tone question: coil-tapped humbuckers

[sheepdog]

I am still in the planning stages, so alot of this is hypothetical for now.

I have 2 Jazz pickups that I am mounting together under 1 cover as a sort of humbucking pickup. (I already know the pickup size and polarity issues involved...that isn't a problem). It is connected to a 3 way mini-toggle providing: series/parallel/single-coil modes.

When the "humbucking" pickup is in single coil mode, the 2nd coil will be shut off. Will the single coil's tone be affected by the other coil of the "humbucker", even though it is not on?

[luknfur]

For What It's Worth:

aside from the fact wierd things happen in wiring electronics - anything that conducts electricity or affects polarity will have an effect. But I'd say with some certainty that the closer those coils are to each other, the more effect they will have on one another on or off. Whether it would be an adverse affect or something you'd hear, don't know. I'd just do it and find out.

[nonsqtr]

Nope. Electronics 101 says that no current flows through an open circuit. Therefore, there's no way an open coil can affect a closed one. Now the magnets, on the other hand, are a different story. That would depend on the presence and nature of the pole pieces, as well as the properties of the magnets themselves. My question is, why do you ask? Does it matter? I mean, you get what you get, don't you? Unless you plan on sliding your pickup along the length of the body, like in the old Gibson Rippers and Grabbers?

[sheepdog]

Originally Posted by nonsqtr

Nope. Electronics 101 says that no current flows through an open circuit. Therefore, there's no way an open coil can affect a closed one. Now the magnets, on the other hand, are a different story. That would depend on the presence and nature of the pole pieces, as well as the properties of the magnets themselves. My question is, why do you ask? Does it matter? I mean, you get what you get, don't you? Unless you plan on sliding your pickup along the length of the body, like in the old Gibson Rippers and Grabbers?

the reason I ask is that Aero has multiple 5 string "H" style pickups. 1 type is with a non-magnetized dummy coil. The other is two magnetized coils that can be coil-tapped, parallel, etc. Aero said that if I wanted to get a good J tone out of it, to use either Js or the dummy coil version. The other versions magnet would affect the single coil, even when coil tapped. How much it affects it, I don't know