how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

D

DMyers77

New member
I'm thinking about trying the SSL-5 in the bridge of my strat. It currently has 3 SSL-1's in it. I really love the way the guitar sounds, but there are times that I wouldn't mind a little more fullness from the bridge pickup.

I've hesistated to change it since I don't want to change my #2 (mid & bridge) sound.

My plan is to install the SSL-5T and wire it up like this:

1 - bridge (no tone)
2 - tapped bridge and middle (tone #2)
3 - middle (tone #2)
4 - middle and neck (tone #1)
5 - neck (tone #1)

Does a tapped SSL-5 sound close enough to an SSL-1 to make this work?
 
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Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

i'm still trying to figure out in my mind how that will work....Tapped?
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

ps... many players on here love the SSL5 SSL1 SSL1 combo... so much so i've thought about adding an SSL5 to the bridge position of my 66 CS Strat just to try out... the strat sounds great but the bridge is a little weak in mine
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

The SSL-5T has two hot wires, one for full output and one for tapped out. Using a Super Switch, I can set position #1 to use the full output wire, and position #2 to use the tapped output wire.
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

DMyers77 said:
The SSL-5T has two hot wires, one for full output and one for tapped out. Using a Super Switch, I can set position #1 to use the full output wire, and position #2 to use the tapped output wire.

By not connecting a tone pot to the bridge pickup, but connecting one to the middle pickup, you will get a tone pot that only turns on when you choose the mid and bridge combo.
Click to expand...

ya i thought you'd be using a super switch... i didn't know you could get a SSL5T
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

tapped the ssl5t will do what you want it to. it doesnt sound like a ssl1 but when tapped it does the notch tones better than the ssl5 full output. the thing is the ssl5 isnt as fat as the ssl3. the ssl5 isnt as high output and doesnt have as much mids
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

i thought the SSL5 was hotter then an SSL3... i'll have to take a peek again
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

yup and using them in the neck and middle is going to leave your bridge sounding thinner. the same basic problem as a vintage fender just ratcheted up the output scale. if you want fatter than the ssl3 in the bridge you are going to need to probably look at a humbucker of some kind.
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

jeremy,

So the SSL-5 won't sound like an SSL-1 when tapped? But the notch position will sound better with it tapped than not?

How does a tapped SSL-5/SSL-1 notch position compare to an SSL-1/SSL-1 notch position?
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

the ssl5 is made with different wire than the ssl1 so it wont sound the same. i do prefer the sound of the tapped output for notch tones over the non-tapped. the non-tapped is a little darker with more low mids.

i havent heard the ssl1/ssl1 vs ssl1/ssl5 tapped side by side for a long time so its hard to say but they are fairly close.
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

OK, last question.... does the SSL-5 take the same cover as the SSL-1? I've currently got parchment covers and like the look. I'm wondering because the SSL-5 come with a cover, and the SSL-1's don't.
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

My current set up is a SSL6T (non stagger version of SSL5) and two SSL1's. I use the auto-switching wiring to get the tapped together with the middle. The tapping is exactly in the middle of the winding so that the tapped sounds a bit wimpy to me and dont match well with the middle SSL1. I plan to switch a blending pot into the wiring to get a dialed in sound in the in-between sounds. Alternatively i could think of a custom made tapping at 2 thirds of the winding.
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

hamerfan,

Are you grounding the red wire to tap the pickup, or using it as the hot lead?

I was originally under the impression originally that you need to ground the red wire to tap the pickup (like you would with the red/white wires of humbucker)... but after looking at the wiring instructions, it seems that you need to use the red wire INSTEAD of the white wire to get the tapped sound.

I'm not sure if this would make a difference, but it may explain why it doesn't sound good to you.

The instructions are here:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/images/products/electric/stratocaster/501010-100.pdf

If you scroll to the second diagram, it shows the tapped pickups wired to SPDT switches... they switch between the red and white wire to +, with the black wire going to - regardless.
 
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Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

both are hot wires with a common ground. the tap wire comes out of the middle of the coil, the full output at the end. dont ground the tap
 
Re: how does the SSL-5 sound when tapped?

hamerfan,

In that diagram, the bridge pickup is "split" by grounding one coil in the #2 position (the red and white wires.) If you wired the SSL-6T like that, then you are grounding the tap.

All,

Would grounding the tap cause the "wimpy" sound that hamerfan is describing?
 
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