The Fishman Fluence Thread

KnightBrolaire

mothman is real and stole my catalytic converter
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
21,216
Reaction score
28,480
Location
Minnesota
No matter how i change EQ, live going direct, these moderns always translate as sounding kind of thin.

Last night i had mids nearly cranked, bass full and depth just over noon (ax8 - depth is like resonance) and it still sounded scooped/thin lacking body.

Anyone else have this issue? They seen like a good recording pickup but live they dont punch you in the face like other pups do.
nope, i find v2 to be nice and chunky, even through a tighter amp like my mk3 or revv
 

LeviathanKiller

Knee-shooting Archer
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
1,359
Location
Deep Southeast
No matter how i change EQ, live going direct, these moderns always translate as sounding kind of thin.

Last night i had mids nearly cranked, bass full and depth just over noon (ax8 - depth is like resonance) and it still sounded scooped/thin lacking body.

Anyone else have this issue? They seen like a good recording pickup but live they dont punch you in the face like other pups do.

You have the Modern set, right?

Yes, I have the same issue with the Moderns (and did with the Tosin set too). Sounds good layered up/in-a-mix but pretty thin on its own. That's why I'm switching mine out.

Keith Merrow set is completely different imo. Much more passive like.
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
nope, i find v2 to be nice and chunky, even through a tighter amp like my mk3 or revv

yeah but Im stuck using V1 because no way could I get so much soldering done on a single pot install. Is ridiculous so went EMG solderless set and for the time being, dont have the solderless push/pull pot they do to activate voice 2 so

You have the Modern set, right?

Yes, I have the same issue with the Moderns (and did with the Tosin set too). Sounds good layered up/in-a-mix but pretty thin on its own. That's why I'm switching mine out.

Keith Merrow set is completely different imo. Much more passive like.

its abit crazy really. I feel like the moderns would only work and balance out really well in a guitar tuned really low. Like in 8 strings tuned Drop E and lower, they probably shine but in higher tunings (like our drop Ab) its not low enough for them and they just seem really thin live.

Im going to keep them in that guitar for the studio shit we spoke about, but Im going to finish up several other guitars including my Xiphos project, and not go Fishman in those for live. I need a different animal and Im going to stick to what I know cuts and sounds powerful/ballsy live - which is the offerings from EMG ive used in the past.
 

This site may earn a commission from merchant links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
the modern V1 ALMOST has a slight Wah thing going on with it imo. Its abit odd. Cool pickups but I dont think worthy of all this major hype they are getting/
 

KnightBrolaire

mothman is real and stole my catalytic converter
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
21,216
Reaction score
28,480
Location
Minnesota
>doesn't use any of the features that make fishmans good/unique compared to other actives
>notworththehype.jpg
lmaoooooo
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
>doesn't use any of the features that make fishmans good/unique compared to other actives
>notworththehype.jpg
lmaoooooo
what? im talking strictly comparing the active voice against the other pickups everyone slates religiously, and in a like for like comparison, no I dont get the hype.

whats wrong with that statement?
I mean if the hype is "well they do more than one sound" so? we all have more than 1 guitar which all sound different anyway so whats the point?
EDIT:
And "doesnt use any of the features" would include not even using V1....you think I dont know how to plug a cable in and hear them or something?
 

LeviathanKiller

Knee-shooting Archer
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
1,359
Location
Deep Southeast
yeah but Im stuck using V1 because no way could I get so much soldering done on a single pot install. Is ridiculous so went EMG solderless set and for the time being, dont have the solderless push/pull pot they do to activate voice 2 so

its abit crazy really. I feel like the moderns would only work and balance out really well in a guitar tuned really low. Like in 8 strings tuned Drop E and lower, they probably shine but in higher tunings (like our drop Ab) its not low enough for them and they just seem really thin live.

Im going to keep them in that guitar for the studio shit we spoke about, but Im going to finish up several other guitars including my Xiphos project, and not go Fishman in those for live. I need a different animal and Im going to stick to what I know cuts and sounds powerful/ballsy live - which is the offerings from EMG ive used in the past.

For me, Voice 2 was both better and worse at the same time. It was more passive sounding and ballsy but it was also scooped a bit. On top of that, it wasn't too far from a set of passives but those passives are less scooped so I may as well just replace them with that passive set.

