I think my prs s2 custom 24 w 2 mini toggles does a tap as well instead of a split. I remember getting into an argument w someone about it after a show haha. Thanks future Tom!
Very interesting! I actually learned firsthand about this recently! My S2 Vela is coil tapped, meaning that the second coil is partially active. This is achieved by shunting one half of the humbucker through a resistor to ground, instead of shunting directly to ground. From my understanding, Fralin actually either started or popularized this technique, since it removes the problems that a typical coil split create, since that's basically creating a super weak single coil! Very interesting (and confusing) seeing the wiring firsthand while modding my Vela!
There’s SO much when it comes to this stuff and it all gets lumped into one (or both) of these terms. It’s way more nuanced than that, as you’ve definitely shown! Do you find yourself using the tap on your S2 much? I’m curious. I actually really loved having both pickups tapped and on with that S2 594. Really fun tone.
@@TomButwin I do actually use the tap a lot! Since I have a 2.5K ohm resistor on there (if I remember correctly) it leaves a good deal of the other coil active, so it sounds like a beefier tele bridge almost. I think it pairs really nicely with the DeArmond style neck pickup, in the middle position it sounds especially good and is hum cancelling. Even on my new Charvel which I’m not actually sure if it’s split or tapped I still use that functionality, I’ve found it’s a really great tone! Plus as a single coil guy getting humbucker guitars with an option for tones I’m more familiar with is always a plus
I am right there with you as a single coil guy. It’s funny when I sit down and think about what I’m trying to achieve with my tone a lot of the time…Im trying to get the single coils to just sound a little more humbucker-ish…but trying to get humbuckers to be a little more single-coil lol. I guess I need something like that S2 594 then!
@@TomButwin I feel like I'm always trying to get my neck humbuckers to sound like single coils, but trying to get my bridge single coils to sound more like humbuckers! That being said I love the sound of a strat bridge pickup, unpopular opinion. I really dig the S2 stuff, wanted a 594 but the Vela presented itself and I couldn't say no! Plus with the new Charvel a 594 isn't looking likely in the near future unfortunately. Speaking of humbuckers though, thinking about getting the Dimarzio Lukather set for that Charvel...
I have a PRS SE Custom 24-08 with what PRS calls coil tapping. When I measure resistance at full volume on each coil in humbucker and single coil positions, I get around 4.3K ohms for the "single coil" and around 8.6 K ohms for the "humbucker" mini toggle switch positions. So is this really just a splitting of the humbucker pickup on this model or is it actually a coil split? It seems like a coil split with the halving of the resistance value between positions.
I’ve been using them interchangeably for years, so I had to learn too! It’s not surprising the lines/terms are so blurred, though. Many different options available and combinations. Thanks for hanging out on the channel!
Not really, unfortunately. You could use an EQ pedal to notch out some frequencies, but you’re not going to be able to replicate a single/tapped coil sound completely.
Actually, there is at least one thing out there for that… I have an old Boss ME-50 multifx (now 20-ish years old), with a “Tone Modify” section including 10 options, and one of them is H-S, i.e. humbucker to single coil. I don’t know how complex of a tonal modification it really is, or if it’s ever been available as part of a standalone pedal, but it does seem to do a somewhat decent job of achieving this effect at least
Really depends on what you're looking for, as they are fundamentally trying to achieve two different things. For most players, what they are looking for is a humbucker that can also sound similar to a single coil. Companies achieve that through different methods (sometimes tapping one coil, sometimes actually splitting coils, etc). A true coil tap that is changing the number of wire winds is pretty nuanced and I don't think most people would benefit from that. Long way to say...it depends lol
What are other brands that do coil tapping properly? I want a workhorse guitar one that I can use for rock and metal and also do kinda strat sound (I know it will never get close to a real one). My issue with coil split is the lowered output volume.
PRS calls that one a "coil-split." A far as what's actually happening under the hood...your guess is as good as mine! I'm not super familiar with that model.
