Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: TwilightOdyssey on June 15, 2005, 04:49:34 AM
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I was thinking about the Nailbomb which will be my next pup, and I got to wondering ... if the bridge HB is placed in the optimal sweet spot chosen by the manufacturer, wouldn't tapping the seperate coils make it sound like arse?! Isn't that just the worst sort of sonic compromise? It kind of reminds me of the 2x12 cabinet ... none of the point-specificity of a 1x12, and none of the projection of a 4x12, just a kind of lame duck speaker that has all kinds of phase anomolies!!
So, what do YOU think. Is a coil tapped bridge HB just a band aid?
All opinions are welcome. :)
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I think you have a really good point.
But when I had a JB(which I absolutely hated) in my strat I had it hooked up to a micro switch for coil spliting and I actually liked the split sound of the JB better then the normal Humbucker Sound. Still hated the pickup (don't understand why it gets such high praises) but it sounded better split.
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:guitar4: YES !!! but it depends on your needs :idea:
my guitar is a working instrument unfortunatey i have to play a lot of old cr@p !! i find the coil tap to be really usefull The VHII bridge sounds very telecaster`ish when coil taped great for all of those Chuck Berry type Rock`n`Roll stuff. espiecially when i have to sit the guitar sound within the context of the rest of the band. But again TO it will come down to your needs. :D 8)
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D@mn, JT!
You're up EARLY!!! :D
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I like taps when used with another pickup. But if that's not an option, I like parallel coils for a different sound. Maybe because of the reasons you’ve stated!
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What about PRS's with the 5-way.... or perhaps this is your point PDT_028
Seriously though, I like HB's in the bridge position of a strat, and this must affect the sweet spot depending how you rout for the pickup. I think the tone compromise on split coils is more down to the construction (slugs/screws vs. magnets).
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I'd go with HJM here-for a single HB setup I'd wire series/parellel over a split-better cleans IMHO and great for those Racer X moments :D
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I've had coil splits in the past. I always ended up switching it to full humbucker because it sounded fuller. The split was just too thin. If I want a single coil sound, I'll get me a real single coil. I think it's rediculous to try to make a Les Paul sound like a Strat. Just my opinion.
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D@mn, JT!
You're up EARLY!!! :D
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
more a case of "Jesus Christ !!" is it that late i better go to bed !!! :lol: 8)
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But if that's not an option, I like parallel coils for a different sound. Maybe because of the reasons you’ve stated!
Is the parallel sound generally thinner than the split sound?
All I know is that it has half the DC resistance (in case of symmetry) and a lower output than the split option.
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I'm guessing the primary reason a split humbucker often sounds thinner and more tinny than a real single coil is that there's usually fewer winds to a humbucker coil than a regular single coil, or am I mistaken?
If this is the case, would it be possible to have a coil tap on one of the coils of a humbucker, so that when both coils are in series you get the normal 'bucker tone, but when split to one coil you also add some more winds to it in order to beef it up a bit?
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I am another one that prefers to have a series/parallel configuration for a humbucker rather than a straight coll tap. In parallel compared to a tapped coil you have a thinner tone but it sounds fatter in comparison. The sound is fuller and more musical.
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But if that's not an option, I like parallel coils for a different sound. Maybe because of the reasons you’ve stated!
Is the parallel sound generally thinner than the split sound?
All I know is that it has half the DC resistance (in case of symmetry) and a lower output than the split option.
March has got it, despite the lower resistance the tone seems fuller. Plus it's still humcanceling
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Thanks! :)
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well i've just finished todays practice with an hour long jam, and i spent most of that on the neck VHII coil tapped. it sounded seriously good, much strat-ier than you might expect, particularly when stuck through a clean boost and a wah into a plexi model - i was briefly in tone heaven! both me and my tech agree that, for whatever reason, when coil-tapped BK's tend to send more like a real singlecoil than others we've come across.
for me, coil-tapping is a viable alternative because im not in a position to be able to afford another guitar, just my LP. Also, i cant drive so i couldnt get multiple guitars to and from jams and auditions, so its nice to have a great bucker and a convincing coil-tap in the one package.
However, as TO was specifically asking about the bridge pickup, i have to be honest, i almost never use this coiltapped. Every once in a while i turn it on, usually if im in the middle position on the pick-up selector and i don't want the bridge bucker to dominate the coil tapped neck. But i still got it done because it cost me no extra and its not particularly complex or anything, so i figured i might as well get it done.
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I like taps when used with another pickup.
Yep, I'm the same.
Sometimes it's cool to use a split bridge hum for a specific texture when recording though.. nothing like a classic strat or tele, but still a useful tone
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I will never understand your fascination with the middle pickup, nuni.
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I will never understand your fascination with the middle pickup, nuni.
me either.
It's useless IMO.
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I will never understand your fascination with the middle pickup, nuni.
Positions 2 + 4 ! :lol:
I actually quite like some of the tones I get out of my smithy with the mid single, it sounds really cool on the wound strings
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What would be a good combination of Bare Knuckles for a classic Hendrixy sound using the H/S/S configuration on a Strat?
Also would be interested in finding out what people's opinons are on pickups like the Tallboy / Muy Grande which are apparently two genuine single coils put together - so when split you supposedly have a genuine sc sound.
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Ok trying to understand the whole series/paralell/coil-split thing...
I know my Ibby has a coil-split when the 3 way switch is in the middle position. This selects both inside coils and then when in positions 1 or 3 it selects just each humbucker. Like this diagram here;
http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=2004&w=SZ520QM
Is this wired as just a coil split or does this also have something to do with parallel/serial? :?
Sorry... newb alert!! :lol:
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Right, each coil is split, then the two oils are in parallel, I think from the diagram.
Sorry, that's confusing!
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Right I see... and when its just one humbucker the two coils are in series I guess?
So its actually wired in series and paralell like already.
This electronics thing is confusing!!
So if I wanted to wire each humbucker up in series too would that need a seperate toggle/push/pull switch?
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two things going on here, 1 the individual pickup, 2 the set of pickups. The most commmon wiring for running two pickups together is parallel.
Now what this thread is talking about is regarding one pickup on its own. A 'bucker has two coils, these can be wired together in series or parellel, the other option is to just use one and split it - which is what your guitar does.
To give more options, you can do many things. Some would require extra switches. I'd think about two push pull pots to give series or parallel switching, with a standard three way. :wink:
Hope that helps!
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Man, I had no idea this would end up being such a popular thread! :)
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try that on the SD forum!
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try that on the SD forum!
I would be crucified for even suggesting that split coils are a bad thing!!
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Sweet I think i've got ya...
Might give it a go when I get my Nailbombs