "better". Is that "clarity" on the Fishmen happening at the expense of beefiness?

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

That's kinda what I'm wondering about. Because, I mean, a single coil is also "clearer" than a humbucker the same way a '59 is "clearer" than a JB, but that doesn't really make it "better". Is that "clarity" on the Fishmen happening at the expense of beefiness?

I don't know. The growl is still there, and I didn't feel that they were lacking in any beefiness. They're just more "hi-fi", I'd say.

One thing that the Fluence singles seem to have going for them, though; in all the demos, people say that they're dead quiet, but you still get really good single coil tones. So, I may still end up buying them for my G&L Legacy Tribute, and if they impress me enough, maybe my Elite Strat too. But that's a ways off. I've got other fish to fry at the moment.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

From what I've heard, it may well be two great sounds. The Greg Koch demos sure make it seem that way.

I'm sure they are fine pickups and work really well for some people...but its like the '59 and me...can't stand that pickup no matter how many times I've tried it. Just doesn't feel/respond nor sound right to me.

I'm not in any way trying to knock the pickups–I haven't tried them. I can buy a set of Bill Lawrences for the price of one Fluence...so I'm simply not going to pay for them until I've tried some.

Side note, do the Fluence come stock on any guitars readily available at like Guitar Center or something?

 

[orpheo]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

Satchel's charvel has a set of classics.

 

[TVFV]

Re: A follow-up to my earlier thread about Fishman Fluence Modern pickups.

I'm sure they are fine pickups and work really well for some people...but its like the '59 and me...can't stand that pickup no matter how many times I've tried it. Just doesn't feel/respond nor sound right to me.

I'm not in any way trying to knock the pickups–I haven't tried them. I can buy a set of Bill Lawrences for the price of one Fluence...so I'm simply not going to pay for them until I've tried some.

Side note, do the Fluence come stock on any guitars readily available at like Guitar Center or something?

I've seen some ESP's that come stock with them. None of them in the store though.

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