benefits of induction coil over an alternator?

raezair

I'm just wondering about what benefits there are to building / using an induction coil as opposed to other devices to create devices for spark gap experiments.

I am referring to the induction coils with a primary winding and secondary windings with enormous numbers of turns - similar to experiments that I have been seeing that duplicate the experiments of the early electrical pioneers - non induction heating coils.

Wouldn't one be able to create a spark gap, for experimenting with, by use of a custom built alternator to do the same thing as the induction coil does without the requirement of having to build a device that requires up to hundreds of thousands of turns in the secondary winding?

is there any real benefit to using an induction coil?

disclaimer: i'm not an engineer so this is perhaps a very basic question for some of you.

your thoughts??,
thanks