[Version_6]

I've seen a lot about the Fluences and there seems to be a few features about them that are quite appealing to me. Anyone installed them or played a set? I've always preferred 81s for my actives although recently I moved over to 57/66 sets because I prefer the more vintage kinda feel.

I'm thinking of getting a set for my Angelus as the PAF 36s I'd arranged fell through. Think LP style specs, thick mahogany and maple body, 24.75 scale and a set bridge.

 

[Ola Englund]

Best active pickup I've tried to be honest. Balls out but still keeps kind of a clear dynamic to them that reminds me a lot of passive pickups. Love them!

 

[shannon]

I'm not trying to start anything, as this is a serious question.

I've noticed a trend of active pickup companies putting out pickups that are designed to sound passive.
What is the point of that? Why wouldn't you just use passive pickups? It seems like less of a headache & you wouldn't have a battery to contend with.

 

[3641]

No tone loss from longer cables and as they're printed coil circuits they have more consistency and no chance of becoming microphonic.

Fishman also offers rechargeable battery packs if you can't swap you battery once a year but know how to charge your cellphone

 

[79]

No tone loss from longer cables and as they're printed coil circuits they have more consistency and no chance of becoming microphonic.

Fishman also offers rechargeable battery packs if you can't swap you battery once a year but know how to charge your cellphone

:rofl:

 

[BenEllerGuitars]

Absolutely nuts about them.... and i HATE actives! Any EMG set, the Blackouts, whatever, i hate them all. The Fluence Modern set i have just sounds.... right! Check out my Youtube channel for a bunch of videos featuring them (search for Ben Eller).

 

[BenEllerGuitars]

 

[Version_6]

Sweet, I'll give them a try then. Sound like they'll suit me well.

I'm not trying to start anything, as this is a serious question.

I've noticed a trend of active pickup companies putting out pickups that are designed to sound passive.
What is the point of that? Why wouldn't you just use passive pickups? It seems like less of a headache & you wouldn't have a battery to contend with.

I can see it being about good business practice. With advances in technology come the ability to make products with fewer limitations. Some of those limitations are what make people like me love the old 81 (the compression, low end roll off and the almost hifi like clarity) but some people want the tone of a passive pickup with the higher output, lower noise and buffered output.

Its not as though they're removing the typical active tonal pickups from their line, simply supplementing it with more tonal options.

 

[the.godfather]

I've noticed a trend of active pickup companies putting out pickups that are designed to sound passive.
What is the point of that? Why wouldn't you just use passive pickups? It seems like less of a headache & you wouldn't have a battery to contend with.

I'm with you. I'm an active pickup fan, always have been, always will be. Just my tastes. But whether you're a fan of them or not then surely an active pickup that sounds 'like a passive' is kind of redundant? Unless you have an existing active setup that would be easier to just switch the pickups out of rather than the whole entire installation. I'd understand that I suppose. Part of the attraction of active pickups for me is that they sound like active pickups. If you take that away then you might as well just stick regular passives in there.

 

[stuh84]

I'm with you. I'm an active pickup fan, always have been, always will be. Just my tastes. But whether you're a fan of them or not then surely an active pickup that sounds 'like a passive' is kind of redundant? Unless you have an existing active setup that would be easier to just switch the pickups out of rather than the whole entire installation. I'd understand that I suppose. Part of the attraction of active pickups for me is that they sound like active pickups. If you take that away then you might as well just stick regular passives in there.

There is the point with 7s and 8s where the pickup routes are so big you could fit a small family in there thanks to the size of EMGs, so something that's a drop in replacement is always a temptation. You could get some of the Duncan pickups that are that size, but often they are quite a lot more than the standard size ones.

Also as mentioned there's the benefits of long cable lengths too.

 

[Jazzhands]

I'm with you. I'm an active pickup fan, always have been, always will be. Just my tastes. But whether you're a fan of them or not then surely an active pickup that sounds 'like a passive' is kind of redundant? Unless you have an existing active setup that would be easier to just switch the pickups out of rather than the whole entire installation. I'd understand that I suppose. Part of the attraction of active pickups for me is that they sound like active pickups. If you take that away then you might as well just stick regular passives in there.

I'd say the Fluence pickups can get away with it because the active preamp is probably the only way they could get the "two tones in one pickup" feature to work. They seem like they wanted passive tone from the get-go, but had to rely on an active preamp.

EDIT: They also wanted all the advantages you could get with an active, including noiselessness, and of course less tone loss when using really long cables, due to actives having a low-impedance signal.

I swear to fuck I don't work for Fishman. :rofl:

 

[kmanick]

anyone try the Classic humbucker set yet. I'm thinking of throwing these into me ESP II Eclipse (since they already have EMG's in there)
I'm curious as to how much difference there is between the classic and the modern set hot wise and tone wise

 

[guatemalan_taco]

anyone try the Classic humbucker set yet. I'm thinking of throwing these into me ESP II Eclipse (since they already have EMG's in there)
I'm curious as to how much difference there is between the classic and the modern set hot wise and tone wise

They try and do a lot in this video to showcase them. Gives you a grasp on their dynamic range anyway. As an added bonus, I think they look stellar also.