Fishman Fluence VS EMG musings

[DrewJD82]

The other guitarist in my band mentioned last week he was curious about the Fishman Fluence stuff. Since I have the Devin Townsend set in my Ibanez SZ, I brought it for him to play yesterday at practice. He current has the Hetfield EMG’s in his guitar.

Massive world of difference, much much more than I ever would have assumed we were going to hear in the room. When everyone is playing together I can rarely hear any definition in his playing and I assumed it was just sloppy playing, but after he switched to the SZ yesterday both the drummer and I could hear everything he was playing. The tone went from a nasty midrange focus to a really ballsy/roaring lower mid focus. That solid state Randall actually sounded GREAT with them.

I was expecting maybe a slight difference in the top end with the detail stuff only being heard in a studio environment, but that wasn’t the case. It was like he was playing through a different amp altogether.

I can say with great certainty that I am done with EMG humbuckers at this point. I always have this idea in the back of my head that I’m just not using/hearing the in the right context but at this point I don’t care, I’m finalizing my stance on EMG’s (humbuckers, anyway, my Gilmour set isn’t going anywhere)

 

[Warmart]

Idk, everyone is different, but I didn't gel with the Het Set's after the honeymoon wore off.

Only active pickups I currently have is an EMG 85 in a single pickup guitar. Good for some things but ice pickey as hell up high with 1st 2 strings.

Do miss the 57/66 set, so may try a 57 as a simple replacement, although I have 3 sets of Fishman's sitting in a box! Moderns, Willie A's and Devin's! Would only get one voice but could try each of them. Just cause they didn't work in their og guitars doesn't mean they won't in this one.

 

[DrewJD82]

Idk, everyone is different, but I didn't gel with the Het Set's after the honeymoon wore off.

Only active pickups I currently have is an EMG 85 in a single pickup guitar. Good for some things but ice pickey as hell up high with 1st 2 strings.

Do miss the 57/66 set, so may try a 57 as a simple replacement, although I have 3 sets of Fishman's sitting in a box! Moderns, Willie A's and Devin's! Would only get one voice but could try each of them. Just cause they didn't work in their og guitars doesn't mean they won't in this one.

I’m on the fence with the Fishman’s as a whole, I don’t dislike them but they aren’t doing anything that I LOVE outside of not sounding like EMG’s. They don’t sound bad, but they aren’t doing what the Suhr Aldrich did for me, which was say “HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS PICKUP!”

I was just floored at how much of a difference there was between the EMG’s and Fishman’s. The second my guitarist played a chord he knew he was changing pickups, but the additional clarity the drummer and I heard had US egging him on to change them even sooner.

I know I’m definitely curious how many other guitarists I’ve heard who I thought were sloppy but it was just a tone thing. That was quite shocking.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Very interesting situation. The contrarian in me has a DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP dislike for Fishmans really only because they seem to now come in every guitar being manufactured? Petty reason to dislike something and on brand with my dumb opinonated-ness if I am being honest with myself If I ever get another guitar to stick around with Fishman's; I'll give them a better shot than I have in the past \m/

 

[la szum]

Both =





Maybe one brand more or less vomit-inducing than the other. Slightly.

Also, those SZs are killer guitars that could have a bit to do with the tonal
difference. I recorded an entire album with an SZ320 in 2005-6. With the
stock pickups. That guitar just sounded great with the in-between and unique
PRS-scale length for an Ibanez.

My personal opinion at this point on active pups is save them for the Bass and
the latter-era Gilmour Tribute show. Outside that, GTFO!

 

[la szum]

Generally, more compression = less clarity. More output = more compression.

I think this is why we see a new gen of players in the high-gain realms moving
away from super hot PUs and Actives.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I don't even know what my pickup levels are considered? DActivators in one V that seem super under gain compared to the 500t/498r combo in the other Ibby V. Still pretty musical despite being on what I think is the hotter side?

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Ah, time for some EMG bashing again?

You can all stick your Fishmans up your arses.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Ah, time for some EMG bashing again?

You can all stick your Fishmans up your arses.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Fishman HBs are ugly as sin for starters.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Maybe one brand more or less vomit-inducing than the other. Slightly.

They're both certainly no Dimarzio.

 

[DrewJD82]

Both =





Maybe one brand more or less vomit-inducing than the other. Slightly.

Also, those SZs are killer guitars that could have a bit to do with the tonal
difference. I recorded an entire album with an SZ320 in 2005-6. With the
stock pickups. That guitar just sounded great with the in-between and unique
PRS-scale length for an Ibanez.

My personal opinion at this point on active pups is save them for the Bass and
the latter-era Gilmour Tribute show. Outside that, GTFO!

Yeah, the SZ is a pretty great sounding guitar on it's own. I think he has the Het set in a Schecter or LTD, he's brought a couple guitars in and I haven't paid much attention.

I think that'd be a good way of saying one, one being less vomit-inducing than the other. I might like the FIshman's a teeny bit more than anything vomit-levels, I think if I were in a band like Killswitch or LoG I could get on with them, where I didn't need or want any variation outside of volume on 10/bridge pickup...maybe. I'd still probably prefer passives.

