Seymour Duncan Blackouts VS Fishman Fluence Modern [IR War]

[zimbloth]

in this case, blackouts 100%

that fishman clip actually really disappointed me, maybe something like the classics would deliver that missing high end

i've noticed that in quite a few clips of the moderns, actually

they have that nice compression i want but lack the high end of the classics and a few others

This, to me, is the main problem with sound clips. They are so often misleading and recorded in a way which can alter ones perceptions. The Moderns are easily among the most tight, precise, clear active pickups on the market. In my opinion, having done hundreds of real-life A/B testing, they blow away the Seymour Duncan Blackouts in terms of fidelity, noise, tight bottom end, and every metric one would find positive for a modern metal player.

Now, thats not to say Moderns will sound good in every guitar. They dont. Some guitars are just a mismatch, as can be the case with any pickup. However, I find all the people saying "yup, Blackouts are better" based on amateur clips of two separate guitars saddening. I would stress to people to try them out in real life and trust your own ears, rather than amateur recordings.

I know I sound like a Fishman apologist, but I just have had such resounding success with them in so many guitars over the past 5 years, that I cant help myself. They're amazing. My shop sells Seymour Duncans too, they are good too... but to me the Fishman pickups are the best active pickups available by a mile. I just threw a Devin Townsend Fishman set in an Ibanez RGA and those are mind-blowingly good too.

No offense to the OP here, just making a general statement.

 

[Adieu]

Fishmans here sound like neutered Blackouts

If you're into that sort of thing, I'm sure it's easily achievable via EQ

 

[Politics of Ecstasy]

Fluence arent “putting out” output like EMG and Blackouts.
They are “active” in the respect that they have an active circuit board but the technology is completely different.
It’s almost like they have a computer chip instead of wires coiled around magnets, which is kinda what it is
I’m not the best as explaining it, as i still would love to fully understand the EQ graph of HF tilt,but comparing EMG and Blackouts are apples to apples, but EMG/BO and Fluence are like apples and pears, they are close, but one is definitely more distinct and “neutered”....
They have a BOOST available, but i doubt it’ll ever get near an AHB-1 or 81

 

[pablometal]

I will upload a new audio file with the guitar eq'ed as i eq them for my songs.. to make some justice.

 

[lewis]

This, to me, is the main problem with sound clips. They are so often misleading and recorded in a way which can alter ones perceptions. The Moderns are easily among the most tight, precise, clear active pickups on the market. In my opinion, having done hundreds of real-life A/B testing, they blow away the Seymour Duncan Blackouts in terms of fidelity, noise, tight bottom end, and every metric one would find positive for a modern metal player.

Now, thats not to say Moderns will sound good in every guitar. They dont. Some guitars are just a mismatch, as can be the case with any pickup. However, I find all the people saying "yup, Blackouts are better" based on amateur clips of two separate guitars saddening. I would stress to people to try them out in real life and trust your own ears, rather than amateur recordings.

I know I sound like a Fishman apologist, but I just have had such resounding success with them in so many guitars over the past 5 years, that I cant help myself. They're amazing. My shop sells Seymour Duncans too, they are good too... but to me the Fishman pickups are the best active pickups available by a mile. I just threw a Devin Townsend Fishman set in an Ibanez RGA and those are mind-blowingly good too.

No offense to the OP here, just making a general statement.

What people fail to grasp is that yes by the book something ticking off checklists for tone - doesnt make it the best. Or good at all for certain things.

Does the fishman do everything you said it does? Yes
Does it execute its marketing spiel? Yes
Is it the best pickup? Impossible to answer tone is subjective.

This post is ironic because your basically guilty of doing the same thing you are condemning but at the other end of the spectrum by implying the fishmans are undesputed best there has ever been - when in reality they are just as over hyped as any new guitar related piece of gear taking the scene by stom - until the next thing and these get slung on the shitheap.

These pickups for all the ticks against buzzwords they may execute in isolatation- are just as subjective as any other pickup.

Im more sick of elitists posts like this than i am people daring to not jump on bandwagons.

 

[pablometal]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NV_vq5wp4WBN-CnN-NCWTuolLGF-WpNS/view?usp=sharing

well here is it, the first 7 seconds are just the old gtrs then recorded some riffs again (you can notice the sound difference)with new strings also added an analog alesis eq to the signal chain.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

What people fail to grasp is that yes by the book something ticking off checklists for tone - doesnt make it the best. Or good at all for certain things.

