Coil split vs the PRS method?

Corvus

I used Alphas from Axesrus, though one of the feckers died on me. Working fine then just a very tiny volume coming through... Luckily it's all still outside the guitar or I'd have been extremely dischuffed. Very pleased so far though, got really usable split sounds.

Adam_MD

@ESchap Ive used the push/push from wd music on a few guitars now and really like them. I prefer push/push to push/pull and the taper is pretty good too.

ESchap

Thanks @billkat, not had great experience of those little alpha pots, dodnt like a lot (or any heat) in my experience.  Might just try the CTS's, i'll let you know how it goes.

Yes @adam_md push push appeals, i'll have a look at MD, thanks.

Adam_MD

Forgot the link @ESchap this is one I use

http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/electronics-c17/pots-c69/500k-push-push-pot-with-us-specs-p4975

Corvus

Cheers @ESchap. Where are you looking at for the CTS ones? The WD one looks rather like this Axecaster one-
http://www.axecaster.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=126
The same (against going just by pics) also is around for £13.50+ at other places. 'course they might be very different.

BKP have one at 13.50 plus £7 post... found a forum post saying they're made  by CTS but there's no description on the BKP page
https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24_54&products_id=150

I figured out with my dead one if you push the hot terminal up, it works... making contact with the resistor ring bit I guess, so doubtless user error / heat... I've been on & off it a bit trying different treble bleeds out. Lesson learned.

ESchap

Thanks @Adam_MD and @billcat

I would have liked push push but when it's an ES only want to do it once! so decided to try these.   I've gone for 250k's as its a pair of old dirty fingers I'm putting in an ES347.  Original loom had 300k volume (and 100k tone!) which worked well with those high power pickups.  This guy does 500k's as well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201360111330?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

wrinkleygit

a better way to tap a humbucker is to use a capacitor instead of a resistor in the link to ground/earth, again different values will affect the tone of the tapped coils, old age is clouding my memory so I am sure someone like icbm will advise on correct values but I think the higher the number the more bass will be taken out? in my younger days I used to use either 22 or 47 microfarad( 22 being a std tone cap), I used to have a post on the old Eggle site about this, mike b.

Corvus

I've another one to do @wrinkleygit, probably have a try of that idea with it.

@ESchap I'm in a similar boat with the Dot... not looking forward to fishing the lot through ... Those pots look very nice. I'd already ordered more Alphas which arrived today, so swapped them in. So far so good, played for an hour with everything still external. Very happy with the split sounds, and the pickups, Regentone and Tonerider. I'll play it a bit to make sure all's still working and then see about cramming everything back in.

JMP220478

wrinkleygit said:

a better way to tap a humbucker is to use a capacitor instead of a resistor in the link to ground/earth, again different values will affect the tone of the tapped coils, old age is clouding my memory so I am sure someone like icbm will advise on correct values but I think the higher the number the more bass will be taken out? in my younger days I used to use either 22 or 47 microfarad( 22 being a std tone cap), I used to have a post on the old Eggle site about this, mike b.

Any further info on capacitor v resistor coil tap
method ? 

Danielsguitars

I just built a set neck strat in limba with a split coil paf in the bridge 
It's got 2 vol and master tone so you can balance out the middle and neck singles with the bridge then bang the vol knob down for a lead tone or rock rhythm etc

I'm really liking it 

This is a clip of split coil and middle
There's another clip up if anyone's interested

Evilmags

Having owned tonnes of guitars the only conclusion I can come to is that if you want single coil tones, get single coils. Clearly in a gigging/versatility situation tapped buckers of HSH is the best compromise. But it is still a compromise. 

It´s sort of like thinking Jazz tone is the neck pickup of a 335 with the tone knob turned down. It´s kind of their, but not an archtop with a wood bridge and a clear pickup. 

Danielsguitars

I never liked a single coil tone in the bridge so it didn't matter

I liked the in between tone that I got though, it got that srv vibe

usedtobe

I think some pickups split better than others (always liked Gordon smith pickups) but as evilmags says,it is a compromise. Just toying with the idea of doing it, myself.. Must be something in the water!

Danielsguitars

Let me know what you think of the split coil and middle tone i posted

Corvus

Sounds nice @customkits

It's true a split bucker won't sound just like a Strat or Tele but it is a different tonal option that can be useful in it's own right.

Caps vs resistors. The trimpot is dead easy to adjust to hit the sweet spot, caps need removing/swapping, for one. The cap thing seems similar to the Gretsch tone switch & Eldred mod where you run output through cap(s)? That might be wrong because caps filter highs so it seems a different thing to a split where you get the 'lighter' sound of the bucker?
fwiw I haven't tried it with one coil, but have added a tone switch to one guitar and had a Gretsch with one. Can give useful sounds but the choice of caps is critical. Very small cap + middy drive pedal gives a neat cocked wah sound for instance, or a sweet mellow clean tone. Or rolls off more highs with bigger cap. With a three-pos switch it's a quick flick to different tones.

ICBM

The difference between the cap and the resistor is that in theory, the cap still leaves the full hum cancellation because the 50-100Hz range isn't removed. In practice, I think the resistor sounds much more natural and like a real single coil - and not because there is more hum, I don't think - it's because the low-end is actually more critical to the sound of a single coil than you would expect from them being 'brighter'.

Danielsguitars

Because I built in limba it's a warmer tone to start with and better to my ears Strats can sound harsh to me so I come at it from a les paul player perspective and try and get a similar neck feel so it's not so alien I did do a slightly slimmer and thinner neck and I'm really liking it, I'm playing it alot

guitars4you

I think you have most of the info from above that you need

The issue with a traditional coil tap is that an 8K humbucker effectively becomes a 4K single coil - which is thin and weedy and in the land of Asian imports

A good vintage Strat single coil is around 5.5 to 6K - so effectively the @PRS ' method is to take that 8K humbucker and partially tap it to leave around 5-6K hence a far more authentic single coil flavoured tone - far more effective and useable - it is  a simple mod that is now becoming the nom

susbemol

Hey guys, I wonder if anyone can help?

I've tried the wiring diagram in the first post but I'm having a little problem... everything sounded very wooly (as if the tone knob was rolled off all the way). Trying to find out what the problem was, I disconnected the tone cap from the lug in the volume pot and then it sounds as expected, but obviously the tone knob isn't functional (as in, it doesn't affect the tone - coil split works as expected).

Any ideas what I might be missing? I tried a couple of different caps so I know they're probably not the problem themselves.

ICBM

Have you shorted the tone pot - maybe with a bit of stray solder across the two pot terminals, or from the tone cap connection to ground?