Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

[Sly_D]

Does anyone ever tried this thing from the tech page? Since I'm not a big user of regular tone pots, I'm tempted to try it before defacing my LP Custom... even if it's just a crappy Epi.

It consist in removing the cap and soldering the white and red pup wires to the middle post of the tone pot (and change a couple of ground connexions), thus making it a coil-tapping dialer that can go from 0 to 100% single coil.

Anyone knows if it works well? The tech tip says it's the easiest way to tap a pup and that it gives tremendous control over the amount of tapping.

 

[Robert S.]

I've done it and it works extremely well.

Adding push/pulls to an Epi is very easy and won't "deface" the guitar.

 

[Sly_D]

Thanks Robert.

I'll try the Dial-a-Tap thing with an old pot. I'll see how I like it...

As far as push-pull, I wish I had considered it before, I already bought all my electronics at StewMac, I'm waiting for it any day now...
4 standard pots Maybe I should just order a push-pull pot instead of trying something I may regret with a switch... I'm pretty confident though, I have good hands as far wood working and stuff. Yet, scrapping a 800$ guitar is not a very funny perspective.

By the way, I'll be buying my Pearly Gates this weekend... thanks for the tip!

 

[dalastcaffeine]

how do i do this with dimarzio pups??? sounds fun to do....

 

[dalastcaffeine]

how do i do this with dimarzio pups??? sounds fun to do....

 

[Sly_D]

I think you do the same but use the white and black wire to the middle post of the tone pot. As you know, the hot is the red one with DiMarzios, whereas it is the black one with SDs.

Follow this link and scroll to Spin-a-Split: http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/techtips.shtml

As a rule of thumb, when you read tips for SDs, simply change the black wire for the red wire (and conversely) for DiMarzios. I suppose the white wire does the same thing in both, much like the green one. I'm not 100% positive though, so you may want to verify this last bit.

 

[Robert S.]

Dimarzio codes:

Red - north start
Black - north finish
Green - south start
white - south finish

So the red is hot, the green is ground and the black/white is the coil link.

 

[csarvox]

push/pull's are great and easiest way for coil tapping...in my opinion coil-tapping works best when humbucker has high output like JB,Distortion,Custom,ToneZone,PafPro,SuperDist,Invader etc...

 

[Zacker]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

Ooh, this spin-a-split thing sounds nice. I'l try it on an old guitar I have.Oh and bam!One of the first threads bumped!

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

It works great. The only downside is you have to give up a pot for it. It also helps to try different kinds of pots to get just the right taper because on some pots there can be no noticeable change from, say, 10 to 8, then it drops off the table, then another plateau, repeat. I'm not sure if audio or linear taper is better.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

I have spin-a-splits on most of my neck HB's (and those without them have unmatched coils). It's a GREAT option. Dial in as much single coil as you want. Clears up any muddiness, gives clarity and bite. I never use the tone pot on a neck HB, so this is a truly useable pot for that slot. I used to wire my guitars with push-pulls for coil cut, but the best neck tones are the ones in between.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

I don't understand the two parts of the diagram that I circled in red in the attached image below. At first I thought they represented where I would ground a wire, but I am in doubt now, as for example, the one on the tone pot - the diagram shows that it should continue to ground after the spot in question. Can anyone help me understand what these two spots are?

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

The junctions you circled are actually soldered to the back of the pots.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

The junctions you circled are actually soldered to the back of the pots.

Which signifies thay they are grounds, as I thought at first. So why does the diagram explicitly point out that the solder point on the back of the tone pot continues to ground (the down-facing triangle symbol), but does not provide that same ground symbol for the solder connection shown on the back of the volume pot? The (seemed) inconsistency is what threw me into doubt...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

there really only needs to be one path to ground. the volume pot is grounded thru the tone pot

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Dial-a-Tap/Spin-a-Split

there really only needs to be one path to ground. the volume pot is grounded thru the tone pot

Yes, I understand that there doesn't need to be multiple paths to ground.

Since the 3rd lug of the volume pot leads to a solder spot on the back of the volume pot, isn't that a grounding right there? I.e. so the volume pot does not need to go over to the tone pot for grounding? Btw: i am not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand the diagram and learn something - as my electrical circuit knowledge is rudimentary. So I appreciate the help!