Does the fishman do everything you said it does? Yes
Does it execute its marketing spiel? Yes
Is it the best pickup? Impossible to answer tone is subjective.

This post is ironic because your basically guilty of doing the same thing you are condemning but at the other end of the spectrum by implying the fishmans are undesputed best there has ever been - when in reality they are just as over hyped as any new guitar related piece of gear taking the scene by stom - until the next thing and these get slung on the shitheap.

These pickups for all the ticks against buzzwords they may execute in isolatation- are just as subjective as any other pickup.

Im more sick of elitists posts like this than i am people daring to not jump on bandwagons.

Zimbloth is right though, there is no comparison between blackouts and the fluences in terms of clarity and general sound. I've said this before in other threads and I'll say it again, fluence are the best active pickups on the market hands down. I've personally tried the blackouts, emgs and fluences and I think the fluences deserve all the hype. I say that as someone that has never really liked active pickups of any brand and as a devout pickup swapper/passive pickup fan. They're the only active that manages to mimic the versatility of good passive pickups imo. The blackouts are easily the worst on the market in terms of clarity imo. They had way too much gain, too much bass, slammed the front of the amp, and sounded like diarrhea in sonic form.
There's a reason the blackouts never caught on to the extent that emgs or fluence have.

 

[lewis]

Zimbloth is right though, there is no comparison between blackouts and the fluences in terms of clarity and general sound. I've said this before in other threads and I'll say it again, fluence are the best active pickups on the market hands down. I've personally tried the blackouts, emgs and fluences and I think the fluences deserve all the hype. I say that as someone that has never really liked active pickups of any brand and as a devout pickup swapper/passive pickup fan. They're the only active that manages to mimic the versatility of good passive pickups imo. The blackouts are easily the worst on the market in terms of clarity imo. They had way too much gain, too much bass, slammed the front of the amp, and sounded like diarrhea in sonic form.
There's a reason the blackouts never caught on to the extent that emgs or fluence have.

You are still speaking like opinion is fact.
Ive never personally owned the Blackout. Ive heard one in person (previous band member) and one of my favourite bands After the Burial use them and manage just fine.

I have Fishman moderns for studio use and EMGs for live so im not biased at all (quick connect is handy) - but im sick and tired of pickups and peoples attitude around them tbh.

everyones tastes are different, everyones rigs are different and everyones playstyles and finger tones are different. There really cannot be one size fits all conversation about pickups given there is too many variables.

Everything has a place and its about finding what works for me and me only. I only ever comment on my thoughts on something for my style.
Im never trying to convince people to ditch their pickups infavour of "insert new trendy bandwagon pickup set here".

It almost comes off as alot of people being insecure. I.e they know they just spwnt hundreds on a Fishman set and to justify it they go hard with the praise online- almost to convince themselves more of the purchase.

I dont know its weird.
Either way im so jaded and over the pickup quest haha.
I like my EMGs, I use my Moderns and if someone handed me a guitar with a dimebucker in the bridge (never played one) i would likely use and enjoy that too.

Think its so overdone on here

 

[KnightBrolaire]

You are still speaking like opinion is fact.
Ive never personally owned the Blackout. Ive heard one in person (previous band member) and one of my favourite bands After the Burial use them and manage just fine.

I have Fishman moderns for studio use and EMGs for live so im not biased at all (quick connect is handy) - but im sick and tired of pickups and peoples attitude around them tbh.

everyones tastes are different, everyones rigs are different and everyones playstyles and finger tones are different. There really cannot be one size fits all conversation about pickups given there is too many variables.

Everything has a place and its about finding what works for me and me only. I only ever comment on my thoughts on something for my style.
Im never trying to convince people to ditch their pickups infavour of "insert new trendy bandwagon pickup set here".

It almost comes off as alot of people being insecure. I.e they know they just spwnt hundreds on a Fishman set and to justify it they go hard with the praise online- almost to convince themselves more of the purchase.

I dont know its weird.
Either way im so jaded and over the pickup quest haha.
I like my EMGs, I use my Moderns and if someone handed me a guitar with a dimebucker in the bridge (never played one) i would likely use and enjoy that too.

