Coil Split vs. Coil Tap - What's the Difference?

Often times folks request a coil tap in their guitar, but what they really want is a coil split. So... what's the difference? Or, are they the same thing?

In short, no, they are not the same thing.

I'm going to excerpt from an article written by Jeff Owens (Fender Musical Instrument Corporation) because he makes it easy to understand. Click here to read the full article at the Fender website.

Both terms refer to electric guitar pickups, and while the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, coil splitting and coil tapping are definitely not the same thing.

Coil splitting refers in particular to humbucking pickups, in which two coils of wire and two magnets are used together. These coils and magnets are of opposite polarity, which cancels (“bucks”) unwanted noise and hum and produces higher output and a thicker, heavier sound. In coil splitting, the connection between the two coils of a humbucking pickup is broken, disabling one coil and allowing the other to continue to function.

In effect, coil splitting turns a humbucking pickup into a single-coil pickup - a useful feature for guitarists who like both options at their fingertips without having to switch guitars. On instruments that feature it, coil splitting is usually accomplished by means of various onboard switching types.

Coil tapping, on the other hand, refers in particular to single-coil pickups. Tapping a coil means taking the signal from somewhere within the coil of wire rather than from the end of it, thus reducing pickup output (more windings means higher output); it too is accomplished by onboard switching. Some high-output single-coil pickups use coil taps to produce lower output that more closely resembles that of, say, a vintage Fender single-coil pickup.

Of the two features, coil splitting is more prevalent than coil tapping.

There you have it! Hope this helps!