Coil tap and phase wiring

[Bew316]

Hi guys
Had some mods done on my prs mira and had two Duncans fitted... I asked for coil tap on the tone and phase switch on the volume. By the looks of it the neck pickup taps to the slug coil and the bridge to the screw coil... I'm not particularly happy with the splits and just wondering what needs to be changed so that the neck with split to the screw coil and the bridge to the slug

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

Just to clarify the red and white from both pickups are going to the coil tap on the tone and the green and black from the bridge are going to the phase switch on the volume

 

[AlexR]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

If you are swapping the functions, then you simply swap the locations of the colours between pickups. So whatever was used for the neck is now used for the bridge etc.

There is not much difference in the splits (not taps fyi.....thats a completely different operation) if the two pickups are wound the same. If you have a c/59 in the bridge however, then I can see a difference in result.....what particularly are you not liking??

edit - I'm also seeing resistors there in the wiring.....I'm wondering if there is a partial split effect going on (where you get part of the second coil as well). Might be worth talking to the installer to see what they did precisely.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

I am confused by the resistors here...what do they do?
Also...yeah 'tap' and 'split' aren't the same thing, as they require different electrical operations.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

I am confused by the resistors here...what do they do?
Also...yeah 'tap' and 'split' aren't the same thing, as they require different electrical operations.

Its a partial split they came on the mira to begin with. It let's some of the other coil come through when they are split... Yes I'm aware tap and split are different but people use them interchangeably.... Even manufacturers

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

The pickups came out of an fmt telecaster that I used to have... Its a 59 neck and a pearly gates bridge. When the phase switch is on it selects the slug coil in the bridge and this sounds far better in single coil mode than the screw side which is very thin.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring


What I'm having trouble understanding is this:
The neck is splitting to the slug coil so as per that diagram its red and white to the push pull. So to get the screw coil instead it should be the green and black wires instead... That's fine. The problem is with the wiring for the bridge. It's also got the red and white wires going to the push pull but that is not selecting the slug it's selecting the screw and then the green and black are going to the phase switch. In order to get the slug side do the red and white need to go to the phase switch and the green and black to the push pull then?

 

[Artie]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

In your 1st photo, both pups are being split to the stud coil. (Through PRS's 1.1k neck and 2.2k bridge resistors.) Red/white always go to the center lug of the p-p. What determines which coil is active is taking the other end of the resistor to ground, for the stud, or to the black wire, for the screw coil. Green should always go to ground. Or, in your case, to the polarity switch.

Edit: IMHO, Duncan does that in a weird way. Running red/white to black makes more sense to me than flipping the wire colors around like they do. They do that so that the "other" lug goes to ground. But I find that to be more confusing. But that's just me.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

But that's what I'm saying.... The neck is splitting to the slug coil and the bridge is splitting to the screw coil.... They're not both splitting to the slug. That's what's confusing me about the the wiring in the first place.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

I've said this about five times lol

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

I'm not sure I fully understand the terminology... I'm just asking what do I need to change so that it's the other coils being left on when I activate the split.. I. E. Neck screw/bridge slug..and if its just a case of soldering two wires somewhere else.. Thanks

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

With the answers posted and the diagram that you posted, don't you have your answer?

Even though people, including manufacturers, use a term incorrectly it doesn't make it correct. There is a huge difference in wiring and tone between "tap" and "split" and the terms should be used correctly...yes, even by manufacturers.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

Look I'm just trying to get some advice in simple terms that I'll understand and all I'm getting is jargon... Coil tap coil split I don't care everyone knows what it means.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

It's really patronising when ive tried to explain my issue.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

taking the other end of the resistor to ground, for the stud, or to the black wire, for the screw coil. Green should always go to ground. Or, in your case, to the polarity switch.

Thats what I'm having trouble understanding.

 

[Artie]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

No prob man. Just to be sure . . . are you confirming which coil is active by gently "tapping" on it with a screwdriver, or somesuch? I'm also assuming that one end of both resistors is soldered to the side of the switch case. (Ground, in other words.)

And, if that's so, be aware that flipping the polarity switch also flips which coil is active when in the split mode. That's why it's better to connect the other end of the resistor to either green or black, rather than ground.

 

[Bew316]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

Yes I said to begin with which coils were active as it is wired currently... I'm still in the dark. I'll just have to get someone to look at it because I'm getting nowhere on here... I'm sorry but I was hoping for a simple straightforward answer and most of what I've got has just been patronising and condescending

 

[Mincer]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

We are not trying to be condescending...it is important of all places, here, to use correct terms, as many people read these posts and we want to put out accurate information using the correct terms, so it helps the maximum number of people. It isn't personal, we just want the information contained to be accurate.

 

[Artie]

Re: Coil tap and phase wiring

The problem is, your situation is not straightforward. We have a couple of unusual issues to deal with. The first, is the presence of the PRS resistors. These complicate the issue by virtue of neither coil ever being completely off. If it was me, for at least the troubleshooting phase, I'd solder a jumper across them to eliminate them from the question. You could then just "snip" the jumpers off later if you like the resistors being in there.

The 2nd issue is the presence of the polarity switch, which changes which coil is selected. If grounding the red/white wire selects the screw coil, then either your Pearly Gates is wired wrong from the factory, (unlikely, but possible), or your polarity switch is reversed. (More likely.) A simple test that you could do that would be helpful, is to have both humbuckers on "full", (not split), and then flip the polarity switch back and forth and let us know which position sounds weak and out-of-phase. Then, with the switch in the OOP position, pull the push-pull, then tap on each coil and verify which coil is active.

That information would be very helpful.

Artie