1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

[SJ318]

Hello,
Although dominus was nice enough to show me how, I have a few questions.
1. White or red to black, white or red to ground, (I paraphrase) so:
2. Can I choose which coils, slug or screw, by choosing which color goes with black(hot)
3. Does this then completely take the other coil out of the equation, so the other coil does not work at all.
4. If so, does it lose it's humbucking quality, i.e. more hum? don't care, just curious.
5. Does this wind up being like a stacked single coil humbucker i.e. sort of dull?
Thanks you very much in advance. Really-
Steve Buffington

[beaubrummels]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong (I'm sure they will), but...

#2 Using a Seymour Duncan 4-conductor pickup:

White+Red = coils in series, normal humbucking
White+Red to positive = South/screw coil active
White+Red to ground = North/slug coil

...referring to this diagram: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...ic=color_codes

#3 Yes, by hooking both the start/finish to either ground or positive, you've stopped the flow of electricity around that coil.

#4 Should be single coil then, subject to hum/interference

#5 I actually can't comment. Been a while since I had a coil split in my guitar and I wasn't a commonsewer of tone at the time, like I am now.

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Beau,
I think dominus said red and black to hot, with white to green and bare wire. But as you say - both red and white to either black or ground- so I guess the question still remains. I was thinking it would be: 1. white to black or red to black for hot. That would decide which coil. 2. Either way the white or red to green and bare(green and bare always being together).
So: BOY, AM I CONFUSED. I guess i need to look at diagrams, then, but was hoping my interpretation was correct. Knowing before hand is so much easier than learning by soldering and unsoldering. Thanks for the post.
Steve Buffington EDIT: see my post on bright mini humbuckers (recent) for further info on coil split

[beaubrummels]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Are you talking about a stacked single coil or a normal humbucker?

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Beau,
I think dominus said red and black to hot, with white to green and bare wire. But as you say - both red and white to either black or ground- so I guess the question still remains. I was thinking it would be: 1. white to black or red to black for hot. That would decide which coil. 2. Either way the white or red to green and bare(green and bare always being together).
So: BOY, AM I CONFUSED. I guess i need to look at diagrams, then, but was hoping my interpretation was correct. Knowing before hand is so much easier than learning by soldering and unsoldering. Thanks for the post.
Steve Buffington EDIT: see my post on bright mini humbuckers (recent) for further info on coil split

With red and black to "hot"/lead to switch and white and green to ground you have parallel.

If you have white and black together (whether they go to ground or hot, doesn't matter) you short out the slug coil and take it out of the circuit. Then with red going to lead and green going to ground you complete the circuit for the screw coil.

Just look at this diagram, it is self-explanatory:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=color_codes

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

To Guitar Doc,
I did look at the diagram, and it did not help me understand. I am missing something that is easy for you to see but I don't. What exactly, does parallel mean in this explanation. As opposed to what? Series? What is the difference. I do understand "out of phase", if that helps.
So please forgive me. I don't understand your first sentence. I understand your second sentence. I do not understand your third sentence. I know I am not intrinsically stupid, so please give me the benefit of doubt. Also I know big words.
I have a Jazz Neck. I want to coil split so the slug coil works, and the screw coil doesn't. I am confused still. Thank you in advance, of course, I admire you as one of the forums many "wise men". Not a**kissing, just sayin'.
Steve B.

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

O.K.,
Anyone? Simple version. How do I split the pickup so i have :
1. the screw coil only or
2. the slug coil only
that's all I need. Thanks. looking at the color scheme did not tell me that.
Thank you
Steve

[beaubrummels]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Hi Steve,

This is tough with words only, but I'll give it a shot. Nothing I say here is intended to be negative/condescending/whatever, I'm just trying to fully explain, using only words, so it's clear as crystal. Not sure if I can do a good job...

Electricity will come in from the jack flowing from positive to ground. On a SD 4-conductor pickup, black is the positive/start of the pickup and green is the finish or final output to ground. The first coil is the North or slug as seen in the diagram. The second coil is the screw or South coil.

