TL;DR: I'm replacing the Sentient/Nazgul (I know, pls no ban!) in an ESP M-1008 with pair of Abasi Fluence pickups, and I'd like to try to work in some different single coil arrangements to their suggested setup, if possible.
First post, hello everyone!
For an idea of tones; I love jazz fusion (Snarky Puppy in particular), but I also love metal and wanted extended range. If there was an 8 string multiscale Strat, I’d probably have gone for that. I’ve pasted a few choice Falbo posts from SS.org at the bottom, which give a bit of insight into what the pickups are capable of, for anyone out of the abasi/fluence loop.
Anyway, I’ve fallen down the wiring rabbit hole, and I’m overwhelmed. I feel like more is possible with a few tweaks to the Fishman's suggested setup.
Fishman suggestion
I like the look of this, so would keep this baseline, but wonder if it's possible to incorporate any of the following;
Another setup I’ve seen suggested (not for fluences, mind):
And this from one of your resident gurus
Hardware I’ve got:
Stock pots - volume 500k, push/pull tone (500k I guess, not visible without removing)
3-way blade switch (To be replaced with 5-way super, but open to suggestions)
Fishman supplied; 2 x 25k regular and 2 x 25k p/p pots.
I’m getting these professionally installed after lockdown (inc body routing for battery cavity), so if an extra switch or two will open up options significantly, that shouldn’t be a problem. Aim for now is versatility, see what I like, then can work on ergonomics down the road if necessary. I'm not after 20+ tones, just a few choice additions over the standard 5 to explore what these pickups are capable of...if possible? I might be expecting too much, I have no idea!
What would you try? What would you add?
-Posts from Frank Falbo on sevenstring.org (he was building some Abasi customs, but there’s been some sort of falling out):
First post, hello everyone!
For an idea of tones; I love jazz fusion (Snarky Puppy in particular), but I also love metal and wanted extended range. If there was an 8 string multiscale Strat, I’d probably have gone for that. I’ve pasted a few choice Falbo posts from SS.org at the bottom, which give a bit of insight into what the pickups are capable of, for anyone out of the abasi/fluence loop.
Anyway, I’ve fallen down the wiring rabbit hole, and I’m overwhelmed. I feel like more is possible with a few tweaks to the Fishman's suggested setup.
Fishman suggestion
1. Bridge Humbucker (Voice-1 or 2)
2. Bridge & Neck Inner Coils (Bridge Voice-3)
3. Bridge & Neck Humbucker (Voice-1 or 2 selectable)
4. Neck Outer Coil (Voice-3)
5. Neck Humbucker (Voice-1 or 2 selectable)
(Voice-1 or 2 selectable via push/pull volume, voice 3 overrides both.)2. Bridge & Neck Inner Coils (Bridge Voice-3)
3. Bridge & Neck Humbucker (Voice-1 or 2 selectable)
4. Neck Outer Coil (Voice-3)
5. Neck Humbucker (Voice-1 or 2 selectable)
I like the look of this, so would keep this baseline, but wonder if it's possible to incorporate any of the following;
Another setup I’ve seen suggested (not for fluences, mind):
1. Neck series. Neck humbucker. (Great for smooth jazz.)
2. North coils in parallel. (Classic Strat "notch" tone.)
3. North coils in series. (Virtual 3rd humbucker. My favorite HB tone.)
4. Bridge parallel. (Classic Tele tone.)
5. Bridge series. Rock, and everything else.
2. North coils in parallel. (Classic Strat "notch" tone.)
3. North coils in series. (Virtual 3rd humbucker. My favorite HB tone.)
4. Bridge parallel. (Classic Tele tone.)
5. Bridge series. Rock, and everything else.
And this from one of your resident gurus
1. Bridge humbucker
2. Outside coils of both humbuckers
3. Both humbuckers on full
4. Inside coils of both humbuckers
5. Neck humbucker
2. Outside coils of both humbuckers
3. Both humbuckers on full
4. Inside coils of both humbuckers
5. Neck humbucker
Hardware I’ve got:
Stock pots - volume 500k, push/pull tone (500k I guess, not visible without removing)
3-way blade switch (To be replaced with 5-way super, but open to suggestions)
Fishman supplied; 2 x 25k regular and 2 x 25k p/p pots.
I’m getting these professionally installed after lockdown (inc body routing for battery cavity), so if an extra switch or two will open up options significantly, that shouldn’t be a problem. Aim for now is versatility, see what I like, then can work on ergonomics down the road if necessary. I'm not after 20+ tones, just a few choice additions over the standard 5 to explore what these pickups are capable of...if possible? I might be expecting too much, I have no idea!
What would you try? What would you add?
-Posts from Frank Falbo on sevenstring.org (he was building some Abasi customs, but there’s been some sort of falling out):
What it really is, is 2 voices, and then when you engage the coil split, it automatically engages this 3rd voice that is dedicated to the single coil sound. Then, in Tosin's case we wire it up pretty custom. You don't have to do this. But he uses a super 5-way so that the 2 and 4 positions are automatically splitting to single coil, and combining different coils, etc.
Like when he talks about a tele-like neck pickup tone, we're splitting to alnico poles in the neck-side coil of the neck pickup, through "Voice 3" of that neck pickup. Then, for the other setting, we go to the inside coils, but feeding Voice 3 in the bridge pickup. It's pretty sick.
You can do all of those selections other ways, with push/pulls and mini toggles too. We just put them all on a 5-way super switch for Tosin's guitars.
Like when he talks about a tele-like neck pickup tone, we're splitting to alnico poles in the neck-side coil of the neck pickup, through "Voice 3" of that neck pickup. Then, for the other setting, we go to the inside coils, but feeding Voice 3 in the bridge pickup. It's pretty sick.
You can do all of those selections other ways, with push/pulls and mini toggles too. We just put them all on a 5-way super switch for Tosin's guitars.
The Tosin neck pickup has a totally different and unique magnetic circuit. The neck-side coil, the one he splits to when on neck-only, is the one he says "can we get this Tele neck tone?" And of course I said yeah. So it has 6/7/8 individual Alnico pole pieces in the neck-side coil, and the other coil has the other Alnico bar magnet is vertical inside the bridge-side coil. Then there's nothing connecting the two across the bottom. It's a more open sound as a humbucker, and he uses the other bar coil when combining with the bridge for that in-between tone
The one fundamental understanding that should help with Fluence is that the Hot/ground/battery is the same as any other active pickup. The other switching options are pretty much all done internally and all you have to do is take that wire to ground to make it happen, which you can do any way you like. Automatic on a superswitch, or on a push/pull, mini toggle, whatevs