To be fair though, I thought the EMG 57/66 set I had was horrible. I would definitely take the Fishman Modern set over that set or the 81/60.

the modern V1 ALMOST has a slight Wah thing going on with it imo. Its abit odd. Cool pickups but I dont think worthy of all this major hype they are getting/

Agreed on the wah thing.

They do have aspects about them that deserve the hype. The technology, clarity, and ability to have multiple voicings is really remarkable. But it's not something that makes what's already out there inferior. I still prefer my passive sets most of the time.

>doesn't use any of the features that make fishmans good/unique compared to other actives
>notworththehype.jpg
lmaoooooo

Any of the features? He's using voice 1 which is 50% of what it offers. It's not like he HAS to use voice 2 in order to say he doesn't like it or isn't impressed. There's no point in owning a 2-voice pickup if you hate one of the voices UNLESS the one voice you do like is just end-all-be-all.
 

KnightBrolaire

mothman is real and stole my catalytic converter
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
21,216
Reaction score
28,480
Location
Minnesota
For me, Voice 2 was both better and worse at the same time. It was more passive sounding and ballsy but it was also scooped a bit. On top of that, it wasn't too far from a set of passives but those passives are less scooped so I may as well just replace them with that passive set.

To be fair though, I thought the EMG 57/66 set I had was horrible. I would definitely take the Fishman Modern set over that set or the 81/60.



Agreed on the wah thing.

They do have aspects about them that deserve the hype. The technology, clarity, and ability to have multiple voicings is really remarkable. But it's not something that makes what's already out there inferior. I still prefer my passive sets most of the time.



Any of the features? He's using voice 1 which is 50% of what it offers. It's not like he HAS to use voice 2 in order to say he doesn't like it or isn't impressed. There's no point in owning a 2-voice pickup if you hate one of the voices UNLESS the one voice you do like is just end-all-be-all.
He's not using the coil splits or V2, so it's more like he's only getting 25% of what the pickup is capable of (or less if you want to include the middle positions).
I find it stupid to try and offer opinions on a pickup if you haven't at least utilized all it can offer, which is what I'm getting at. He hasn't even used the other options and he's already made up his mind.
what? im talking strictly comparing the active voice against the other pickups everyone slates religiously, and in a like for like comparison, no I dont get the hype.

whats wrong with that statement?
I mean if the hype is "well they do more than one sound" so? we all have more than 1 guitar which all sound different anyway so whats the point?
EDIT:
And "doesnt use any of the features" would include not even using V1....you think I dont know how to plug a cable in and hear them or something?
If that's the case then specify that. Speaking as someone that was completely lukewarm (at best) on actives for years, the fishmans are the only ones that do a pretty good job of approximating the options that passives can do.
For guys that actually like actives (like steph carpenter, etc) the option to have more versatility than emgs could offer was obviously a pretty big factor (among others). Look at the mass exodus of longtime emg players ffs
 
Last edited:

Strobe

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
851
Reaction score
854
Location
St. Paul, MN
You have the Modern set, right?

Yes, I have the same issue with the Moderns (and did with the Tosin set too). Sounds good layered up/in-a-mix but pretty thin on its own. That's why I'm switching mine out.

Keith Merrow set is completely different imo. Much more passive like.

Weird. I like the moderns specifically because they are thicker sounding than EMG's to me - especially in the low mids. I actually thought of the 81 being a bit tighter, but also thinner. I figure everyone's ears probably work a bit differently and emphasize different frequencies, so I believe we are both hearing what we are hearing.

The cocked wah thing you and Lewis bring up - I do hear that in V1 for sure. That's often a good thing for leads, but I do not always want it, which is why it's nice to have V2 available. It does seem to go away a bit with down-tuning, and with the V1 gain jumper on (i.e. cutting 6dB).

The Tosin set is almost Tone Zone thick in my SG - real surprised to hear that sounds thin in V1 especially.
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
He's not using the coil splits or V2, so it's more like he's only getting 25% of what the pickup is capable of (or less if you want to include the middle positions).
I find it stupid to try and offer opinions on a pickup if you haven't at least utilized all it can offer, which is what I'm getting at. He hasn't even used the other options and he's already made up his mind.

