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With 2 coils of 5k each, you get 10k when wired in series, and 2.5k when wired in parallel.
With 3 coils of 5k each you get 15k in series, but 1.7k when wired parallel.
If you had 2 coils as a series humbucker with a parallel wired single coil you would get 3.3k
You can use a parallel resistor wiring calculator to figure it out if you know the approximate readings of each pickup/coil
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My first example is your tapped humbucker with single coil in parallel (2.5k if both coils are 5k). My 3rd example if your untapped series humbucker with single coil in parallel (3.33k if all coils are 5k)
you can still use the calculator with your actual coil/pickup values to figure out what each setting should actually be
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"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Either way, if the selector switch is configured to automate the "tap" when the bridge and centre pickups are combined, the "tap" mode switch will make no difference.
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If it were me, I'd treat the Stratocaster to a string change. Use the opportunity to raise the pickguard and either photograph or sketch the circuitry.
On the bridge alone setting the DCR is almost halved when the switch is engaged and the difference in sound is night and day so I wouldn't have needed to measure that one anyway.
But in position 2 the sound difference is very subtle to the point where I wasn't sure if it was auto-tapped or not. When I used the meter there was a difference of about 1 or 2K between the switch being on or off and I wasn't sure if the higher or lower of those would mean the full position so thanks to everyone who's confirmed it's still the higher number that's the full coil, even when it's in parallel with another pickup.
I actually plan on rewiring it a bit at some point, that's why I was avoiding lifting the pickguard (and wasting a set of strings really). I usually keep up to date diagrams of my guitars' wiring but the one I have saved now definitely doesn't match the guitar. I had a really bad illness this year which has caused a bit of memory loss for some of the year so I've either re-designed the diagram and not got round to actually changing it on the guitar or I've changed the guitar and not updated the diagram.
The same is true with my PRS Swamp Ash Special (HSH) which I've added extra switching to - in the 'in-between' positions, there is little difference between the full humbuckers and the split coils. It's there, but subtle - because the middle pickup is a Duncan Vintage Rails, which has a very low impedance so the sound is almost unaffected by which mode the humbuckers are in.
This is accidentally very convenient, since it means I can get 'Strat' sounds by engaging the middle pickup switch, regardless of how the coil split switch is set.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
What you say confirms my experience with the tap in position 2, in that it doesn't really affect the sound much.
Crossing over to my other thread about the push-push and S1 switch, I think the fact that I've realised I only need to be able to switch between tapped and full output when in the bridge-only position will make it easier for me to use the same switch for the coil tap and the bridge-on function.
If the higher-output pickup is achieved with a more powerful magnet rather than a higher-impedance winding, it can be more dominant though.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I shall test the centre and full output bridge combination but I do not anticipate it being as good.
The MIM Strat has the seven sounds switching mod. Neck and tapped bridge in parallel was interesting but with no serious allusions to Telecasterness.
I am tempted to retain the existing wiring, with the OCP DG in tapped mode, then, add the full output mode on a "blower" switch.
Something I need to decide before rewiring is whether to have the tapped or full output as the default. I'm thinking the full output as I think that it's when playing lead that I'm more likely to want to switch between pickups in the middle of playing (and I like the full output for lead) whereas with bridge I think I'm more likely to stick on the one setting.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein