Coil Tapping...out-of-phase...series?

[MP63]

I have a Seymour Duncan '59 humbucker.

I plan on making a simple guitar with one single volume control and that's it.

Often, I'll read something or hear one comment on coil-tapping, having pickups out-of-phase or in-series and the like.

What do they really do to the sound?

Will it be something I might consider, knowing what pickup I plan on using?

Will I miss out on something so fantastically special that I need to install these options or do I leave it as, with one volume?

I just don't want the guitar to be full of bells and whistles that will never get used...like the tone control on every electric I own.

Tone controls, when not on 10, always make a guitar sound like a wet towel has been jammed up into the speaker cabinet.

They end up being more of a muffle control.

Thanks for any help and suggestions,

Mike

[Pr3Va1L]

well anyways you can't coil tap or put in parallel, etc, a duncan 59' so I guess that's about it lol

[GregP]

I have a Seymour Duncan '59 humbucker.

I plan on making a simple guitar with one single volume control and that's it.

I say, stick to the plan.

Often, I'll read something or hear one comment on coil-tapping, having pickups out-of-phase or in-series and the like.

What do they really do to the sound?

Coil-tapping is actually a term that has come into popularity, but which is used incorrectly for the most part. Because even the incorrect usage is the common usage, I'll call it "tapping", too, even when it's splitting. Here's the rundown as far as I understand it:

- Coil tapping: back in the day, with very much care and a real possibility of wrecking your pickup, they would add an extra wire right into the middle of a coil. If you use this wire instead of the wire coming out of the "full" coil, the signal would be "tapped" at only half the pickup's normal impedance, which meant less power, but a "cleaner" sound, especially with an overdriven amp which would then be LESS driven due to lower output from your guitar.

However, NOWadays, "tapping" more commonly refers to:

- Coil splitting: a humbucker is essentially 2 pickups in one. Splitting the coils means that you use only 1 of the 2 pickups as if it were a single-coil pickup. Because the overall construction of a humbucker is different (bar magnet instead of individually magnetized pole pieces, for example), it doesn't always sound like a true single coil, but it does a pretty reasonable job. Swineshead pickups offers a humbucker that's actually 2 true single coils, so when they're "split" (or "tapped" as some people will call it), they will maintain a true single-coil sound.

- Series/Parallel: a humbucker, as mentioned, is really 2 pickups in one "unit". Typically, a humbucker runs in series, which means that one feeds into the next, thereby doubling the resistance (and thereby increasing the output). This will give you the typical "fat" humbucker sound. However, with modified wiring, you can have both coils operate independently, sending their signals at the same time to your output, where they're "summed". The result should be more similar to a single-coil sound, thinned out a bit and somewhat more jangly.

- In/Out of phase: by changing the "direction" that current flows through the coil (reversing the hot and ground), you affect the time domain in which a waveform is sent to the output jack... er... or something.... In any event, when waveforms are IN phase, they're going at the same time and therefore you get your full frequency range. When you reverse one of the pickups' directions, you put the resulting signal "out" of phase with the other, and since the waves are generally similar but not arriving at the same time, crossed frequencies cancel out. This means a thin sound-- sometimes TOO thin to be usable, but sometimes just what the doctor ordered for some funky rhythm.

- Tone controls: If you don't put a battery into your guitar for a tone control related piece of electronics, they're passive. Passive means that frequencies can only ever be CUT and NEVER boosted. There's the illusion that bass is being boosted, but what's really happening is that higher frequencies are gradually "bleeding" into the ground. So, tone gets muddy real quick because you're only subtracting frequencies and not adding any. Passive tone controls, IMO, are fairly useless. For some rhythm sounds, you won't mind losing frequencies, but I'd rather do it with an EQ pedal or the amp's controls.

Will it be something I might consider, knowing what pickup I plan on using?

Well, if you want to use these options, you need a 4-conductor pickup. Most aftermarket humbuckers already ARE 4-conductor (haven't looked into your '59, but my Little 59 is). Beyond that, it's no more or less important than the overall tone of the particular pickup you've selected. Also, as mentioned, Swineshead (and maybe other companies?) makes 'buckers that are actually 2 single coils, which should theoretically make it better for coil-splitting options.

Will I miss out on something so fantastically special that I need to install these options or do I leave it as, with one volume?

I've mucked around with a lot of different wiring, and with a 2-pickup guitar, I'd say that options are good. I like the PRS style, with hum-cancelling in every position, but with actual different usable tones being available.

But for a 1-humbucker guitar? Nah. You might as well just put the bucker and a volume control, and ditch the useless tone controls, in my humble opinion.

Greg

[Pr3Va1L]

Well, as I said, unless you pay an extra, the regular 59' has only 2 conductors...

[GregP]

I was in the middle of my reply when you posted.

[MP63]

Thanks fells.

That's just what I needed to hear (or read).

I feel better and safer now that I learned a little about the differences.

Nice to have someone assist with explaining something rather than criticizing

Both were helpful

Mike

[Tjensen]

No tone control is not going to sound the same as the tone control on 10. There is still some high frequency lost to the tone circut. This might be a good thing. You can alway put in a dummy circut with no actual pot though.

[badsnap]

I am currently builing a similar simple guitar and want to warn you of something. I have just changed pickups in one of my custom guitars (which had a great full sound) and in the process thought to totally eliminate the tone pots (wasted space!!). In the process...the guitar tone became incredible thin...like and anorexic telecaster!!! The problem was...I needed to install .02 caps on the volume pot to substitute for a fully open (10) tone pot. Sounds great now!! So, the tone pot does actually alter the sound even when it is at 10, which makes sense because the cap will still pass frequencies to ground even with no resitance to "tune the tank".

Rog

[GregP]

There will definitely be more high-end, which might be mistaken for "thin"-ness. The highest frequencies are what the capacitor filters out. However, I'd just as soon compensate with amp twiddling or EQ. That said, an inline capacitor seems like a good "substitute" as you describe. Thanks for the tip.

Greg