If that's the case then specify that. Speaking as someone that was completely lukewarm (at best) on actives for years, the fishmans are the only ones that do a pretty good job of approximating the options that passives can do.
For guys that actually like actives (like steph carpenter, etc) the option to have more versatility than emgs could offer was obviously a pretty big factor (among others). Look at the mass exodus of longtime emg players ffs

ok mate. Its just discussion and opinions. No need to get quite angry about it haha
after all its my guitar and tone not yours? haha
 

KnightBrolaire

mothman is real and stole my catalytic converter
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
21,216
Reaction score
28,480
Location
Minnesota
ok mate. Its just discussion and opinions. No need to get quite angry about it haha
after all its my guitar and tone not yours? haha
angry? I'm not angry, merely stating the fact that a lot of longtime emg players left specifically because the fishmans had more options/better clarity/whatever else they claimed. You're basically doing the guitar equivalent of sawing off your leg and then complaining about how you can't walk now. It's not like it's difficult to swap the jumper over to v2, or like it's difficult to even solder but you deliberately chose to make things harder for yourself by trying to jury rig the fishmans with emg parts. :shrug:
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
angry? I'm not angry, merely stating the fact that a lot of longtime emg players left specifically because the fishmans had more options/better clarity/whatever else they claimed. You're basically doing the guitar equivalent of sawing off your leg and then complaining about how you can't walk now. It's not like it's difficult to swap the jumper over to v2, or like it's difficult to even solder but you deliberately chose to make things harder for yourself by trying to jury rig the fishmans with emg parts. :shrug:
yes because plugging in parts is way harder than soldering?...oh wait?

and you are speaking like it was some sort of bodge job using them? they work perfect with the Fishmans so
 

LeviathanKiller

Knee-shooting Archer
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
1,359
Location
Deep Southeast
He's not using the coil splits or V2, so it's more like he's only getting 25% of what the pickup is capable of (or less if you want to include the middle positions).
I find it stupid to try and offer opinions on a pickup if you haven't at least utilized all it can offer, which is what I'm getting at. He hasn't even used the other options and he's already made up his mind.

If that's the case then specify that. Speaking as someone that was completely lukewarm (at best) on actives for years, the fishmans are the only ones that do a pretty good job of approximating the options that passives can do.
For guys that actually like actives (like steph carpenter, etc) the option to have more versatility than emgs could offer was obviously a pretty big factor (among others). Look at the mass exodus of longtime emg players ffs

Yeah kinda, but a huge majority of people never coil split their pickups period. I don't think it's stupid to make a call after testing the main thing you would use. For some people, that is just the active voicing. For even more people, that is just voice 1 and 2 without ever using coil split options.

Like I somewhat stated though, Fishman actives are by far more desirable to me than any of the EMGs I've played and they edge out past the Blackouts I had too.

I agree with @KnightBrolaire that voice 2 needs to be tested if it's really that easy to swap over to it. I think you, @lewis, will find that voice thicker and better for rhythm probably.
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
Yeah kinda, but a huge majority of people never coil split their pickups period. I don't think it's stupid to make a call after testing the main thing you would use. For some people, that is just the active voicing. For even more people, that is just voice 1 and 2 without ever using coil split options.

Like I somewhat stated though, Fishman actives are by far more desirable to me than any of the EMGs I've played and they edge out past the Blackouts I had too.

I agree with @KnightBrolaire that voice 2 needs to be tested if it's really that easy to swap over to it. I think you, @lewis, will find that voice thicker and better for rhythm probably.
yeah I will try it.
 

diagrammatiks

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2010
Messages
4,847
Reaction score
5,457
Location
china
Lots of mixed opinions on the moderns. Glad I grabbed a classic set as my other set.

I also kind of agree with knightbro. Any single voicing on the fluences might not be perfect for you. But the biggest selling point is the versatility. 5 way with a push pull or three way with 2 push pulls is the way to go on these things.
 

KnightBrolaire

mothman is real and stole my catalytic converter
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
21,216
Reaction score
28,480
Location
Minnesota
Yeah kinda, but a huge majority of people never coil split their pickups period. I don't think it's stupid to make a call after testing the main thing you would use. For some people, that is just the active voicing. For even more people, that is just voice 1 and 2 without ever using coil split options.

