Looking for a tapped strat bridge single coil

[imaradiostar]

I've often wired SSH strats so that the humbucker is tapped in the #2 position (middle/bridge blend). I've recently read a little bit about tapped single coils and I think that's the direction I'd like to head- wired so it's full in the bridge position and tapped in between.

Can anyone out there in pickup land make this happen for me? I don't see many commercial ones out there but I know some people here make them.

I am currently using a cheap strat set (GFS) with a steel plate under the bridge pickup and I think I'd like to try something different. I like the neck and middle sounds but I'm not totally loving the bridge pickup.

In a perfect world I'd have a slightly overwound strat bridge sound that still plays nice with the middle pickup but enough extra turns of 43 or 44 to get closer to P90 territory when I use the whole pickup.

Thoughts?

Jamie

[David Schwab]

Do you want to do this for a SSS guitar?

Its not a hard thing to do.

What don't you like about the bridge pickup?

[imaradiostar]

yes, for a SSS guitar.

I don't hate the bridge pickup, I just want it all! I want to have a more "vintage" strat tone available for clean sounds then a hotter "P90" sot of sound for when I'm using the bridge position with distortion. Maybe I'm overthinking this?

It must be hard for a pickup maker (who is no doubt knowledgeable) to assess what a custom really wants from the things they describe. It's as though you have to know what the customer wants better than they do- and I'd imagine plenty of customers aren't really sure what they want.

I just don't want to get wrapped up in making pickups. I have too many obligations and I could see myself spending a lot of time and money on it! I've already spent a small fortune on amp parts and it seems a shame to lose my focus.

jamie

[David Schwab]

I don't hate the bridge pickup, I just want it all! I want to have a more "vintage" strat tone available for clean sounds then a hotter "P90" sot of sound for when I'm using the bridge position with distortion. Maybe I'm overthinking this?

Thats why they used to make tapped pickups. Schecter used to do a lot of those, and Duncan did too. I'm not sure why they are less popular, but maybe because people often use SSH or dual rail pickups.

I have a dual rail bridge pickup in my Tele, and I use a push/pull volume knob to switch it from series to parallel to go from a hotter to more vintage tone.

It must be hard for a pickup maker (who is no doubt knowledgeable) to assess what a custom really wants from the things they describe. It's as though you have to know what the customer wants better than they do- and I'd imagine plenty of customers aren't really sure what they want.

Yeah, it is. I try not to do too many custom pickups because of that! I like to offer set designs and if people like them then they know what they will get.

[pdf64]

I've got results I'm happy with by using pickup sets that are at the hot end of 'vintage' (eg 80s Tokai U, around 6k) and putting the bridge pickup on a tone control. That makes all the difference with getting a chunky tone out of it, as recommended by Rory Gallagher!
However, rather than use a master tone control like Rory, I prefer one tone control for the bridge and the other for the neck and middle pickups.
It's then possible to wire the pickup switch so that the bridge/middle position disables the bridge pickup tone control.
Finally, tweaking the pickup heights (bridge highish, neck and middle low) should get close to the result you want.
I find that winding the bridge pickup tone control down about halfway then brings on a P90ish growl, given a suitably loud amp, with the added benefit of a treble boost being available from winding the tone control back up. This then enables the bridge tone control to mimick a wah-wah effect.
The Fender Vintage '62 Strat pickups, about 5k6, didn't work for me; cleans were fine but when overdriven the tone was mushy.

[big_teee]

Seymour Duncan
If you look at the chart towards the bottom.
SSL-3 - SSL-7
Are all Tapped Single Coil Pickups.
Terry

[imaradiostar]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I just bought a new body for my strat so I should get that together and set up first.

I noticed lots of Gilmour fans like the SSL-5. It seems like a decent option but I think a custom wound pickup would be even better.

Truly- I'd like to get that EJ clean bridge or in-between sound with it tapped and a full almost P90 sound using all of the windings. I'm not much of an SRV/Middle pickup fan so I'd probably wire up a mega switch so I'd get:

neck/neck+middle/neck+tapped bridge/tapped bridge/full bridge

Of course this would leave me wanting bridge+neck but I guess I can't have it all. I need a 7 position mega switch!

How much is the extra copper going to effect the treble in the tapped position? I've read conflicting opinions and I can't help but wonder if people are grounding the tap rather than simple switching taps.

Jamie

[Kindly Killer]

for that p-90 vibe try the style that is built on a strat sized bobbin but has 2 little ceramic mags opposing and slugs/screws/whatevs

10k turns of AWG 43

Pickup winding tutorial

i have these in the bridge pos of my two "classic" style strats. that is the only thing not authentic about them. it fixes all the problems that bother most people about most strats. it combines extremely well with middle - position 2 sounds like a strat in position 2. but the bridge position is kinda halfway between a thick strat and p-90 - very rawk but still very clear and beautiful. it's a clear winner IMO

there are many commercial offerings of this recipe, e.g. fralin SP43 if you want to simply buy one (sounds like it?). the tap is easy for any winder to add. btw the "tap" on a HB that i think you mean is actually a "split". you are splitting the pickup into one of its two coils. with a tap, you are tapping the tube (wire) down inside the coil, like adding a sink - and tap on the middle floor of house that had none previously. at least i think that's the etymology - guitar words aren't very well documented AFAIK