To tap or not to tap?

[Kelso]

Hello!

I recently bought a 72' tele bass (seth lover humbucker) and love it. Very playable and looks awesome. I noticed that someone else is selling a 72' tele bass with a coil tapped lover humbucker. This has got me thinking and I'm now considering whether or not to get mines coil tapped.

What are peoples views on this? Is it worth getting done? I love the deep tone I get from the humbucker but can't see any harm in expanding my tone options.

I guess my decision comes down to three things:

1. Will it really make all that much difference in regards to variety of tone?

2. My bass is in amazing condition and 100% original so would a coil tap decrease it's value and if so, is the process reversable?

3. Does anybody know of someone who could do this for me? I would be too scared of damaging the bass and pick up! I'm in scotland so would prefer someone reaseonably close.

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kelso

[cheddatom]

why not give yourself an extra option?

[tommorichards]

It can be a good idea as it does allow you a greater range of sounds. With regards to reversibility, if you use a push/pull pot, it is entirely reversible.

If you do it yourself, theres no real way you could damage the pickup, unless you left the soldering iron lying on it for a while. To protect the finish, cover everything that isnt what you are soldering with newspaper. If you want someone else, i dont know of anyone in Edinburgh.

Just use this wiring diagram for the wiring of the humbucker if you want to have a go.

Edited September 14, 2011 by tommorichards

[dlloyd]

I would leave well alone and enjoy the bass for what it is, which is a vintage instrument.

It might not affect the value too much in the short term, but these things are increasing in value year-on-year... in a few years time it might make a significant difference.

[Doctor J]

First, see if there are four wires coming out of your pickup or two.

[geoffbyrne]

Personally, if it's an original 72, then I'd leave it well alone. However, if you must mod it (& that would depend if there's already 4 (or 5) wires coming out the 'bucker - if you add wires it *will* devalue the instrument) I'd suggest that instead of coil-tapping you use a push/pull pot to wire series/parallel.

The parallel setting is not far off the single coil sound & maintains the humbucking qualities.

G.

[neepheid]

[quote name='Kelso' post='1373001' date='Sep 14 2011, 11:01 AM']Hello!

I recently bought a 72' tele bass (seth lover humbucker) and love it. Very playable and looks awesome. I noticed that someone else is selling a 72' tele bass with a coil tapped lover humbucker. This has got me thinking and I'm now considering whether or not to get mines coil tapped.

What are peoples views on this? Is it worth getting done? I love the deep tone I get from the humbucker but can't see any harm in expanding my tone options.

I guess my decision comes down to three things:

1. Will it really make all that much difference in regards to variety of tone?

2. My bass is in amazing condition and 100% original so would a coil tap decrease it's value and if so, is the process reversable?

3. Does anybody know of someone who could do this for me? I would be too scared of damaging the bass and pick up! I'm in scotland so would prefer someone reaseonably close.

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kelso[/quote]

It depends on how the humbucker is currently wired. If it's in series then you will notice a genuine difference between that and single coil or parallel wiring. Having had a G&L L-2000 modified to have series/parallel/single options available I have to say that the differences between a parallel wired humbucker and a coil tapped one are much more subtle.

If you do it, do it in such a way that it can be reversed. Take a note of all the current connections. Take photos. Use a push/pull pot for the switching so you don't need to make an extra hole in your pickguard. Keep the original pot somewhere safe. Any holes you drill for anything else like a switch will likely decrease its value. Or, get a new pickguard made and make any holes in that you want. Keep the original safe.

How close is close? Rich (Ou7shined on here) is in Aberdeen and he has excellent soldering skills, very neat and tidy (he did my G&L).

[gjones]

Give this guy a call. He's the guitar tech at Reddog, and from what I've heard, he's pretty good. He'll be able to give you professional advice [url="http://www.rvguitars.co.uk/"]http://www.rvguitars.co.uk/[/url]

[Kelso]

Thank you all so much for your advice.

It's alot to think about - still not sure what I'm going to do but it has been very helpful and interesting reading all your posts.

Thanks again and I'll let you know how I get on!

Kelso

[Kelso]

After much deliberation (and after talking at length with a local luthier) I've decided to leave the tele as she is. She's in amazing condition for her age and I don't really want to tamper with the purity of the instrument. Instead of trying to change her I'm going to appreciate her for what she is (sounds like realtionship advice! Maybe I should stop trying to mod my girlfriend too!! . . . )

Thanks again for all your suggestions and I appreciate the responses.

Cheers,
Kelso