coil taps

[dabbler]

Originally posted by sharp shredder i was talking about splitting a previously unsplitted pickup.

 

 

If the pickup is open (no covers), you can tap a 2 wire HB by CAREFULLY pulling the tape away and adding a wire to the junction of the wires for the 2 coils. Although, some have reported destruction of the pup by pulling the tape, I have successfully tapped the HBs in my SX SEG1 STD.

 

Here are some links with more info

Here, try these:

 

http://www.musicianshotline.com/arc..._gene/05_05.htm

 

http://ww.excellentleads.com/Splitt...ucker_inst.html

 

If you do this, my advice is read ALL of the instructions completely before you DO anything (they each do a better job explaining different parts of the process) and give yourself plenty of time. Especially if you are going to do both at the same time.

[jerry_picker]

Originally posted by dabbler If the pickup is open (no covers), you can tap a 2 wire HB by CAREFULLY pulling the tape away and adding a wire to the junction of the wires for the 2 coils. Although, some have reported destruction of the pup by pulling the tape, I have successfully tapped the HBs in my SX SEG1 STD.

 

 

You are describing a split, not a tap.

 

That junction of the two coils is the business end of the split.

 

Since the number of coils functioning in each half is unchanged, no tap has occurred.

 

Tapping is all about going into ("tapping into") an individual coil.

Splitting is about separating the two coils from each other. This all gets confusing because guitar makers (actually their advertizing and marketing people, who typically are technical morons) misuse the terms, tending to use "tap" for everything. The Squier 51 is a particular egregious example.

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1326728

[dabbler]

Originally posted by jerry_picker You are describing a split, not a tap. That junction of the two coils is the business end of the split. Since the number of coils functioning in each half is unchanged, no tap has occurred. Tapping is all about going into ("tapping into") an individual coil. Splitting is about separating the two coils from each other. This all gets confusing because guitar makers (actually their advertizing and marketing people, who typically are technical morons) misuse the terms, tending to use "tap" for everything. The Squier 51 is a particular egregious example. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1326728

 

 

Perhaps I am wrong, but hear my logic. A "tap" is something you attach to a circuit of any type, it may be a pickup, it may be a preamp whatever to get an intermediate output. What I described is a tap. Some guitarist somewhere may have defined it differently, but I haven't, until now, heard that a tap has to be in a single coil. A "split" allows the circuit to be reconfigurable, in phase/out of phase, a tap does not allow this, it only allows you to "tap" the output at some place other than the original output.

 

At any rate, I think everybody understood what I was saying, and in the electrical world my terminology is perfectly acceptable. But if you have a reference for what you say, I'd like to read it. I am always learning and will stop using my terminology if, in fact it is incorrect.

[jerry_picker]

Originally posted by dabbler Perhaps I am wrong, but hear my logic. A "tap" is something you attach to a circuit of any type, it may be a pickup, it may be a preamp whatever to get an intermediate output. What I described is a tap. Some guitarist somewhere may have defined it differently, but I haven't, until now, heard that a tap has to be in a single coil. A "split" allows the circuit to be reconfigurable, in phase/out of phase, a tap does not allow this, it only allows you to "tap" the output at some place other than the original output. At any rate, I think everybody understood what I was saying, and in the electrical world my terminology is perfectly acceptable. But if you have a reference for what you say, I'd like to read it. I am always learning and will stop using my terminology if, in fact it is incorrect.

 

 

By your logic, then, a split is a kind of tap? Technically, that is correct.

 

If you consider the humbucker to be single unit, then a split is (most likely) a 50% tap...with the qualification that the magnetic field associated with the "live" pickup is also half. A tapped single coil maintains the same magnetic field.

 

I guess the semantic distinction comes in where one considers the humbucker to be a 2-separate single coil assembly (which I do) or a self-standing unit. Tom Anderson considers a "split" to be its own thing. Seymour Duncan says "split (sometimes called tapped)". Pete Biltoft, and Sweetwater, and others seem to fall in the "tapped" (meaning split) camp, but only when referring to humbuckers.

 

I feel that making the distinction illustrates what is actually going on here: a split divides out a whole unit, not an arbitrarily determined percentage of the coils on a bobbin. It really doesn;t matter, if the context is clear (which it almost never is).

 

"Tapping" a humbucker becomes somewhat ambiguous and general, since it includes tapping in a specific sense into one or both single coils considered separately OR it includes splitting intact whole untapped single coils in a humbucker unit. These are very different concepts, and involve very different techniques and applications (even though they may chart out similarly in schematics, if you ignore the magnets).

[dabbler]

Originally posted by jerry_picker By your logic, then, a split is a kind of tap? Technically, that is correct. If you consider the humbucker to be single unit, then a split is (most likely) a 50% tap...with the qualification that the magnetic field associated with the "live" pickup is also half. A tapped single coil maintains the same magnetic field. I guess the semantic distinction comes in where one considers the humbucker to be a 2-separate single coil assembly (which I do) or a self-standing unit. Tom Anderson considers a "split" to be its own thing. Seymour Duncan says "split (sometimes called tapped)". Pete Biltoft, and Sweetwater, and others seem to fall in the "tapped" (meaning split) camp, but only when referring to humbuckers. I feel that making the distinction illustrates what is actually going on here: a split divides out a whole unit, not an arbitrarily determined percentage of the coils on a bobbin. It really doesn;t matter, if the context is clear (which it almost never is). "Tapping" a humbucker becomes somewhat ambiguous and general, since it includes tapping in a specific sense into one or both single coils considered separately OR it includes splitting intact whole untapped single coils in a humbucker unit. These are very different concepts, and involve very different techniques and applications (even though they may chart out similarly in schematics, if you ignore the magnets).

Ahhhhh, thanks jerry_picker!! You're right, of course! It comes down to how you view an HB, whether as a unit or a pair of SCs. I'll switch to the more traditional description now that I understand better.

BTW, that is the most succint description of the difference in tap and split I've ever seen!! You're a good teacher!

[Devinstation]

Splitting a humbucker with 4-conductor wiring (which most have today anyways) is just a simple issue of how you wire it in your guitar to your pots and switches etc. etc.

From your description you want to split a humbucker, almost EVERY manufacturer including Seymour Duncan and most guitar builders refer to a Coil "Tap" as a coil split, when in all actuality they are very different.

Jerry P. Explained it the best so I'm not gonna go into details over it.

If youw ant to geta guitar then add a coil split, a Tech can do it for fairly cheap, though it is IMPORTANT that you get good pickupsfor a split.

A would say a good high-output humbucker would be good for you, the above mentioned Super Distortion would be good for the brigge, as for a neck pup, well ask about it on this forum and you will get an answer.

[jmartin]

From an unexpected direction-might I suggest a Mike Kelly Valor Custom-very versatile-should more than cover what you are looking for sound-wise,AND the necks on those are amazing for shredding.

Have a listen.