B
braintheory
Well-known member
So I've tried many of the different fluence sets now in a bunch of different types of guitars and thought I'd share my thoughts to help those who aren't sure which model is for them. For what it's worth though, I only like to use these pickups for high gain applications, so that's all I'm gonna talk about here
KSE: my favorite model fluence. It seems to be the tightest/most focused and most attack of the other models and is also more gritty/less smooth and brighter than the other sets. It's not as thick/beefy or high output as the regular moderns, but still more than enough for my taste. I have these in a Mayones Regius (ash wings/maple top), but also tried them the other day at the Axe Palace in an ESP original series Horizon (mahogany/maple top) and thought they were great in both guitars and similarly tight
Abasi: I have these now in the same guitar I had the moderns in before (Bernie Rico Jr Jekyl 727 mahogany body) and they sound almost the same. The Abasi just has a little more upper mids and brightness, maybe just a hair less tight than the moderns and has more modes for things like single coil and cleans, but I didn't bother with that stuff
Moderns: These and the Abasi are my 2nd favorites behind the KSE. Like I said they're a bit beefier and less bright, more low mids, but I like the extra tightness and attack of the KSE's. I also tried the modern in an alder bodied ESP Custom shop at the Axe Palace and they were equally good in that too
Devin Townsend: I didn't like these as much. They sounded like the moderns, but darker, more low mids, a bit saggier/less tight and something about them sounded slightly bloated to me. Maybe they'd be better in a brighter sounding guitar. I played them in a ESP original series horizon with a mahogany /maple top neck thru guitar which wasn't dark at all (quite well balanced) though and I tried the KSE's in another ESP that was the same exact model and specs and the KSE was so much tighter, better balanced, aggressive and just better to my ears
Carpenter: These were probably my least favorites. Honestly I've tried them too long ago to remember exactly how to describe them, but I just wasn't a fan. I think the regular moderns are much better
I still haven't tried the Adler or Classic models yet, but based on my conversation about them with Nick at the Axe Palace I don't think they'd be my thing. The KSE are my favorite and I may put them in one or two of my other guitars. The fluence's are all a lot more compressed and processed sounding than what I normally go for, but they have a tightness and focus to them that's been unmatched by anything else I've tried and can sound very heavy in their own way and I think can be perfect for certain styles of metal. I like them much better than any of the other active pickups
KSE: my favorite model fluence. It seems to be the tightest/most focused and most attack of the other models and is also more gritty/less smooth and brighter than the other sets. It's not as thick/beefy or high output as the regular moderns, but still more than enough for my taste. I have these in a Mayones Regius (ash wings/maple top), but also tried them the other day at the Axe Palace in an ESP original series Horizon (mahogany/maple top) and thought they were great in both guitars and similarly tight
Abasi: I have these now in the same guitar I had the moderns in before (Bernie Rico Jr Jekyl 727 mahogany body) and they sound almost the same. The Abasi just has a little more upper mids and brightness, maybe just a hair less tight than the moderns and has more modes for things like single coil and cleans, but I didn't bother with that stuff
Moderns: These and the Abasi are my 2nd favorites behind the KSE. Like I said they're a bit beefier and less bright, more low mids, but I like the extra tightness and attack of the KSE's. I also tried the modern in an alder bodied ESP Custom shop at the Axe Palace and they were equally good in that too
Devin Townsend: I didn't like these as much. They sounded like the moderns, but darker, more low mids, a bit saggier/less tight and something about them sounded slightly bloated to me. Maybe they'd be better in a brighter sounding guitar. I played them in a ESP original series horizon with a mahogany /maple top neck thru guitar which wasn't dark at all (quite well balanced) though and I tried the KSE's in another ESP that was the same exact model and specs and the KSE was so much tighter, better balanced, aggressive and just better to my ears
Carpenter: These were probably my least favorites. Honestly I've tried them too long ago to remember exactly how to describe them, but I just wasn't a fan. I think the regular moderns are much better
I still haven't tried the Adler or Classic models yet, but based on my conversation about them with Nick at the Axe Palace I don't think they'd be my thing. The KSE are my favorite and I may put them in one or two of my other guitars. The fluence's are all a lot more compressed and processed sounding than what I normally go for, but they have a tightness and focus to them that's been unmatched by anything else I've tried and can sound very heavy in their own way and I think can be perfect for certain styles of metal. I like them much better than any of the other active pickups