In normal humbucking, the finish of the North coil is tied to the 'finish' of the South coil (it's humbucking, so coiled in reverse) - this puts the two coils in series, one right after the other, flowing to ground.

If you connect both the red and black to positive/hot, and white and green to negative/ground, you are making both coils work in parallel, side by side, both flowing to ground together at the same time, not one right after the other.

To split to the slug/North coil as seen in the diagram, you would want black to positive, and all the others going to ground. This works because having both red and green to ground grounds out the screw/South coil so it won't work, and having white to ground means electricity is flowing from black, through the North/slug coil and out to ground through the white - meaning you are using just that one coil.

To split to the screw/South coil as seen in the diagram, you would want the red to positive/hot and all the others to ground. Having black and white grounded out (which is the start and finish of that coil) you are stopping electricity from being able to flow around that coil, turning it off.

Typically, this is done with a switch wired like one of these:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/support/schematics/coil_splitting.jpg

The hitch is, the pickup color-coding diagram appears to be showing only a bridge pickup. In a neck pickup, the screw coil is in the spot labeled North, and to be honest, I wouldn't be sure if black stays with the slug coil start, if the slug is always North, or how to be sure - other than do a tap test on the poles while it's wired up.

Hope that helps, at least some.

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

To beaubrummels-
THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! That was simple, to the point, not condescending at all, just the facts ma'am. I don't know why I could not follow GuitarDoc as he is a smart fellow, maybe he thinks I know more than I do on the subject. So forgive me GuitarDoc.
O.K. I owe you all an expensive beer, or a shot, or a shirley temple if you are on a particular wagon. Or these days, I guess it could be several wagons at once. Thanks again,
Steve Buffington

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Steve,
Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I hope you didn't think any of my comments were condescending at all. They certainly weren't meant to be.

In my third sentence, "Just look at this diagram, it is self-explanatory:", what I meant was...that linked diagram shows a humbucker pup with the north/slug coil having the black wire as the start of the coil and the white wire as the finish of the coil. It also shows the south/screw coil with the green wire as the start of the coil and the red wire as the finish of that coil.

I assumed that you knew what series and parallel were. Sorry if that was an incorrect assumption.

The explanation from beaubrummels is essentially correct. The only thing I would disagree with is the direction of flow of the electrons, but it makes no functional difference.

Ideally, to split a pup (remove one of the coils from the circuit), that coil being removed should have both start and finish wires going to ground, but it functions just the same to send both wires to the hot/lead. Either way there is no flow of electrons through that coil.

In another thread, beau posted a very good diagram that shows series and parallel very clearly:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...matic=jp_style

[beaubrummels]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Hey Doc, I think we could all benefit, if you wouldn't mind writing up about the direction of electron flow and all the details right here (or do you have a link to another thread where you already covered it?) Thanks.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

It's really not that important to be covered here. Just that electrons are negative particles which are attracted to and flow toward positive charges. But, like I said, it makes no difference functionally.

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

GuitarDoc and beaubrummels,
Thanks to both of you and to GuitarDoc; I did not think you were being condescending at all. I understand the how, but there is still one thing I don't get: what is the difference in sound between parallel (which I think is 2 position & 4 position sound) and series (which I DON'T know how that would sound).
Thank you for chiming back in, this very helpful stuff, and bookmarked, too!
Steve Buffington

[GuitarDoc]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

Series is a very full, rich, powerful sound, but can get muddy sounding. Parallel is a much brighter, light and airy, clean, more articulate sound.

[SJ318]

Re: 1st time coil tap newbie questions. Real yes or no questions.

GuitarDoc,
Thank you, this was a very good education for me. As old as I am I should know this stuff, and thanks to you and beaubrummels, I now do! I seriously wish I could buy you guys, and all the good hearted folks on this forum a nice meal and drinks on me, or something. This has been such a help.
Thank you guys,
Steve Buffington