Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

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Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by Single coil »

2018 SE Santana.
4 wire + bare.
Simple push pull coil tap.

The coil tap works, ish.
The sound is very thin and weak.
I have read lots about people putting resistors et al. in the mix somehow, but I’ve clearly muffed it up.

Bonus round: I’m getting lead (adjustable) coil ON at the neck, and lead coil ON at the bridge.
I want slug coil ON at the bridge.

I’ve tried swapping wires around to no real avail - it is doable, right?

What am I doing wrong?

How do I tell which coil is which from sticking a multimeter to the wires?
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by sizzlingbadger »

black + bare to ground
red to output
green + white together and connected to the coil tap switch (which switches to ground)

assuming these are PRS pups and have not been replaced.
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by Single coil »

G&b pickups yeah. That’s how I’ve wired it.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by sizzlingbadger »

swap the black and red to get the other coil live. You will have a phase issue in the middle position then though unless you turn a magnet around in one pickup.
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by sizzlingbadger »

ok found this... looks like the wires are different on the neck & bridge pickups, so swap the red and black on the bridge and you should be good to go.

Neck G&B
Red = Hot
Green/White = Series
Black/Bare Shield = Ground


Bridge G&B
Black = Hot
Green/White = Series
Red/Bare Shield= Ground
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by Single coil »

My man!!
Will update once I’ve given it a hoon
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: Coil tap/split: what am I doing wrong?

Post by Single coil »

sizzlingbadger wrote:swap the red and black on the bridge and you should be good to go.
You absolute ripper.
Job jobbed. :cool:
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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