I'd like if some people could explain something to me as regards tapped single coils? I know you can tap a humbucker and have a single coil sound by eliminating one of the coils. However, when looking at pickups like the 1/4 Pounder for Tele it says these can be tapped? How so? Does this mean they have two coils? Or is there some way of tapping a single coil?
Tapped Single Coils?
- Thread starter Tav
- Start date
Artie
Peaveyologist
Re: Tapped Single Coils?
Actually, you're mixing terminology here a bit, but thats not your fault, because of the way in which these terms are used.
Generically, in electrical talk, the term "tap" refers to splicing a wire someplace in a circuit that would be considered "in the middle".
So, by "tapping" into the junction of the two coils in a humbucker, we achieve a "split".
By tapping into the windings of a single coil, we have, well . . . just a tap.
The "tap", in a single coil allows you to short out, or bypass, some of the windings, giving you a reduced output. This gives you the ability to better match a high-output pup, with a lower output pup.
In the case of the hb, its to give you psuedo-single-coil tone. (Along with other enhanced wiring options.)
btw - another "fun" use of the single-coil tap, especially in a high-output pup, is to consider the "tapped" position as "normal", when matched with a lower output pup. Then you hit your switch, to "turbo-charge" that pups output. Like this:
Its just a matter of how you look at it.
Hope this made sense; Artie
Actually, you're mixing terminology here a bit, but thats not your fault, because of the way in which these terms are used.
Generically, in electrical talk, the term "tap" refers to splicing a wire someplace in a circuit that would be considered "in the middle".
So, by "tapping" into the junction of the two coils in a humbucker, we achieve a "split".
By tapping into the windings of a single coil, we have, well . . . just a tap.
The "tap", in a single coil allows you to short out, or bypass, some of the windings, giving you a reduced output. This gives you the ability to better match a high-output pup, with a lower output pup.
In the case of the hb, its to give you psuedo-single-coil tone. (Along with other enhanced wiring options.)
btw - another "fun" use of the single-coil tap, especially in a high-output pup, is to consider the "tapped" position as "normal", when matched with a lower output pup. Then you hit your switch, to "turbo-charge" that pups output. Like this:
Its just a matter of how you look at it.
Hope this made sense; Artie
Last edited:
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Tapped Single Coils?
Yeah...Arties got it down!
I have a Tapped Tele Hot pickup in my Nocaster. If I use the full output tap it's a 10K coil. If I use that tap that is connected to the middle of the winding I get a 6.6K pickup...much cleaner and less ballsy.
When I'm playing clean rythym and have the bridge pickup combined with the neck pickup, I like the sparkle and chime of the 6.6K bridge output.
When I'm soloing I often use the full output of the bridge pickup for a fatter, stronger much ballsier soloing tone.
Picture the tapped single coil as a spool of wire wrapped around magnetic pole pieces...cuz that's what it is. The higher output would be connected to the full length of the wire. The lower output would be soldered to the middle of the wire.
Lew
Yeah...Arties got it down!
I have a Tapped Tele Hot pickup in my Nocaster. If I use the full output tap it's a 10K coil. If I use that tap that is connected to the middle of the winding I get a 6.6K pickup...much cleaner and less ballsy.
When I'm playing clean rythym and have the bridge pickup combined with the neck pickup, I like the sparkle and chime of the 6.6K bridge output.
When I'm soloing I often use the full output of the bridge pickup for a fatter, stronger much ballsier soloing tone.
Picture the tapped single coil as a spool of wire wrapped around magnetic pole pieces...cuz that's what it is. The higher output would be connected to the full length of the wire. The lower output would be soldered to the middle of the wire.
Lew
Re: Tapped Single Coils?
Thanks alot guys. So basically what we are saying is that by tapping, the 1/4 Pounder for instance, I can have a "normal" tele/single coil tone in one case and then make use of that hotter output in another? Great. See I am worried about getting a good single coil/tele sound AND managing to have it hot at same time. I guess with this I get best of both worlds.
Edit:
I've had a look at the scematics at the link below and was wondering if people could tell me what each position of the selector switch would give you?
Position 1 -
Position 2 -
Position 3 -
Position 4 -
Position 5 -
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/schematicspdf/tapped_tele.pdf
Thanks alot guys. So basically what we are saying is that by tapping, the 1/4 Pounder for instance, I can have a "normal" tele/single coil tone in one case and then make use of that hotter output in another? Great. See I am worried about getting a good single coil/tele sound AND managing to have it hot at same time. I guess with this I get best of both worlds.
Edit:
I've had a look at the scematics at the link below and was wondering if people could tell me what each position of the selector switch would give you?
Position 1 -
Position 2 -
Position 3 -
Position 4 -
Position 5 -
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/schematicspdf/tapped_tele.pdf
Last edited:
Similar threads
