Fishman Fluence Will Adler or Keith Merrow for me?

[Rex_Rocker]

Right now, I use and love the Fluence Moderns and Classics. I want to try the Adlers or the Merrows next. Wonder which one you guys think would fit what I'm after better.

I want high output but with a passive feel, a tight low-end with slightly scooped low mids, and an agressive and cutting high-mid emphasis.

Which would you say would fit my taste better? I wonder how the Merrows and the Adlers compare to the Classics in Voice 2, which is what I like the most. If there's anything I'd change about the Classics is slightly less low mid stuffiness. Which of the two sets would be more like that?

Thanks!

 

[Securb]

Calling Dr. Falbo!

 

[Masta' C]

I haven't seen many players who are widely versed in the various Fluence versions. I would email Fishman with what you're looking for and see what they recommend

 

[PFDarkside]

Just curious, what guitars do you have the classic and modern in and what will the new set go in?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Just curious, what guitars do you have the classic and modern in and what will the new set go in?

LTD EC-1000 with the Moderns and EX-401 as well as Ibanez RG570 with the Classics. I'm thinking about trying either the Keiths or the Willies on the EX.

 

[PFDarkside]

LTD EC-1000 with the Moderns and EX-401 as well as Ibanez RG570 with the Classics. I'm thinking about trying either the Keiths or the Willies on the EX.

Every time I see the Willie Adler set I want to buy an EC-1000
in vintage black to put them in.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

My EC-1000 is silverburst. I don't think they'd look quite right in it.

 

[RyeDaddy]

I’ve had almost every iteration of Fluence they make and my take here: they’re ALL just different variations of the Moderns and Classics sets.

The Keith Merrow is a Classic set with a slight bump in the low mids on voice 1 and very slightly less bass and more even mids as opposed to a scooped PAF sound. Voice 2 is very JB just like the Classics but maybe a little less rounded and vowel-y on top kinda like a Custom and a JB bad a baby but definitely more JB, I use voice 2 for dead-on Alice in Chains and early Deftones.

The Adler set is a Modern set with slightly less output overall, more clarity, and a little bit of a scoop to the screaming mids of the regular Moderns. Voice 1 (Passive) sounds most like a Distortion whereas the Modern Ceramic bridge’s passive voice I thought was more like an Invader. Voice 2 is extremely similar to an EMG 81. Voice 1 does Tool tone to perfection through a VH4. Active voice does Metallica.

Take from that what you will and hope it helps with your choice. FWIW, 1000 grit sandpaper will take the aged gold off the Adlers without damaging them and leave you with a nice brushed nickel look. That’s what I did and have them in a Les Paul.

 

[PFDarkside]

I’ve had almost every iteration of Fluence they make and my take here: they’re ALL just different variations of the Moderns and Classics sets.

The Keith Merrow is a Classic set with a slight bump in the low mids on voice 1 and very slightly less bass and more even mids as opposed to a scooped PAF sound. Voice 2 is very JB just like the Classics but maybe a little less rounded and vowel-y on top kinda like a Custom and a JB bad a baby but definitely more JB, I use voice 2 for dead-on Alice in Chains and early Deftones.

The Adler set is a Modern set with slightly less output overall, more clarity, and a little bit of a scoop to the screaming mids of the regular Moderns. Voice 1 (Passive) sounds most like a Distortion whereas the Modern Ceramic bridge’s passive voice I thought was more like an Invader. Voice 2 is extremely similar to an EMG 81. Voice 1 does Tool tone to perfection through a VH4. Active voice does Metallica.

Take from that what you will and hope it helps with your choice. FWIW, 1000 grit sandpaper will take the aged gold off the Adlers without damaging them and leave you with a nice brushed nickel look. That’s what I did and have them in a Les Paul.

I’m curious about your experiences with the other signature sets as well.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I’ve had almost every iteration of Fluence they make and my take here: they’re ALL just different variations of the Moderns and Classics sets.

The Keith Merrow is a Classic set with a slight bump in the low mids on voice 1 and very slightly less bass and more even mids as opposed to a scooped PAF sound. Voice 2 is very JB just like the Classics but maybe a little less rounded and vowel-y on top kinda like a Custom and a JB bad a baby but definitely more JB, I use voice 2 for dead-on Alice in Chains and early Deftones.

The Adler set is a Modern set with slightly less output overall, more clarity, and a little bit of a scoop to the screaming mids of the regular Moderns. Voice 1 (Passive) sounds most like a Distortion whereas the Modern Ceramic bridge’s passive voice I thought was more like an Invader. Voice 2 is extremely similar to an EMG 81. Voice 1 does Tool tone to perfection through a VH4. Active voice does Metallica.

Take from that what you will and hope it helps with your choice. FWIW, 1000 grit sandpaper will take the aged gold off the Adlers without damaging them and leave you with a nice brushed nickel look. That’s what I did and have them in a Les Paul.

Very interesting reply! Thank you, dude!

 

[RyeDaddy]

I’m curious about your experiences with the other signature sets as well.

Sure, this is just with the sets I have experience with in my own guitars:

Killswitch Engage is a modified Modern Ceramic set just as they describe it: lower output, close to a Custom (output-wise). Both voices seems to take the Modern Ceramic bridge and decrease output slightly and bass, and add upper mids which makes them come across brighter, clearer and harmonic squeals just fly! This is a KILLER set for bass heavy high gain amps like Diezels.

Devin Townsend: Insanely hot Modern Ceramic. I stopped there. Just too much output and super compressed. My amps are already gainy as hell and this bridge really put them into fuzz territory. Cool, bassy, but required too much EQ changes from my other guitars to be worth me keeping.

Stef Carpenter: Another Modern Ceramic variant, but slightly hotter with even more mid-mids and upper mids, super cool for low tunings as it makes a HUGE sound without being a fuzz ball. Passive voice is similarly big but voiced more like a JB than the Invader/Distortion sound of the other Moderns. Think of voice 2 on the Classic set and turn it up 2 notches while tightening the bass a bit by using ceramic mags.