I decided this weekend I'm taking the Nazgul out of the Solar and putting an Aldrich in it. I'll keep the Nazgul and probably pop it back in when/if I do something more technical/precise. It's a bit too tight with too much output for what I'm playing in this band.

 

[bikescene]

Good to see the positive talk about the SZ series. That was my first good guitar about 20 years ago.

I’ve been thinking about active pickups for a while, but haven’t made the jump. The hottest pickup I’ve ever gone with is a Duncan Custom.

 

[laxu]

I’ve been thinking about active pickups for a while, but haven’t made the jump. The hottest pickup I’ve ever gone with is a Duncan Custom.

IMO if you have passives now, don't install actives. If you have actives installed, stick to actives. Otherwise you have to gut the entire guitar.

There's IMO not a lot of need for active pickups today.

• High output. Most modern amps have more gain than you'd ever need, or you can use one of the thousands of drive pedals.
• Low noise. Nice, but it's not like it's a big deal.
• Low impedance. Again nice, but an input buffer on your pedalboard will do the trick just fine.

So having to deal with a battery feels like extra complication without a whole lot of benefits.

Never been that big a fan of EMG humbuckers. No experience with their single coils.

The only actives I own are old Mastertone pickups in a LP copy. You can hear those on the Mesa Mark V clip I posted in my NAD thread on the Amps forum. The Mastertones to me sound very much like high output passives.

 

[bikescene]

IMO if you have passives now, don't install actives. If you have actives installed, stick to actives. Otherwise you have to gut the entire guitar.

There's IMO not a lot of need for active pickups today.

• High output. Most modern amps have more gain than you'd ever need, or you can use one of the thousands of drive pedals.
• Low noise. Nice, but it's not like it's a big deal.
• Low impedance. Again nice, but an input buffer on your pedalboard will do the trick just fine.

So having to deal with a battery feels like extra complication without a whole lot of benefits.

Never been that big a fan of EMG humbuckers. No experience with their single coils.

The only actives I own are old Mastertone pickups in a LP copy. You can hear those on the Mesa Mark V clip I posted in my NAD thread on the Amps forum. The Mastertones to me sound very much like high output passives.

I probably don’t need to go active. I don’t play high gain all the time. It’s just always been a curiosity to see if having an EMG-equipped guitar will be a useful option in my application. I’ll check out your thread and clips later today.

 

[metropolis_4]

I love EMG, never tried Fluence but I’ve heard good things about them!

I think EMG are the most misunderstood and misrepresented pickups out there. Everyone assumes they’re just high gain monsters for metal because the 81 in the bridge has been such a staple for that style, but they’re so much more than that.

I’m a bigger fan of EMG single coils than humbuckers. The T set is a phenomenal all-around Tele pickup set that works great for everything. I love the SAX and SAVX sets on a Strat for just about any style imaginable. A Strat with SAX pickups and a SPC on the bridge might be the most versatile guitar on the planet.

They’re not for everyone, they have a specific feel and sound that is very broad range and a little hi-fi with a very immediate and defined attack. They’re not always my favorite, but there are some things that they are fantastic for

 

[Jarick]

I love EMG, never tried Fluence but I’ve heard good things about them!

I think EMG are the most misunderstood and misrepresented pickups out there. Everyone assumes they’re just high gain monsters for metal because the 81 in the bridge has been such a staple for that style, but they’re so much more than that.

I’m a bigger fan of EMG single coils than humbuckers. The T set is a phenomenal all-around Tele pickup set that works great for everything. I love the SAX and SAVX sets on a Strat for just about any style imaginable. A Strat with SAX pickups and a SPC on the bridge might be the most versatile guitar on the planet.

They’re not for everyone, they have a specific feel and sound that is very broad range and a little hi-fi with a very immediate and defined attack. They’re not always my favorite, but there are some things that they are fantastic for

How does the T set sound compared to vintage style Tele pickups in terms of tone and output level? $200 for a set of noiseless pickups plus control plate with complete solderless installation is extremely reasonable.

 

[Jynx]

I love the Fishman Moderns in my SLS Elite. Big sound. Crystal clarity.

 

[metropolis_4]

How does the T set sound compared to vintage style Tele pickups in terms of tone and output level? $200 for a set of noiseless pickups plus control plate with complete solderless installation is extremely reasonable.

I think if you try to compare them to vintage Tele pickups you’ll end up disappointed, but if you approach them as their own thing you’ll start to find the qualities that make them useful for what they are.

In general I’d say they are broader than vintage Tele pickups, with less “airy” qualities, a little more hi-fi, and a more immediate and pronounced attack. They’ve got a little bit of an edge on them and they’re less glassy.

I find them more versatile in general while maybe not being as good at some of the specific things vintage pickups excel at

 

[Jarick]

I think if you try to compare them to vintage Tele pickups you’ll end up disappointed, but if you approach them as their own thing you’ll start to find the qualities that make them useful for what they are.

In general I’d say they are broader than vintage Tele pickups, with less “airy” qualities, a little more hi-fi, and a more immediate and pronounced attack. They’ve got a little bit of an edge on them and they’re less glassy.

I find them more versatile in general while maybe not being as good at some of the specific things vintage pickups excel at

How's the output level compared to single coils? I don't mind a non-traditional sound assuming it has good clarity and low end, but I hate low output stuff.