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Fishman Fluence Carpenter and Townsend Signature Pickups

Fishman releases two new Fluence signature pickups, co-designed by Stephen Carpenter and Devin Townsend.

Fishman Fluence Stephen Carpenter Signature pickup set
Fishman Fluence Stephen Carpenter

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These electric guitar pickup sets showcase how Fishman’s unique Fluence can be customized to accommodate the needs of modern players, specifically for those who play high-gain metal like Stephen and Devin.

The Fishman Fluence is described as a total re-imagining of the electric guitar pickup design, a departure from good old wound pickups that were first introduced in 1934. These pickups utilize an innovative design that allows for a second voicing option, which lets you switch between two different tones.

The technology behind this pickup is a quite straightforward, instead of having wires wound over a magnet, Fishman printed the coils on to a circuit board. This means that each production pickup is consistent, and at the same time, it conveniently deals with the hum, noise and tone loss that’s usually associated with older pickups. Capacitance issues are also dealt with via its active electronics.

Since the coils are printed on a circuit board, Fishman can then copy great sounding pickups by simply analyzing its component and wounding. This compact design also allows for multiple voices, but for now, each Fluence carries two distinct voices, but who knows how further circuit board miniaturizing can provide.

The Fishman Fluence Stephen Carpenter Signature pickup set caters to Steph’s blazing high-gain modern metal guitar style, it has the original Fluence tone at its core, but with subtle tweak in the midrange. Switching to the second voice adds more gain and edge. The bridge pickup has a ceramic magnet, while the neck pickup features alnico, and both are available in 7-string and 8-string guitar compatible format.

The Deftones guitarist adds, “I was never the super-critical guy. I’m not much for specs, but I like clean, full sounding pickups. We put Fluence in and I jammed on them for 45 minutes and thought… ‘these things are freaking great…’ I didn’t want to stop playing.

Fishman Devin Townsend Fluence Signature pickup set
Fishman Fluence Devin Townsend

The Fishman Devin Townsend Fluence Signature pickup set is a bit more versatile to accommodate Devin’s versatile playing style. The default voicing is meant for his metal guitar work, and it is the reason why it features pole pieces rather than blade magnets – to replicate his preferred “sonic havoc”. The second voicing of this pickup set cross over into the single coil realm, with a low-gain sweet-sounding tone when he needs to disengage his overdrive.

Devin concludes, “Typically, I’ve done a record of brutal heavy metal, followed by a new-age or country record, and in the past I’ve had to work with two very distinct groups of equipment to achieve what I’m going for. Now, for the first time in my career, what I use in the studio is exactly the same as what I use onstage. Same guitar, same pickups, my Fishman Fluence Transcendence set.”

The Fishman Fluence Stephen Carpenter Signature set is currently retailing for just under $260, while the Fishman Fluence Devin Townsend Signature set is priced at just under $280. Visit Fishman for the specifications of each pickup and other details.

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