Coil splits not actually functioning

[Desmosedici]

hey y'all

My 2013 Les Paul Standard coils are not actually splitting - or at least there is no discernible tone difference.

I picked up the guitar about a year ago, and have been meaning to ask someone why the splits don't work.

I'm the 1st owner, and I can't access the shop of purchase at the mo'.

Any suggestions?Maybe some were distributed without the function, but with the switching in place?

The Tone's bypass, and out-of-phase functions are fine tho.

Any ideas?

[capmaster]

Did you try with a clean, bright amp sound setting? This would emphasize the sonic difference. It is most audible during string attack and the first one or two seconds after.

 

In case the splitting effect won't seem to occur this way, some pics of the electronic compartment could be helpful for clearing up.

[Desmosedici]

Thanks for the reply, Cap.

Yeah, I have tried all combinations of amp settings, but can hear no discernible difference with the Vol pots switched and not.

I'm unable to post a pic at the moment, but the pups have quick connects which plug into a circuit-board.

I guess I'll take it to a tech when I get time.

 

[Pesh]

Thanks for the reply, Cap.

Yeah, I have tried all combinations of amp settings, but can hear no discernible difference with the Vol pots switched and not.

I'm unable to post a pic at the moment, but the pups have quick connects which plug into a circuit-board.

I guess I'll take it to a tech when I get time.

 

 

Asking what might be a silly question; apologies if so.

 

But can you confirm if it is indeed wired for a coil spilt, rather than a coil tap?

 

A split would take an entire coil from a humbucker out of the mix, while a tap retains both coils, but takes the output from a point earlier in the coil 2 wind, so the output of the pickup is lowered but remains a HB. A tap would be much less obvious than a tap.

[capmaster]

Like my 2012 LP Standard did, the 2013 models also came with a "frequency-tuned" coil split. The slug coil is not shorted out completely but switched in parallel to a .010 µF capacitor. Thus, compared to the entire humbucker, the slug coil's resonance peak is about halved to around 1 kHz, the screw coil's resonance peak will be about doubled to circa 4 kHz. The exact frequencies depend on the coils' primary inductances given by design, and also on the capacitance of the guitar cable used, in particular for the screw coils.

 

The resulting levels and sounds differ significantly from those of "full" coil splits, regardless if the latter are achieved by shorting out or leaving open one coil. The latter is uncommon but leaves a little bit more treble in the signal.

 

"Frequency tuned" coil splits have some sort of a "can" tone caused by their two resonance peaks. Furthermore, already a short time after string attack the sound comes closer to that of a full humbucker. Hum suppression is widely preserved this way, but buzz may come close to that of a "full" coil split or a "real" single-coil pickup.

[Desmosedici]

Ah, righteo, but you guys actually hear some audible difference when switched tho..... I feel left out

[RockyA]

I have a 2013 Les Paul Standard Plus and they are actually coil splitting versus coil tap. Here is the info on the 2013 Gibson spec

 

Les Paul Standard

 

The Les Paul Standard has always been the cornerstone of the Gibson USA lineup, and the new Les Paul Standard holds that same esteemed position at the center of the 2013 Year of Les Paul celebrations. This is the most versatile Les Paul Standard ever created, the ultimate embodiment of Les Paul’s vision of innovation and elegance, and truly represents a marriage of timeless tone with contemporary flexibility and playability. Key features include a superbly comfortable new asymmetrical rendition of the SlimTaper™ neck profile that fits the player’s hand like a glove, a compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, and stealth wiring for the great BurstBucker Pro™ 1 & 2 pickups that provides individual coil splitting, phase reversal, and Pure Bypass switching all without changing the look of the classic control layout.

[Desmosedici]

......and mine is just a little too "stealthy" in its "stealth wiring"

Thanks for your help, guys, I'll book it in to see the doc.

[Desmosedici]

Hey fellas

I have an answer. I brought it in and asked the tech.

He plugged it in to some kind of Fender amp, clean and bright like Caps suggested and we could hear some differences.

Not jangely single coil sound, but kind of lower freq loss. The tech indicated that it was typical of Gibson tap/split system.

It just isn't an audible change through my Orange, but then, it's quite a dirty amp, so all this makes some sense now.

Meh...... Sure isn't like in the Gibson YouTube promos, where it sounds all light and fendery.

Still......not all that fussed on a single coil sound anyway, but at least I know that it's not faulty.

Thanks for your replys, guys

 

[capmaster]

Glad you found out it's working! Most Orange amps I know are capable of nice clean sounds, too. You may experiment a little with the controls and find out.

[Desmosedici]

Sure, Caps, but I still can't hear the dif with that amp.

So, does everyone think that the coil splits on the LPStandard are great? fine? Ineffective? Not up to the hype?

[american cheez]

Ah, righteo, but you guys actually hear some audible difference when switched tho..... I feel left out

 

 

don't feel that way. i have had this feature on my last 3 guitars. and a couple of others from back in the day. you ain't missin anything good. i haven't found a circumstance yet where weak and muddy is the right sound for the context.

