Coil Tap question

Mykall · #1 03-08-2002, 03:26 PM

Can all pickups be set up so that they use a coil tap?

I'm considering changing pups on my Ibanez JS-100. *If I get say an EMG-81, will I be able to use the JS-100's coil tap to switch from single to humbucker and vice versa?

Do both the DiMarzio Fred and PAF Pro feature coil tapping? *I don't wanna risk losing my guitar's current versatility in exhange for potentially better sound.

Thanks!

-Mike.

JESTER700 · #2 03-08-2002, 03:55 PM

The key words are "4 conductor wiring". *This gives you the leads coming off each coil so you can wire it up many ways. *A 2 conductor humbucker can only be a humbucker (without expensive surgery, that is).

Historical note: this is actually coil SPLITTING, and coil TAPPING is something different. *But common (incorrect) usage has changed the practical definition (just like VIBRATO and TREMOLO).

Don't put an 81 in there. *That EMG is active (needs a preamp & battery), and it's difficult to mix active & passive pups in one axe. *Either go all EMG or all passive. *The FRED & PAF Pro are 4 conductor, and are good choices.

darren wilson · #3 03-08-2002, 05:12 PM

Jester's right on all accounts. It's really frustrating that coil tapping and coil splitting seem to be used interchangeably these days, when they're actually different things.

I don't think the EMG 81 can be split. They only have one humbucker that has splitting capabilities, and that's the 89, which is patterned after the 85. More info can be found here.

The thing with EMGs is that it's more than just a pickup... you need to put different pots and everything in your guitar, which makes matching them with passive pickups a challenge. I know it's been done, but it's not a simple job.

Mykall · #4 03-08-2002, 05:28 PM

thanks to both for the corrections. *Ibanez called it coil tapping, that's why I called it that. *A few more questions:

1. So what exactly is coil tapping then?
2. Does that mean that any 4 wire pickups can be coil splitted? *Virtually all DiMarzios are like this I think. *
3. Any recommendations on which are good for coil splitting other than the Fred? *I like the PAF Pro so that one for sure, but I've heard some reviews on the Fred that claim it isn't very good for heavy distortion sounds. *Is there a pickup identical to the EMG 81 that can be coil splitted? *It will be used in the bridge position of course.

Thanks!

-Mike

JESTER700 · #5 03-08-2002, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Mykall on 4:28 pm on Mar. 8, 2002
thanks to both for the corrections. *Ibanez called it coil tapping, that's why I called it that. *A few more questions:

1. So what exactly is coil tapping then?
2. Does that mean that any 4 wire pickups can be coil splitted? *Virtually all DiMarzios are like this I think. *
3. Any recommendations on which are good for coil splitting other than the Fred? *I like the PAF Pro so that one for sure, but I've heard some reviews on the Fred that claim it isn't very good for heavy distortion sounds. *Is there a pickup identical to the EMG 81 that can be coil splitted? *It will be used in the bridge position of course.

Imagine a single coil pup where they ran a lead off the pickup when it was wound halfway. *Then they continued winding the rest of the wire. *That first lead is a tap. *Since there are fewer windings involved, the sound is brighter & weaker. *Nice to have more tonal options, but few people seemed to like THAT one! *So they stopped doing it.

Yes, any 4 conductor humbucker can be split, since you're basically looking at the leads from each single coil.

Most modern buckers are 4 conductor, so what sound do you like? *The best candidates for splitting at bridge are the stronger pups, but most will work. *No passive will really sound like an EMG (that could be good OR bad, depending on your opinion!). *Weaker pups will often have more treble/greater bandwidth, but that still doesn't make them an EMG.

stratman219 · #6 11-18-2002, 12:11 AM

whats the differance between coil tapping and coil splitting?

JESTER700 · #7 11-18-2002, 08:05 AM

A TAP is a seperate lead run from a coil BEFORE the winding was completed. Then the winding is finished. So, you'd have THREE leads in a single coil pickup, with one being a tap - a brighter, thinner, weaker sound. A humbucker would have *6* leads!

Very few people do this any more.

A SPLIT is simply connecting one coil of a humbucker to act as a single coil (which it IS) to emulate a "strat" single coil sound. The problem is, true single coils are designed slightly differently, so the split humbucker is a compromise. It can still work well, though.