Toaster Coil Tap?

[StringTheorist]

I posted this in the main technical forum, and a couple folks said it would be better to post it in here, so here we go:

Here's an idea I had, and I'm wondering how fast it will be shot down by those with more technical know-how in the pickup department:

Why not make a Toaster-style pickup that has a coil tap that allows you to use a switch to select a subset of the coil (fewer windings, lower resistance) to get the vintage toaster sound, or else select the full coil and get the higher-output high-gain sound?

Has this been tried on a Ric by anyone on this board? Is it a stupid idea in the first place for technical reasons?

[longhouse]

Coil-taps are easily done with humbucking pickups because of the two separate coils. Toasters, being single coils, prohibit this by design, BUT the same thing could be done with the right resistor(s) wired into the circuit (switchable by whichever means you choose).

I like the idea. But you might be able to dial the sound in via the volume and tone controls too.

[ricardo_vicente]

Coil-taps are easily done with humbucking pickups because of the two separate coils. Toasters, being single coils, prohibit this by design,

What Steve describes is definitely possible and I have seen similar solutions in use.
Strictly speaking it's not so much a "coil tap" but rather a "windings tap" on the same coil but it's definitely been done before, e.g. on P90 type pickups.

[longhouse]

I love the idea, Ricardo -I just think there's an easier way to this end. The pickup winding are ultra fine gauge wire and I would be hesitant to alter it ('course I know some of you guys are fearless!).

[ricardo_vicente]

You could be right about that wire. Meanwhile, I found the guitar I was thinking of ...

A Nik Huber Junior:



http://www.nikhuber-guitars.de/2006_junior_details.htm

[johnallg]

You could add as many taps as you wanted DURING the winding of the pickup.

[egosheep]

Curtis Novak makes a Jazzmaster pickup with 2 stage taps, and another one with 4. That's 4 pickups wound separately around the same pole pieces, which can be individually turned on and off in any combination.

Crazy.

http://www.guitar-mod.com/rg_jm_cat5.html

[rickcrazy]

Interesting, but by no means a novel idea. In the early '80s a well-known guitar replacement parts manufacturer would offer a coil tap option on some of their pickups. Alas, it tends to work better on a tall, i.e. F-style pickup bobbin than on a squat, Rick-style one. Just my two cents.

[weemac]

I've got one of those unusual underwound toasters (6.1k i think) it wound be a great candidate for a tap and some more winds on top! you could even possibly tap it via the unused leg of the tone control (as I did when I used HB-1s)
It's worth thinking about...

Eden.

[schoolside]

cause that skinny little wire breaks if you look at it cross-eyed. i do have a tele style git with (single) coil taps.

[DavidW]

I've been looking into alternative wiring methods and this idea has caught my interest the most. I'm currently in the process of winding my own pickups and I want to try the "Curtis Novak" design for the jazzmaster posted above, but I'm not entirely sure how it works. I've never done anything like that before, could anybody steer me in the right direction? I'd post detailed results if it works!

[egosheep]

I've been looking into alternative wiring methods and this idea has caught my interest the most. I'm currently in the process of winding my own pickups and I want to try the "Curtis Novak" design for the jazzmaster posted above, but I'm not entirely sure how it works. I've never done anything like that before, could anybody steer me in the right direction? I'd post detailed results if it works!

You wind a pickup, leave the output wire hanging out, and then wind another around the same polepieces. Repeat as necessary.

[DavidW]

Really, that simple? Well now I feel like a bit of a numb nuts

I'm rewinding a Capri pickup. I think what I'm going to try and do is wind my bridge pickup and try and use push pull pots on all four knobs for the alternate combinations. Anybody have any other suggestions? That's really the best method I can come up with, without doing extensive mods or putting in jazzmaster style switches.

Egosheep I can't help but notice you've answered my questions time and again. I'm very appreciate, thank you.

[grazioso]

i would go with toaster @ 8k -10k and properly executed volume control with treble bleed cap instead. the coil tap on single coil is making exactly the same thing just more complex in construction. if you want to go coil tap route i would consider
rotary switch for it... than you could go "varitone style" and have six taps on the coil ... and perhaps clear pickguard as well since just the amount of wires coming out will be something to see

[DavidW]

Hmm..I tried one wiring method and it didn't work quite like I thought it would. I've got to think of a better way to wire it, I'll consider what you said. Problem is, My capri only has four knobs. I'm not opposed to adding a 5th volume knob, but I want it to be aesthetically pleasing and no knobs match the oven knobs that I like.