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

Hey fellas

I have an answer. I brought it in and asked the tech.

He plugged it in to some kind of Fender amp, clean and bright like Caps suggested and we could hear some differences.

Not jangely single coil sound, but kind of lower freq loss. The tech indicated that it was typical of Gibson tap/split system.

It just isn't an audible change through my Orange, but then, it's quite a dirty amp, so all this makes some sense now.

Meh...... Sure isn't like in the Gibson YouTube promos, where it sounds all light and fendery.

Still......not all that fussed on a single coil sound anyway, but at least I know that it's not faulty.

Thanks for your replys, guys

 

What Orange is it?

[RockyA]

Try it through a Marshall tube amp such as a DSL 40C with EL34 tubes and I bet you hear the difference. I can hear difference clearly through my Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb and Deluxe Reverb also. Don't hear difference through the solid state amps I have such as Peavey Trans tube, etc. Take it back to the store and play it through the Marshall DSL 40C. I get clear single coil sounds when I lift the volume knobs up. What about the out of phase feature, lifting the Neck tone knob with selector in middle position? Do you get that funky tone?

[Desmosedici]

Hey Mr Jones. It's an OR15H / PPC212

I agree, Kuma San, and I never really thought much about the function, or lack of, before........was just wondering if other people's equipment had the same tepid response to splitting as mine does.

The Out of Phase, and Bypass functions work fine tho

 

 

 

[RockyA]

Yeah with Les Pauls you got to have the amps that will let it do all the things. I know I can't get the Rock overdrive distortion going strait into my Fender Amps (CVR and DR) but can straight into the Marshall DSL 40C. If I want all the hard rock and heavy overdrives, I use TS9 overdrive, MXR Compressor, Boss EQ,and some other pedals into the Fender Amps. You gotta have a Marshall in your arsenal though cuz they are the perfect match for Les Pauls and Rock Tone.

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

I don't know if it will be comparable but soon after buying my Trad I had the following problem:

My bridge pickup decided every now and then to turn into a single coil, so one coil was completely shorted out I guess. And the result of that was a significant drop in volume and a weaker signal, I would describe it as thin. Not exactly the single coil sound I would dig.

And after the last upgrade on my LPJ (PCB to 50's wiring) I'm not so sure that I like those PCB's anymore. It pretty much darkened and muddied the sound, IMHO!

Oh and I love the OR15, perfect for rock, but yeah not so much for cleans.

Looked at it and liked it a lot but the TH30 won in clean territory. Of course not comparable to the Princeton Reverb that was next to it, but awesome for an Orange.

Anyway if what I described comes close to that split/tap function, I'll go with real single coils.

[Desmosedici]

Mmmmmmmm TH30. Nice, man! What's your cab?

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

Mmmmmmmm TH30. Nice, man! What's your cab?

 

 

Two PPC112's

[capmaster]

Two PPC112's

Orange cabinets have a chunky, defined tone, I guess largely due to their heavy build keeping the walls quiet. A PPC212 is as heavy as typical 412 cabs of Marshall or the like. They also don't have wheels. Good tone calls for a strong backbone! :unsure:

[Desmosedici]

True......and a drummer to help carry it, Caps! Large sound tho!

Nice stack, Mr Jones, great to see the Orange wall!

[capmaster]

True......and a drummer to help carry it, Caps! Large sound tho!

Nice stack, Mr Jones, great to see the Orange wall!

Always on borrowed drumsets, I'm drumming myself in a band, too. Lots of items to carry and set up, some bulky, but no heavy gear at all. Drumsticks are more weight than flatpicks though.

 

 

Mostly I use this one. Fortunately I never have to set it all up for live recording

 

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

Yup Cap, 15kg each. But that's no problem right now because they won't go nowhere for at least 2 or 3 years.

And when I'm finally ready to play in public I would probably buy one of those cool gear carts.

 

Finding the right people to play with will be much more of a problem believe me.

Can't stand tobacco smoke anymore, and if someone likes to get wasted to much it will be a no go too.

And most important they got to be serious, If I do something I wanna make it right.

 

Looks like I'll better learn singing while playing and act solo.

 

Darn I'm f***ing antisocial!

[Mr. C.O. Jones]

True......and a drummer to help carry it, Caps! Large sound tho!

Nice stack, Mr Jones, great to see the Orange wall!

 

Thank's bro, and nice to see some Orange love around here.

Sometimes I think something is wrong with me, and Im the only one that digs Orange's.

[capmaster]

Thank's bro, and nice to see some Orange love around here.

Sometimes I think something is wrong with me, and Im the only one that digs Orange's.

If I ever were to buy a new amp, it had to be an Orange. I don't want to bash all the other brands, but there's nothing like them. And of course, I would buy them with orange covering, not black or the like - let's go the whole hog!