Author: Rory W Date Posted:23 May 2022
So, you’ve read our post about the difference between a humbucker and a single-coil pickup, but what is a coil-splitting pickup? You may have noticed this term is used frequently in the descriptions for some of our Signature Series guitars, and the answer is really quite simple.
As you know, a humbucker pickup is made up of two single-coil pickups. With the correct wiring, this can be switched from full humbucker mode to just one of the two coils, effectively making a single-coil pickup from the humbucker. Most guitars with this kind
of coil-splitting capability generally use a push/pull control on the control knobs, however, depending on the guitar this can be wired a number of ways using switches etc. for even more variety!
Generally, the output of a split humbucker pickup is slightly lower than that of a genuine single-coil, and this can be used to your advantage when driving amps harder or switching to play clean! Some examples of Artist Guitars that include coil-splitting pickups are:
Coil Tapping and Coil Splitting are very similar, and although tapping is slightly less common, it is important to note the difference between the two. Where a coil-splitting humbucker will only use the signal from one of the two coils, a coil-tapped pickup actually splits the winding of a single-coil.
Pickups are made up of hair-thin copper wire wound many thousands of times around the pole pieces, thus creating the coil. A “tapped” coil provides a connection from this wire part-way through the winding, and then the winding continues to complete the coil. This means you can effectively use the full winding of a pickup for a certain output, and then switch to the tapped part of the coil, with fewer windings, which changes the character and reduces the output of the pickup. This can make for some very versatile pickup combinations, meaning you can mix vintage and modern outputs from the same pickups, expanding your tonal range even further!
Thanks for reading this blog! For even more great content, check out these pages:
I hope this article has helped. if you need any assistance please email:
sales@artistguitars.com.au or call us on 1300 489 816
© Artist Guitars 2022
We started Artist Guitars with a simple belief: quality instruments shouldn't cost the earth. By working directly with our manufacturing partners and selling straight to you, we skip the traditional retail markups that inflate prices. Need expert advice? We’ve got you covered. Our team of musicians is here to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
Read what the Artist Community have to say.
Need more info? You can find it here.
In stock products are dispatched from our warehouse just outside of Yennora within one business day of purchase. To get an estimate for shipping to your post code please use the Shipping Time Estimator on the product listing.
Drop us an email with your order number and a short explanation for why you'd like to return your purchase. We'll organise a return label for you to print and attach to the box then either drop into your local post office or we can arrange a courier collection if necessary.
If your item arrives damaged we have you covered! Just contact our Customer Happiness team at sales@artistguitars.com.au and we'll arrange a return and replacement for you as soon as possible.
All orders placed on our Australian website are dispatched directly from our local warehouse in Yennora, Sydney (NSW). This ensures fast, reliable delivery right across Australia.
You should receive an order confirmation shortly after you've placed your order. If you haven't received one, please contact us at sales@artistguitars.com.au and we'll look into it for you.
We sell direct to consumer! This helps us keep the cost of our products as low as possible and we pass those savings into our customers which is why our guitars are unbeatable value.
New Zealand
United Kingdom
