Fishman (company)


Fishman is an American company based in Andover, Massachusetts. They are known for making guitar pickups and other guitar related equipment. They have been known for specializing in producing equipment involved in the amplification of acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments.

History

In 1980 Larry Fishman made a prototype acoustic pickup in his basement. By 1981 Fishman had taken orders for pickups from the Guild Guitar Company. In 1982 the C.F. Martin Guitar Company called to order Fishman pickups. With the Martin order, the Fishman company rented a larger manufacturing space. They began making pickups for other music instruments: banjos, mandolins, violins, cellos, basses.
The Fishman company has produced amplifiers and other guitar-related equipment since its beginning in 1981. They have been known for producing high-quality acoustic amplifiers.

Fishman Fluence pickups

In 2012 the Fishman company began working on a new pickup for guitars. They began designing a pickup that uses circuit boards. With circuit-boards, the guitar pickup could be programmed. Most guitar pickups are made with wire coiled around a magnet: the Fishman Fluence pickup is a solid core with a conventional magnet. The Fluence pickup represented a complete change in the electric guitar pickup. They called the new pickup Fishman Fluence. Fishman used techniques previously used in the aerospace and telecommunications sectors to make their pickup. In addition Fishman hired Ching-Yu Lin, Ph.D. to analyze and charge the magnets used in their pickups. The company was able to control the consistency of the magnets, and the stacked solid core parts of their pickups to make each pickup sound the same. By 2014 Fishman was manufacturing the Fluence pickup.
Soon Fishman was designing pickups for guitar makers. They manufacture pickups for Paul Reed Smith guitars. Fishman designed an acoustic guitar pickup for the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. ESP Guitars sells guitars with Fishman Fluence pickups installed. Gibson installs Fishman pickups in its G-45 Series acoustic guitars. in 2019 Ibanez Guitars began selling a guitar model with Fishman pickups. Reverend guitars began selling guitars with Fishman Fluence pickups. Schecter guitars sells guitars with Fishman Fluence pickups installed. Caparison began installing Fishman pickups in their Caparison Dellinger bass.

Products