Single coil timbre: Trey coil tapping

Happyorange27 · November 08, 2010, 09:38:52 PM

So I could be way off but does coil tapping, or the single coil mode of Treys guitar sound more organic and transcend the warmth of his hollowbody more than when he is using regular humbucking? I don't own any single coils so I am trying to get my solid body to have that more "acoustic" sound which Treys guitar regularly does on clean parts of songs. Example, beginning of Limb or Bird of a Feather. Anyway, is this Trey coil tapping or is this purely the result of a quality hollowbody adding it's timbre into the sound signal. Thanks.

picture_of_nectar · November 08, 2010, 11:17:25 PM

I think it's just the acoustic resonance of the hollowbody. With my Doc, when I drop a coil it makes the tone more twangy, or quacky...more like a strat or a tele. But the fundemental acoustic/harmonic characteristc of the tone remains the same either way. Of course Trey's guitar is a lot different then mine, so I dunno...

Walker done done · November 09, 2010, 10:02:58 AM

Quote from: picture_of_nectar on November 08, 2010, 11:17:25 PM
I think it's just the acoustic resonance of the hollowbody. With my Doc, when I drop a coil it makes the tone more twangy, or quacky...more like a strat or a tele. But the fundemental acoustic/harmonic characteristc of the tone remains the same either way. Of course Trey's guitar is a lot different then mine, so I dunno...

I think that about covers it; mine has the same characteristics. I've talked a bit w/ AO about this feature in an effort to better undserstand.....maybe he could shed some light on explaining it a little better to the masses....?

aoguitars · November 09, 2010, 10:20:34 AM

The coil-tap would definitely not be known to go towards "warmth" on your axe. You're effectively dropping a coil from your humbucker, which is becoming similar to a single coil pickup (though not the same), so the sound is much thinner and quieter than a bucker....think Strat-sounding. Plus, when you engage the drop, you're adding a lot of noise, since you're not "bucking the hum" anymore. As for Trey's organic, more acoustic sound that you're mentioning, that's a direct result of him playing an acoustic guitar--there's a lot of airspace in there adding that fullness to his sound. I wouldn't think that LBL or BOF would be played with the coil drop...they sound a lot fatter to me.

As for PON's guitar, that's exactly what the drop does--and since yours is more solid than hollow (though I don't know how much chambering is actually in that guitar), you get more of the quack of the single coil.

picture_of_nectar · November 09, 2010, 10:55:01 AM

Um, the G4 is fully hollow. Not chambered. Just like the G2 only smaller and thinner.

aoguitars · November 09, 2010, 01:52:58 PM

right. my bad. for some reason, I thought it had a center block...it's just smaller than the G2.

Happyorange27 · July 18, 2011, 04:02:14 PM

Now that I actually have my AO, I understand exactly what the coil tap sounds like. It's so very familiar I just never put 2 and 2 together. I now know that I here this tone on many trademark Trey licks and tunes. I really like that tone, it's got clarity. Anyway I love experimenting with my right hand right now (sounds like me during puberty

)

IamWILSON · July 18, 2011, 09:16:23 PM

Quote from: Happyorange27 on July 18, 2011, 04:02:14 PM
Now that I actually have my AO, I understand exactly what the coil tap sounds like. It's so very familiar I just never put 2 and 2 together. I now know that I here this tone on many trademark Trey licks and tunes. I really like that tone, it's got clarity. Anyway I love experimenting with my right hand right now (sounds like me during puberty )

What are some of the songs or licks that you recognize the sound of the coil tapping?

Happyorange27 · July 19, 2011, 06:19:35 AM

I could be wrong but studio version Dirt for one. And I think any live Possum or Carini. I'll try to think of more as I come across them.

picture_of_nectar · July 19, 2011, 11:30:19 AM

I kinda don't think so on either Possum or Carini...but it's hard to tell.

Im thinking more on the bluegrass tunes like Water in the Sky, Scent of a Mule, Ginsing, Uncle Penn...etc.

Could be wrong tho...

Happyorange27 · July 19, 2011, 11:55:27 AM

Yeah it's not like it's super obvious but I just know it's seasoned in all over the place. Especially when he hits the low open E string and it's just very clear and twangy.

IamWILSON · July 19, 2011, 09:20:05 PM

I guess I'll be in the game of figuring this all out too, once I actually have a guitar with coil tap and phase/parallel and all the bells and whistles!