Fishman Fluence VS EMG musings

[metropolis_4]

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.

They feel a bit hotter than vintage Tele to me, but not significantly hotter

 

[DrewJD82]

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

Yeah, it’s pretty crazy how much I LOVE the Gilmour set while despising the humbuckers. Though I can’t say I’ve found any possible use for the 81 outside of annoying the shit out of me 65% of the time.

 

[metropolis_4]

Yeah, it’s pretty crazy how much I LOVE the Gilmour set while despising the humbuckers. Though I can’t say I’ve found any possible use for the 81 outside of annoying the shit out of me 65% of the time.

Same. I despise the 81

First thing I’ve done on any new guitar with the 81/85 set is move the 85 to the bridge, put a 60 in the neck, and throw away the 81

 

[paisleywookiee]

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)

"Guitarist's shit toanz make band members think he sucks......News at 11!"

 

[FuzzyAce]

Same. I despise the 81

First thing I’ve done on any new guitar with the 81/85 set is move the 85 to the bridge, put a 60 in the neck, and throw away the 81

I prefer the 85 in the bridge too.
EMG singles are great though.

 

[paisleywookiee]

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.

The Koch set? They're really good. Not really sure how they compare to vintage Tele pickups, but they do sound very Tele-ish.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

I prefer the 85 in the bridge too. […]

Totally depends on the guitar. On most guitars I still prefer the 81, but my Fender MiJ Strat, on the other hand, sounds absolutely perfect with the 85.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Totally depends on the guitar. On most guitars I still prefer the 81, but my Fender MiJ Strat, on the other hand, sounds absolutely perfect with the 85.

I had an 85/81 combo in my old set neck Artist for years. 81 was in the bridge and sounded great. Probably due to the guitar's mid focused tone. The 81 in a bolt-on guitar, bridge position, is just a bit too bright to me, lacking some depth. The 85 feels better there. A little more mids.