Fishman Fluence opinions

Findthetone1

Well-known member
I'm doing a parts superstrat this year and was orginally going to go with a Suhr SSH+ bridge and DiMarzio Area 61 in the neck but am rethinking it. How are the Fluence pickups? Specifically the modern humbucker and the singles. 80s rock/hard rock is my wheelhouse.
 
I tried them in one of these and freaking loved them!

fish.jpg
 
Fluences are kind of "meh" to me.

They can certainly sound good, but I've never heard them sound great. They're very, very "modern" sounding. Similar to emgs in their A1 steak sauce effect, but not quite as anodyne.

I agree with Apex, the classics would be best if you play 80s stuff. If it was me, I would prefer the suhr area 61 combo idea. Especially for 80s style.
 
Fluences are kind of "meh" to me.

They can certainly sound good, but I've never heard them sound great. They're very, very "modern" sounding. Similar to emgs in their A1 steak sauce effect, but not quite as anodyne.

I agree with Apex, the classics would be best if you play 80s stuff. If it was me, I would prefer the suhr area 61 combo idea. Especially for 80s style.
Probably right. I think I'm looking for a solution to a problem that's not really there. I'm having a hard time find the exact wiring diagram and I know active stuff all take same value components whereas mixing a passive humbucker with a passive single with only one volume and one tone gets a little complicated.
 
Probably right. I think I'm looking for a solution to a problem that's not really there. I'm having a hard time find the exact wiring diagram and I know active stuff all take same value components whereas mixing a passive humbucker with a passive single with only one volume and one tone gets a little complicated.


It's not that bad. I've done it before on an American strat I modded heavily.

They make "stacked" 250k/500k pots now, too.
 
For 80s stuff I would probably go with something else. I love the Fishman for modern metal though. For 80s the classics would prob be a better choice over the moderns if you did go Fishman.
 
I've had both the ssh+ and fluence classics and much prefer the fishmans. Ssh+ was too fuzzy sounding whereas the fishmans were super clear and versatile.
 
When I built my Warmoth San Dimas tele I used the Fluence Classic and Single-Width. They are cool for sure....they are super hot but kinda don't sound like they are (weird I know lol)

I still prefer passives overall tho
 
Yeah I've never been a fan of actives. Never had a guitar with them in it. But there are so many options and they seem to have gotten more of a personality so to speak, I feel like maybe I should consider them.

Funny, my main axe for 5 years was a Majesty, but for some reason I never thought too much about the battery
cause the 2 main pickups are passive.

For some reason it bugs me with active pickups. Makes no sense but it just does.

And the Majesty dies (passive pups too) if the battery goes so the risk is no different. Weird guitar quirk.
 
Funny, my main axe for 5 years was a Majesty, but for some reason I never thought too much about the battery
cause the 2 main pickups are passive.

For some reason it bugs me with active pickups. Makes no sense but it just does.

And the Majesty dies (passive pups too) if the battery goes so the risk is no different. Weird guitar quirk.

Same here, I have a usa EBMM Cutlass, and when the battery for the noise reduction circuit dies, IT dies. But it doesn't seem to annoy me like standard emgs or whatever do.
 
EBMM Cutlass
Had one that I gave to my kid when he moved away. Killer - but then all MM's are.
Best made in USA guitar value on the market imo, yet they seem to fly under a lot of radars.



EDIT. Just remembered a side story to the EBMM. Also gave him a Swart Atomic Jr when he moved to Santa Rosa
a few years ago. He called a while back and asked if he could sell the amp to a local place cause he never used it anymore.

Calls back a couple weeks later to let me know the shop sold it to one of their regulars from the SF/Bay area.

Carlos Freaking Santana! :m17:
 
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Had one that I gave to my kid when he moved away. Killer - but then all MM's are.
Best made in USA guitar value on the market imo, yet they seem to fly under a lot of radars.

This was my first MM and I could not BELIEVE the level of quality for that kind "high midrange" price level around 1500-2000$.

It seriously hangs with custom shop strats, suhr and TA - let alone the US strats in its price range.

I only wish they made a LP style guitar 😂
 
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