Coil tap.

[mero]

I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think singlecoils can be coiltapped too.

For humbuckers, it's actually coil-splitting because you're splitting the 2 singlecoils in a humbucker up, and using the sound from one of them.

For singlecoils, it's kinda different, because instead of splitting it, you're actually bypassing a section of the coiled wire in the singlecoil, so there are less turns and hence lower ouput (not very sure on this part). I don't think coiltapping singlecoils are popular though

 

[jbarks]

i've read of basses that do single-coil tapping in a different way: because the jazz bass pickup has 2 magnets to a string, the switch toggles between the coils on top and the coils below. I don't know if it really gives a different sound, though...

@nebo: if you don't want a push/pull pot, you could drill a small hole in your pickguard and buy a throw switch to install there. i'm not sure where from though, maybe someone more experienced with modding electronics can help

 

[popeye]

yea......you can't coil tap a single coil. the purpose of the coil tap is to allow your humbuckers to sound like single coils. basically only one side of the humbucker pickup will be used, so its like a single coil.

You are so wrong dude. What you wrote above is called COIL SPLIT.
Coil tap is for single coil.

BTW, here's the definition of coil tap:
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Coil tap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A coil tap is a wiring feature found on some electrical transformers, inductors and coil pickups, all of which are sets of wire coils. The coil tap(s) are points in a wire coil where a conductive patch has been exposed (usually on a loop of wire that extends out of the main coil body).

When the coil taps are disconnected, the coil operates as normal (see transformer). When a coil tap is connected to one end of the coil (or the end disconnected and reconnected to the tap), the section of coil between the tap and its connected end is bypassed - effectively reducing the number of turns in the coil.
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You see the last sentence. "effectively reducing the number of turns in the coil" which in pickup term, means it reduce the output of the pickup.

 

[jony]

Yup..popeye got it spot on.

Thats the common error people make.

 

[Newbie]

Hmm then I have this volume knob, I can pull it up? It's called what? Blur =/

Anyway when i switch my pickups to the single coil, and i pull the vol knob upwards, the sound becomes.. er. thinner. much thinner?

but single coils cant be spilt or something? alamak sorry im blur

 

[RazrAsh]

Hmm then I have this volume knob, I can pull it up? It's called what? Blur =/

Anyway when i switch my pickups to the single coil, and i pull the vol knob upwards, the sound becomes.. er. thinner. much thinner?

but single coils cant be spilt or something? alamak sorry im blur

the volume knob that can be pulled up is basically just a volume knob that can be pulled up.. the pulling up will activate the coil tap... and just curious, is it possible to coli tap an emg active pickup such as the 81 and 85??

 

[theblueark]

Here, I made a picture to show the difference.

When you coil tap you are actually grounding half of the windings.

When you coil split you are grounding one of the single coil pickup in a humbucker.

You can even coil tap a coil splitted humbucker if you fancy.

Hardly anyone uses coil taps though.