Coil Tap vs Coil Split: What's The Difference? | Too Afraid To Ask

The only 'stupid questions' are the ones you are Too Afraid To Ask. "Coil Tap vs Coil Split: What's the difference?" is the question for this TATA video. Let's dig deep into this troublesome terminology and expose the truth of these wrongly interchangeable terms.

Leave your TATAs in the comment section and I'll make a video answering them.

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[ScienceofLoud]

The only 'stupid questions' are the ones you are Too Afraid To Ask. "Coil Tap vs Coil Split: What's the difference?" is the question for this TATA video. Let's dig deep into this troublesome terminology and expose the truth of these wrongly interchangeable terms.

Leave your TATAs in the comment section and I'll make a video answering them.

More from CSGuitars:


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[HighlineGuitars]

Finally, someone accurately explains the tap vs split controversy.

[Rjhorning]

#TATA- How does a truss rod work? How is it specifically designed. What does turning the truss rod each way actually do inside the neck.

[xbox]

As an electrical engineer, adding the example of the transformer really clarified much more the difference and I really appreciate how much work and concise detail you put into your videos! I am waiting now for your full explainer for amplifier speaker cabinets (and I will do some research myself to understand better!)

[MikeLee-lgvq]

"You can't tap dance while doing the splits"

It all became clear after he said that.

[valuedhumanoid]

There's a wonderful video from PRS where Paul is talking about his new model called the 608 (I think) and he describes the new pickups he made just for that guitar. It's a humbucker that when switched, it cuts off half the magnets like a split, but engages another 3000 winds on the pickup to boost the volume back up to make up for the loss of the entire row of magnets it shut off. So basically you're turning a humbucker into a P90. The video explains it better but that's the gist of it. Magic!

[jansonpig]

I love how you overlay a correction over the original video rather than re-shoot the entire thing. Lets us know you are human too...

[rudyvinkemulder]

Amp to Cabinet ohm mis-match, what is OK what is not and why? Valve and Solid state. Colin your videos are great, keep up the excellent work.

[tierankarb]

I'm glad you made this video, because when I bought my Schecter guitar, there was a paper dongle on one of the knobs that said, "Coil Tap" but both the pickups are humbuckers so they must have meant "Coil Split"

[bpabustan]

If I ever wanted to study electrical and electronics engineering, I want Colin Scott to be my professor! Colin has the great talent to explain mind boggling things in layman's language. Another winner from Colin!

[JackstandJohnny]

Dude you are crushing it with your videos. Been a fan for a while and theyve only gotten better. You could absolutely have your own TV show.

[savvysymbiont]

Fieeeve thaousand turns!!!! More future Colin please!

[trixie]

Thanks for this. The industry has been using the terms "tap" and "split" interchangeably.

[deeorean]

This was more interesting than I originally thought it was going to be...
Really well explained.
It may be time for you to write a book!

[GiveSic]

Just picked myself up a Harley Benton GOTOH DC and imagine my surprise when I went to remove my tone knob and it clicked outward! Thought I broke the damn thing. I've probably only ever heard of these things once or twice in my whole life and I must have skimmed over it on the page I ordered it from. Thanks for the info!

[lndndr]

I'll probably repeat myself, but this TATA videos are really well made and informative. Good job Colin!

[ciddax]

There are even Coil-Tapped Humbuckers with an additional Coil-Split. I've seen that on a one-of-a-kind shred beauty from the eighties. But I can not tell if the pickups were one-of-a-kind too or if it was a small serie from a boutique builder.

[leesbassment]

Bonus round, with the Lace Alumitone pickups, the pickup itself is wired to an output transformer, which is in turn(no pun intended) tapped. The resulting impedance change causes the response of the system to change, all while remaining hum canceling.

[robhebert]

Dude, THANK YOU! This has been bothering me for YEARS.

[PocketUnv]

Keep spreading the gospel of the Amplifier Colin! If possible, could you do a sound demo between a split and a tapped coil?