Coil tap??

[sl2lover]

What the fuck is coil tapping?

[JACKSONFREAK]

Well a true coil tap is when the wire is connected to a lead wire half way through the windings. Whats been come to be known as coil tapping as a term. Is when yo can split a humbucker into a single coil by flipping a switch. Whether its a toggle type of switch or a push/pull pot type.
Pickups that can "coil tap" have typicaly 4 conductor wiring Like a Duncan or a Dimarzio.
Gil

[sl2lover]

Ah great! Ty! I know I'll never do it!

[Newc]

Well, it's not the worst thing you can do in life

Even after reading various essays on the difference between splitting and tapping, I still can't figure out the TONAL difference - with both, only half the pickup is active (read: producing sound), right?

[Guitardude86]

[Sunbane]

Well, it's not the worst thing you can do in life

Even after reading various essays on the difference between splitting and tapping, I still can't figure out the TONAL difference - with both, only half the pickup is active (read: producing sound), right?

Yes, but in different ways.

With coil tapping, it would still technically be a humbucker - just lower output.
With coil splitting, you reduce your humbucker to a singlecoil.

However, I have personally never heard of any humbuckers with coil taps. Does anyone know any models that has it? Note: I'm not talking about coil splits here.

[tanpsi]

I had my les paul modified to split the coils of each humbucker

I had push pull pots put in so they didn't have to drill holes, and it was I think around $100

I liked having the the single coil sounds for variety, although its not going to make a les paul sound like a strat. It was def. worth it for me

[JacksonWarrior]

My 86 Westone Dimension IV came stock with Magnaflux UBC II humbuckers in both neck and bridge position. Factory coil tap(true tap not split) as well, the volume knob is a push pull pot that activates the coil tap. I find it quite worthless for my style, except for the rare occasion I switch to clean channel. These are nice sounding pickups I think, especially with high gain, nice and meaty crunch, blow the shit out of the HZ H3's that are in my 2001 WRMG(not that its hard to blow away H3's Ive recently learned). Keep an eye on ebay they pop up every now and then, they go cheap and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Oh yeah, this setup also has a factory phase switch for the bridge, the tone pot pops up to activate it.

[Newc]

With coil tapping, it would still technically be a humbucker - just lower output.

So this would be the same as turning your volume knob down about halfway? You keep the hum-cancelling properties, just a lower volume.

[emperor_black]

So this would be the same as turning your volume knob down about halfway? You keep the hum-cancelling properties, just a lower volume.

not really. With a coil tap, you get the "almost true" sound of a single coil with all the sparkle and treble. With the volume reduced you still have the warmth of a humby.

I have a dean hardtail select which has both humbuckers coil tapped. But I rarely ever use it. My pots are push-pull too. A lot of guitars have this nowadays.

I read on some wiring diagram instructions that wiring two humbuckers in the traditional H-H combination will result in a loss of output in the coil tapped position. So, if you have a series/parallel switch in combination with the coil tapping, then in the coil tapped single coil position, flipping the series/parallel switch should give you true single coil sounds. Or you could use a volume boost pedal to boost your single coil sounds.

[Sunbane]

So this would be the same as turning your volume knob down about halfway? You keep the hum-cancelling properties, just a lower volume.

I would assume that, yes - but I have zero experience with coil tap pickups, so I can only theorize around it.

not really. With a coil tap, you get the "almost true" sound of a single coil with all the sparkle and treble. With the volume reduced you still have the warmth of a humby.

I have a dean hardtail select which has both humbuckers coil tapped. But I rarely ever use it. My pots are push-pull too. A lot of guitars have this nowadays.

I read on some wiring diagram instructions that wiring two humbuckers in the traditional H-H combination will result in a loss of output in the coil tapped position. So, if you have a series/parallel switch in combination with the coil tapping, then in the coil tapped single coil position, flipping the series/parallel switch should give you true single coil sounds. Or you could use a volume boost pedal to boost your single coil sounds.

Would you please read the thread properly before storming in and confusing the issue? You are obviously talking about coil splitting, not coil tapping.

[CharvelRocker]

Coil tap and coil splitting are two oft- switched terms it seems.

[emperor_black]

Oops! Sorry about that.

[thebigz]

I've been reading this through and I'll probably be splitting the JBs in my RR5 this weekend or sometime soon.... If I do this, is volume going to be cut by 1/2 when its being split?

And I'm sure this is personal preference, but which is "better", parallel or series?

Thanks

[XxKilgannonxX]

Humbuckers are two singles in series. In parallel it is the same of what they call coil tapping. Which is the two singles of the humbucker running side by side. Creates a lower output and cancels the hum for a cleaner brighter sound.

Coil SPLIT on the other hand is to kill of one of the singles and run only one of the singlecoils from the humbucker. This is the true singlecoil sound.

Thing is if you want quiet, lower output but still kinda humbuckery tone. Have a series/parallel switch. If you want vintage singlecoil sound. Get it split.

All it is is electronics geekery. I have a 5 way switch on my H-H Ibanez..has the neck in parallel and the two inner singles of my humbuckers..never use them

Each to their own