Think its so overdone on here

I was merely stating my opinion that blackouts are the worst actives on the market. I've tried enough pickups over the years that I can offer a bit broader perspective than most people on here. I'm sure they're plenty viable for some people, but they're one of the few pickups that I can say I hated no matter how much I tweaked them. I like After the Burial's tones and I liked Mick from Slipknot's tones when he used blackouts, but I could never get a tone that I liked from them. EMGs and fluences were much easier to get tones I liked from.
Like I said in my previous post, I have no skin in the game. I've never really liked actives and the fluences still impressed me.

 

[zimbloth]

This post is ironic because your basically guilty of doing the same thing you are condemning but at the other end of the spectrum by implying the fishmans are undesputed best there has ever been - when in reality they are just as over hyped as any new guitar related piece of gear taking the scene by stom - until the next thing and these get slung on the shitheap.

Im more sick of elitists posts like this than i am people daring to not jump on bandwagons.

1) I never said they're the best. I said I think they have better clarity and dynamics than Blackouts, which I base on countless real-world A/B trials, not internet hearsay or amateur clips.

2) It's not being an "elitist" to state one's honest, informed opinion. I don't pay attention what "hype" things may or may not have. The nature of my profession means I have logged hundreds of hours with all these pickups in real life applications, and have had the opportunity to do countless direct before/after trials. So when I state my opinion that Fluence Moderns are more articulate than a Duncan Blackout, its because I think its true, not because I have an agenda. I sell Seymour Duncans constantly too, it makes no difference to me. I just like to help people achieve the best tone possible.

3) I understand a large segment of metal fans have a natural tendency to resent anything that is popular or has "hype" behind it. I get it, many endorsed artists and dealers hype up garbage to make an easy buck. However, that doesn't mean everything that is popular isn't popular for a good reason. I think attitudes like this is more elitist than me just having a strong opinion.

 

[Politics of Ecstasy]

IDK man, maybe its my GAS, but I have to say, Larry Fishman’s intent and goal I really think were achieved. He wanted to change/revolutionize in a sense, what hasn’t been different forever. The only thing I can think of as kind of different was Lace, but that was really design difference more than technology.

IMHO and please dont kill me for saying this, and this is why i am buying the guitar i mentioned in another thread, is because i beleive these pickups are REALLY something differnent. Like the way the Axe Fx changed amps, I think Fishman Fluence CAN be that different start for pickups, i mean it HAD to start somewhere with someone, and if someone else had some other more advanced technology than fishman, please chime in because i was blown away by the demo and actual sound

Again, there is no best pickup. That’s silly to think one size fits all, especially to us picky babies (guitarists)....There are BEST pickups per category, like EMG 81 might be the best active bridge pup, or the Lundgren M8 might be the best 8 string pickup, or the Tone zone/air norton might be the best classic Combo ever, etc....like those types of cliche’s are expected but this time i actually think the pickup game might change because of the fluence technology

Ill say this: the carpenter set is definitely for metal, maybe it sounds like the way the modern set is made for metal. But obviously these pickups are so versatile that just a change of a few parameters on your tone knob, volume, switches and selectors, you have so many tonal choices that its not JUST for one genre

IDK, I’m not defending anyone, I’m just saying, as far as the pickup game goes, Larry fishman said something to the effect, nothing changed since it was invented,(even actives , they just have a preamp), so the fluence core is REALLY something interesting...i feel like were watching the beginning of the modeler for the guitar pickup or something.


Anyway just my two cents, and dont beat me up, I’m not a veteran yet!

 

[MASS DEFECT]

"insert new trendy bandwagon pickup set here".

You have to admit that the Fluence is not just some trendy bandwagon pickups. The technology is really new and mindblowing. EMG and Duncan would have wished they thought of stacking circuit boards instead of winding conventional wire. Nobody has done it before.

Fishman's approach to creating pickups has opened a looooot of cool new applications. Imagine not being limited by how much or how less you wind wire with pickups. Gone are the worries that when you overwind you lose on clarity and treble. You can have PAF quality without being limited with gain. With the stacked boards, you can exactly determine how much gain you need and how clear you want the pickups to be.

If Fishman wanted they can create a straight up facsimile of the 81 easily.

 

[Politics of Ecstasy]

+1, “i like the way i said it better” - Jim Morrison