Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

[Pierre]

For instance on the Gibson website, they use tapping instead of splitting on their description. Many people say coil tap instead of split when they talk about disabling a humbucker's coil. Both have similar effects in that they diminish output, but aren't they different processes, working on different types of pickups?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Same reason many people confuse tremolo with vibrato...they just don't know the diff! :laugh2:

BTW...your Strat has a vibrato, not a tremolo.

And that vibrato channel on your blackface Fender amp has a tremolo circuit...not vibrato.

 

[beandip]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

yup, two different processes, but "coil tapping" just flows better than "coil splitting".

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

"Ah got me a split-coil-tapping switch."

 

[Pierre]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

DUH I should have posted that in the pickup lounge

Anyhoo I posted this because someone on another forum I go to always says tapping instead of splitting, so I told him the difference and he's still trying to argue by showing me a Wikipedia definitions and other random websites'. Gibson's definition happened to be wrong too. Apparently he won't believe Seymour Duncan's now...

I love being right

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Lew...I it always bothered me that Leo called the vibrato a Trem and that BF/SF Fender amps have a vibrato channel that has a tremolo circut...however, I love the true vibrato on brown tolex amps!

Pierre...Im not sure if anybody answered your question...spliting is shutting off one coil of a dual coil humbucking pickup, taping is where you have a single coil pickup wound to say 10k but during the winding process the winder took off a hot "tap" at say 7k...a tapped pickup had 2 hot leads and each one is a different DC...like having a vintage wind and a hotter more modern wind in one pickup...it's great!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Are there tapped 'buckers?

 

[Pierre]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Are there tapped 'buckers?

Wow think about it... Each coil in a humbucker can be tapped :laugh2: The ultimate in versatility. I wonder if it's possible.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

It is possible...Dr. Barlo had a good thread about this a while back and I spoke with MJ and she said it can be done...it will cost a good biot of cash but I have thought about it!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Man, that would be pretty badass... something like a C5 at full power, and it taps down to a '59...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

thats kind of what Dr B had in mind...or if you had a seperate switch on each coil...instant Hybrid! Im not a big fan of the hybrids but lots of guys swear by them...

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Man... I'm really intrigued by this now. It'd be SO much better than splitting!

 

[Artie]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

"Tap" is a technical term that refers to a connection made in the middle of a circuit. One can "tap" your phone line. A "split" is an application for a tap. A humbucker needs to have a tap in order to split it. My Peavey humbuckers do that exact thing. They don't bring all the coil wires out. They only bring out a "tap", so that they can be split.

Artie

 

[Pierre]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

So the tap is in between each coils then? So that you only bring out current in one?

 

[Artie]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

Exactly. My Peavey's, for example, only use 3 wires. Since a 4-conductor Duncan brings all four coil wires out, you could argue that that isn't a tap per se. That is, they haven't added a connection.

I'm probably confusing the issue.

Artie

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

I'm probably confusing the issue.

A little, but that's better than the rest of us sounding like ignorant fools :laugh2:

 

[MikeRocker]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

For humbuckers, I like the 4-conductor wiring series/parallel/split. You need a three way on/on/on switch, but it gives several great sounds.

 

[Akrin]

Re: Why do people often confuse splitting and tapping?

or if you had a seperate switch on each coil...instant Hybrid! Im not a big fan of the hybrids but lots of guys swear by them...

Or you could use a 3way... 59/Hybrid/C5