coil tapping vs splitting - what is the differnce ?

[one less than none]

hi im looking at pickups, some manufacturers say you can coil tap there pups others say you can split them, i have been told the two are differnent

what is the differnce in tone

the new pup im looking at is the rio grande muy grande 7 bridge

[rickboot]

Split means that two coils in a humbucker are split to use only one entire coil. This is useful for when you want a single coil sound out of a humbucker.

Tap usually refers to tapping within a coil. By doing this you get less turns of wire and therefore less output. This can be done with single coils and humbuckers.

Rick

[frankfalbo]

While Rick is correct, the word "tap" is a widely misused word often referring to the concept of "tapping into" one of the coils of a humbucker, and therefore having the same meaning as "coil cutting, or *splitting", So even though the right use of the word is to mean "tapping into the windings of an individual coil", many refer to coil tapping as the same thing as coil cutting.

[RSVampire]

Does a JS1000 has a coil tap or a coil cutter?

[rickboot]

Frank is right. I forgot to clarify this. I often use the term coil tap when referring to a coil split as well. Almost everyone does. Very few pickups have true coil taps, so whenever you hear these terms used, most of the time coil splitting is what is being discussed.

Rick

BTW, the JS has a coil split.

[RSVampire]

what do you guys like? the taps or splits?

[bachle7]

I can't see any reason that I would ever want a tapped coil... less power/volume. *Coil splitting is cool when you want to have multiple pup positions on. *Splitting is the way to go, which is why there are very few tapped pups out there.

[rickboot]

I haven't tried a coil tapped guitar (that I know of). I think it would be interesting and useful. I don't always want more power and volume. Sometimes less output and a brighter, cleaner sound is in order.

I have considered ordering a custom tapped pickup.
I'd want the tap to make hot pickup sound more like vintage pickup. Plus I'd still want it to coil split. Wiring it up would require quite a few switches!

Rick