The Fishman Fluence Thread

[elkoki]

another question for the Abasi owners.. anyone compare the neck pickup to a Liquifire or other dimarzio pickups?? Wondering if the abasi has that kinda "liquid like" feel to it for leads.. I found that was somewhat lacking on the modern neck (which I heard the Abasi is built after??). This is my biggest hesitation on buying the set, as the modern bridge pickup I did like a lot, but the neck is kinda stale in comparison to other passives I really like.

I hate that the Abasi set is one I havent tried yet, so im always left wondering if it would be right for me (despite the Townsend, Merrow, Classics and Moderns not really being right) - someday I guess..

I might be able to do an a/b of both but I warn you I ain’t that great of a player . And they’re in completely different guitars

 

[SnowfaLL]

I might be able to do an a/b of both but I warn you I ain’t that great of a player . And they’re in completely different guitars

Yea that might be helpful, if you did like a lead part under some gain.. thanks.

 

[Chri]

another question for the Abasi owners.. anyone compare the neck pickup to a Liquifire or other dimarzio pickups?? Wondering if the abasi has that kinda "liquid like" feel to it for leads.. I found that was somewhat lacking on the modern neck (which I heard the Abasi is built after??). This is my biggest hesitation on buying the set, as the modern bridge pickup I did like a lot, but the neck is kinda stale in comparison to other passives I really like.

I hate that the Abasi set is one I havent tried yet, so im always left wondering if it would be right for me (despite the Townsend, Merrow, Classics and Moderns not really being right) - someday I guess..

In my experience, it’s pretty similar to the SD Sentient for high gain. Kind of a jack of all trades, master of none neck pickup. It’s good, it gets the job done, but isn’t the most inspiring sounding on its own. It doesn’t leave me wanting for anything else, so maybe that’s a good thing?

Honestly, it’s just a really good AlNiCo neck pickup in the generic sense. It could easily pull off the Liquifire sound with the right setup.

 

[PK317]

Finally got time to install Tim Henson set. Very unique sound on Neck Voice 2. Like it a lot.

Funny that Fishmans I like are signature models of guitarists that I don't really get (Abasi, Killswitch Engaged, Reyes, Henson) 🤨

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

 

[madrigal77]

I got a guitar a few months ago that came stock with Fluence Open Core Classics. Gave them a try and absolutely hated them. They sounded really weak and sterile.

I ripped them out and installed a set of EMG 57/66 which I love. I tried to sell them locally, but no takers after a couple of months. I've got an Eclipse that has a set of EMG 81/60, so I thought I would try the Fishmans in there just for something different. I had my tech install them, and it turns out they were wired wrong from the factory, and that's why they sounded like shit! They actually sound pretty killer. I don't know that I like them more than the 57/66 set, but they are pretty close.

 

[gunch]

My own distaste for Fluences and their battery life aside how is the SSS set?

 

[Kyle Jordan]

My own distaste for Fluences and their battery life aside how is the SSS set?

Those and the Classics, covered or Open Core, are the two best sets they've made IMO. The Greg Koch sigs are up there too.

 

[juka]

Those and the Classics, covered or Open Core, are the two best sets they've made IMO. The Greg Koch sigs are up there too.

+1 for the Classics.

It's so ridiculous how many people completely ignored them for all the years until they recently put gold screws and Scott Le Page's name on them

 

[Strobe]

My own distaste for Fluences and their battery life aside how is the SSS set?

I own the SSS set - it's great. Both voices are stellar. Voice one sounds a lot like the SD SSL-1 set. Voice 2 sounds a lot like Texas Specials.

The most common Fishman Pickups I see are the moderns. I also think the moderns are one of my least favorite sets. Tele set, strat set, and classics are all stellar. I like the modern, but I have mixed feelings about it.

 

[bjjman]

I'm also a big fan of the strat set. Big headache to get installed but I love the sound of them. Both voices are stellar.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

Ok folks. Don't forget to charge/ change your batteries on your Fluence pickups. Just learned the hard way that it sounds really terrible when it is dying. Just came from a gig and the Tosin Fluence gave up on the 3rd song. LOL, it was the weirdest and weakest guitar sound. It warbled, squealed, and stuttered like a dying otter. Unlike dying EMGs that just sound like realy, really low gain PAFs, the Fluence was nuts.

And also I have rekindled my love with the Modern set. (Well, mostly in Passive voice)

I changed over to a backup guitar with a Modern set midsong. HATED V1's clank and nasal midrange. Pulled the pot and changed to V2, and you can immediately hear how it changes the sound AND FILLS THE MISSING FREQUENCIES. The mids are scooped at the right spot, you get more lively highs, and a broad, massive, low end. It is such a huge difference compared to V1. It was chunky. Probably in the vicinity of a Bill Lawrence L500. Not so sure, but I dig the tamer midrange on this one.

I didn't even bother to change the batteries on the Tosin and I just stuck out with the Moderns for the rest of the set. I did lose the nice single coil voicing for the songs that called for it, but it was okkkk.

Passive voice on the Tosin doesn't have the HUGE low end so I'll mostly likely find a used Modern bridge and stick it to the Tosin guitar for next time and just jumper it permanently to V2.

TL/DR: Charge your batteries every gig, Modern V2 is the thickest and sickest. \m/

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Given how power hungry the Fluences are, it really seems worth it to get that EMG ES-9 or ES-918 power supply thing if you use a lot of Fluence pickups.
EDIT: They also need to finally do a ceramic Classic set. Voice 1 can be the PAF voicing and Voice 2 can be based on the Duncan SH-5 Custom.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

I'll be down with an SH5 adjacent Classic Ceramic. It has the eq Im looking for. I thought the Adlers would kinda be like that. But it still sounds like a Modern mixed with a JB.

I looked at the Fluence website after a long time. Wow they now have different colored caps. The moderns finally have a brushed black nickel. And the Adler sig has different colors.

 

[Kyle Jordan]

They also need to finally do a ceramic Classic set. Voice 1 can be the PAF voicing and Voice 2 can be based on the Duncan SH-5 Custom.

This would be wonderful.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

From a friend who just got these. Apparently they are just Moderns with a tweaked low end due to the coils and v3 single coil sound.

 

[Noisy Humbucker]

Cool. Now make the Modern 8’s in white PLEEEEEEAAASE.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

From a friend who just got these. Apparently they are just Moderns with a tweaked low end due to the coils and v3 single coil sound. View attachment 128255

So I'm assuming they're gonna be somewheres in between the Moderns and the Devins?

 

[MASS DEFECT]

So I'm assuming they're gonna be somewheres in between the Moderns and the Devins?

Hopefully, that is the case. It would have more bass on v1 than the regular Modern and even more than the Tosins. And apparently, V2 has more or less the same eq but has more gain. So that takes care of my issue with V2 being a bit low gain relative to V1.

The bad: it probably only comes in red.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Hopefully, that is the case. It would have more bass on v1 than the regular Modern and even more than the Tosins. And apparently, V2 has more or less the same eq but has more gain. So that takes care of my issue with V2 being a bit low gain relative to V1.

The bad: it probably only comes in red.

I find it interesting he asked for MORE bass when he's known for using Rectifiers straight in. Last thing you want is more bass lol. Ngl I'm a little disappointed because I kinda wanted these to be closer to EMGs just with more voicings. Guess we'll see what the Mick set is like.

Also I would assume they come in nickel because the RZK2 uses silver covers and his recent custom ESP Phoenix has a nickel pickup