Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Twinfan on October 02, 2006, 02:12:31 PM

Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 02, 2006, 02:12:31 PM
Right - if anyone's been following my Mule/MQ thread you'll know that I ordered a 4 conductor Mule and MQ for the bridge positions of my two Gordon Smith guitars.  The Mule is fine, but I received a 2 conductor wired MQ.  I've contacted the shop that I ordered it from and they're now telling me that it's a single coil and you can't coil split it.

Now I know that, but I was under the impression that you can coil TAP it.  I'm pretty sure Sambo has a coil tapped P-90 in his Melody Maker?

Can someone confirm to me if a 4 conductor wired MQ (with coil tap) is available?

Cheers!
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: _tom_ on October 02, 2006, 02:18:11 PM
I'm not 100% sure if the MQ can be tapped but I know sam has his BKP90 tapped.
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: gingataff on October 02, 2006, 02:32:47 PM
Quote
Available with either stock or RWRP neck, optional coil tap for even more versatility and a choice of solid nickel, chrome or gold covers.


not sure how you actually perform the coil tap though.
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 02, 2006, 02:40:33 PM
You send a wire out from somewhere in the wind and then back in again.  I found an old MQ thread using the search where Tim says he takes the tap out at 1500 turns.  That implies to me that you can get a tapped MQ, but maybe Tim's stopped making them?

See this thread:

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=364&start=0
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: dave_mc on October 02, 2006, 05:04:41 PM
I don't see why you wouldn't be able to tap it, unless as you say tim just doesn't do it anymore.

I nearly got into an argument with the guys in Music Ground on Denmark Street a while ago about a Gordon Smith with p90's, they were saying that they used the same push-pull pots on all their guitars, but they weren't wired in on the p90 models since you couldn't tap a single coil/p90. I tried to explain that single coil meant you couldn't split but could still tap, but gave up eventually and just went back to trying out the damn thing, which was what I was there for!

Moral- listen to what Tim says, not the guys at your guitar shop.

:drink:
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: sambo on October 02, 2006, 05:15:20 PM
Twinfan, my p-90 is most definately tapped...

maybe like dave mentioned... they could have thought tapping was the same as splitting..... pfft dunno.
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: dave_mc on October 02, 2006, 05:46:25 PM
^ yeah, that's what I figure. Even on places that should know better (guitar manufacturer's websites etc.), coil tapping and splitting are used pretty much interchangeably, and they aren't the same thing at all...

:drink:
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 02, 2006, 10:16:14 PM
Cheers guys - looks like I'll have to drop Tim an email.  My guitar shop claimed to have spoken to someone at BKP but I'm not sure who.  I'll see what The Master says and let you know...
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: dave_mc on October 02, 2006, 10:38:45 PM
^ aye, that's the best thing. I'd take the fact that he talked with someone at BKP with a pinch of salt though- if he doesn't know the difference between a tap and a split, odds are he called it a split when talking with BKP, so he'd get the wrong answer...
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 02, 2006, 10:45:42 PM
Quote from: dave_mc
^ aye, that's the best thing. I'd take the fact that he talked with someone at BKP with a pinch of salt though- if he doesn't know the difference between a tap and a split, odds are he called it a split when talking with BKP, so he'd get the wrong answer...


Good point, but I would have thought the BKP dude (or dudette) would have said a coil tap was possible though.  Ah well, I've emailed Tim so let's see what he says..
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: dave_mc on October 02, 2006, 10:46:53 PM
^ good point. we'd better wait and see, lol.

:drink:
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 03, 2006, 09:38:13 AM
Here's Tim's reply:

Quote
Apologies, Chris ordered a 4 con MQ which doesn't exist.  MQs are a single coil................we can put a tap in which adds an extra conductor
which is known as an MQ plus tap(3 conductor).

kind regards

Tim


So you can have a tapped MQ.  I think it's probably my fault for the confusion, as I specified a 4 conductor MQ.  Oops  :oops:  I should have just ordered a coil tapped one...
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: dave_mc on October 03, 2006, 12:08:01 PM
^ cool, thanks for letting us know.

:drink:
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: broken cord on October 03, 2006, 10:40:50 PM
This is all very interesting as I am considering a MQ in the neck of my SG. I have decided on the Warpig for the bridge and a few of the lads from NY are having BKP soiree so we can all hear first hand how some of the other fine pups sound in various geeters. I was thinking about tapping the MQ if I go that way; I now know how to ask. Thanks!
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: PhilKing on October 03, 2006, 11:27:41 PM
Quote from: broken cord
This is all very interesting as I am considering a MQ in the neck of my SG. I have decided on the Warpig for the bridge and a few of the lads from NY are having BKP soiree so we can all hear first hand how some of the other fine pups sound in various geeters. I was thinking about tapping the MQ if I go that way; I now know how to ask. Thanks!


I have a tapped MQ on one of my guitars - this was the original that Tim made when he told me about the pickup in the first place.  I had asked if he could put a coil tap on it, he has never forgiven me!!!
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 04, 2006, 12:35:53 AM
Quote from: broken cord
This is all very interesting as I am considering a MQ in the neck of my SG


I'm trying to think of a guitar to add to my stock that would be good with a MQ neck.  I'm thinking a 335-type with a pair of MQs...
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: rahnooo on October 04, 2006, 08:53:40 AM
Quote from: Twinfan


I'm trying to think of a guitar to add to my stock that would be good with a MQ neck.  I'm thinking a 335-type with a pair of MQs...


Thats what I've been hankering after for a goodly while. That or a Tele with Country Boys. Can't make up my mind which is more important right now...

*Rahnooo*
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Philly Q on October 04, 2006, 02:26:57 PM
Quote from: Twinfan
Quote from: broken cord
This is all very interesting as I am considering a MQ in the neck of my SG


I'm trying to think of a guitar to add to my stock that would be good with a MQ neck.  I'm thinking a 335-type with a pair of MQs...

On the subject of the MQ and P90 types, anyone know which BKP P90 the MQ is based on?  I'm guessing BKP-91.

I'll probably get a set for my Pete Townshend SG eventually, but the P90s are the type which attach to the scratchplate rather than the body, so I might need to go for rewinds rather than new pups.
Title: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside
Post by: Twinfan on October 04, 2006, 02:30:34 PM
Yeah, I believe it's the P-91 as I think I read that there's not enough room to put in any overwind?  Although I would have thought there was plenty under a humbucker cover...