Author Topic: Coil tap option available on an MQ - answer inside (Read 4898 times)

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!

_tom_ · « **Reply #1 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.

gingataff · « **Reply #2 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.

Twinfan · « **Reply #3 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

dave_mc · « **Reply #4 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:

sambo · « **Reply #5 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.

dave_mc · « **Reply #6 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:

Twinfan · « **Reply #7 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...

dave_mc · « **Reply #8 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...

Twinfan · « **Reply #9 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..

dave_mc · « **Reply #10 on:** October 02, 2006, 10:46:53 PM »

^ good point. we'd better wait and see, lol.

:drink:

Twinfan · « **Reply #11 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...

dave_mc · « **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2006, 12:08:01 PM »

^ cool, thanks for letting us know.

:drink:

broken cord · « **Reply #13 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!

PhilKing · « **Reply #14 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!!!