Like I somewhat stated though, Fishman actives are by far more desirable to me than any of the EMGs I've played and they edge out past the Blackouts I had too.

I agree with @KnightBrolaire that voice 2 needs to be tested if it's really that easy to swap over to it. I think you, @lewis, will find that voice thicker and better for rhythm probably.
It might just be me since I like to be very thorough when testing gear, since initial impressions aren't always strong and gear often takes time to dial in. I absolutely hated my mesa F100 until I spent a lot of time dialing in a sound that I liked and figuring out exactly where the sweet spots of the knobs were. The same thing happened to me with V1 of the moderns, I didn't like it at first as it felt too harsh and djenty for my tastes, but then I began to like it for certain tunings/riffs as I spent more and more time with it. Point being, everybody should just shut the hell up until they actually give gear a more than fair shake, myself included.

the easiest option is to try v2 as it definitely rectifies that issue ime.
yes because plugging in parts is way harder than soldering?...oh wait?

and you are speaking like it was some sort of bodge job using them? they work perfect with the Fishmans so
That's not what I was getting at, by using the emg parts you lose access to the multiple voicings you can access with the push pull or the coil split options. If all you wanted was v1 then bully for you, but it's just stupid to not at least give v2 and the coil splits a chance at some point. It's one thing if the inherent voicing of V1 isn't your thing (it's not my preference by a long shot) but it's another to complain about gear without thoroughly exhausting all the sounds/options it has to offer.
 

lewis

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
8,258
Reaction score
4,797
Location
Norfolk, UK
It might just be me since I like to be very thorough when testing gear, since initial impressions aren't always strong and gear often takes time to dial in. I absolutely hated my mesa F100 until I spent a lot of time dialing in a sound that I liked and figuring out exactly where the sweet spots of the knobs were. The same thing happened to me with V1 of the moderns, I didn't like it at first as it felt too harsh and djenty for my tastes, but then I began to like it for certain tunings/riffs as I spent more and more time with it. Point being, everybody should just shut the hell up until they actually give gear a more than fair shake, myself included.

the easiest option is to try v2 as it definitely rectifies that issue ime.

That's not what I was getting at, by using the emg parts you lose access to the multiple voicings you can access with the push pull or the coil split options. If all you wanted was v1 then bully for you, but it's just stupid to not at least give v2 and the coil splits a chance at some point. It's one thing if the inherent voicing of V1 isn't your thing (it's not my preference by a long shot) but it's another to complain about gear without thoroughly exhausting all the sounds/options it has to offer.

Yeah thats fair enough. Also, EMG do a solderless push/pull that I was going to add to this. Having both options was always the plan and i never told myself I had written off V2 without trying it or anything if thats what you thought I was getting at. What happened was I had a show about 3 days away from when I tried soldering a single volume pot setup with these Fishmans, and in the struggle, abandoned trying to solder and use the Solderless stuff just to get them in the guitar super quick. It was my first attempt at soldering then and it just was too many solder points for 1 pot for my in experience. I legit had no other guitar options at that stage either due to basically all my Arsenal being unfinished projects and in bits - so needed something to give me sound for the show as quick as humanly possible.

in comes the EMG solderless stuff.
And i havent said I hate the Fishmans, or im going to ditch them, or anything like that. I like them alot as I said before - but more for studio situations on high gain tones than live because of that thinness that was discussed. And in that comparison i feel like EMGs cut better live. Thats just my opinion using my own ears so.

I feel like something like an 81X for live for my style is the go-to, but the modern is the clear winner in a recording situation - is my take on the situation.

I will try V2 if its a simple switching of a plug or something on quick connect stuff?
 

LeviathanKiller

Knee-shooting Archer
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
1,359
Location
Deep Southeast
NOT IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN! now you two just stop it. Make up now or no video games and chips for either or you!

Now lets just get along and talk about how thick and meaty the tosins are ok?......... OK!?!???? lol

Thick and meaty? My experience was opposite actually. lol

HERE WE GO... :lol:
 


Latest posts

Top