theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 What Pot and Cap values are you guys using? Any interesting combinations? I was thinking of just using 500k pots all around and .022 tone caps or would that be a bad idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I've got 500K in both of mine.. and .022 caps. So I sure don't think it's a bad idea! You can vary the sound of the guitar by changing the tone capacitor. A higher value cap will cut more highs, a lower value cap will cut less and be more subtle. .015s aren't bad either. (just threw that in to screw you up!) *S* hey they're cheap.. try radio shack and get some above .022 and below. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 yeah, I was looking for p-90 wiring diagrams and I ended up coming across all this about single coils and their supposed pot and cap values...screwed me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 On the neck pickup in particular I like a much smaller value than a .022uf cap......it gives you a really nice "woman tone" with the pot rolled all the way off.....just shaves off the very high freqs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 Smaller cap value? I thought that higher values, ie .047's cut more highs and give you a warmer tone. But I don't know, I could be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layboomo Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Smaller cap value? I thought that higher values' date=' ie .047's cut more highs and give you a warmer tone. But I don't know, I could be wrong.[/quote'] Right the bigger the cap the darker the tone.....read this http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors.aspx I'm talking a bout just shaving off some very hi freq's as opposed to going to mudd like a standard tone control in the full off position......even a .015 instead of a .022 or .047 makes a difference but I like to go even smaller....it's a matter of taste and guitar/pickup combination too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkwire Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I've got 500K in both of mine.. and .022 caps.So I sure don't think it's a bad idea! hey they're cheap.. try radio shack and get some above .022 and below. I'm with TWANG on the 500K pot/.022 cap combo. I don't agree with getting the caps from Radio Shack, however! But if you want to experiment, solder a couple of leads where the caps would go , and let them run outside the guitar body...then you can temporarily hook up different caps to check how they sound. For experimentation, go ahead and get some ceramic caps from Radio Shack. But when you find what you like, go with Sprague Orange Drops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 Right the bigger the cap the darker the tone.....read this http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors.aspx I'm talking a bout just shaving off some very hi freq's as opposed to going to mudd like a standard tone control in the full off position......even a .015 instead of a .022 or .047 makes a difference but I like to go even smaller....it's a matter of taste and guitar/pickup combination too. Oh, right, got it, my bad. I understand a lot of people like and do different combinations to alter and get their own sound...but I was looking to get the general consensus on P90, pot and cap combination. The sort of baseline for P90's if you will. Like how Humbuckers generally use 500k pots and .022 caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron G Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 The sort of baseline for P90's if you will. Like how Humbuckers generally use 500k pots and .022 caps. Same combo for P90s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 I'm with TWANG on the 500K pot/.022 cap combo. I don't agree with getting the caps from Radio Shack' date=' however! But if you want to experiment, solder a couple of leads where the caps would go , and let them run outside the guitar body...then you can temporarily hook up different caps to check how they sound. For experimentation, go ahead and get some ceramic caps from Radio Shack. But when you find what you like, go with Sprague Orange Drops.[/quote'] That's a great idea. The reason I posted a new topic was because I'm working on a Sheraton and I didn't really want to experiment with different values and have to pull everything out and then thread them back in again every time I would change a cap. But that was a great suggestion. Thanks. I actually already have a couple of sprague .022's and 500k pots to go with the gfs mean 90's. So yeah...I'm headed in the same direction as you guys. I was just looking into getting a bit more info, opinions, recs, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Yes, it gets confusing, especially since Fender's recipe for single coils calls for 250 KO pots and .047 µF caps. However for all practical purposes you're supposed to treat a P-90 as if it were a humbucker since it has a higher output than a Strat single coil and is not as bright in tone either. So yes, 500 K and .022 µ is the way to go for starters but don't be afraid to try lower value caps if you want to keep more highs as you roll off the tone control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I test with cheap caps.. and use spragues.. but I have to be honest hear... in a guitar the difference could be more in our head than in our ears.. still.. I do believe I like those spragues so.. I guess I'm a mystic believer mojo mofo! I'm testing caps for a guy today.. and I've got some nice .015s and .010s to compare to my .022s.. I already know I don't like .047 on my p90s at all. I'm trying some changes in treble bleed caps also this week.. I've got it in my head there's a magic combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theevilblacknarc Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 Yes' date=' it gets confusing, especially since Fender's recipe for single coils calls for 250 KO pots and .047 µF caps. However for all practical purposes you're supposed to treat a P-90 as if it were a humbucker since it has a higher output than a STrat single coil and is not as bright in tone either. So yes, 500 K and .022 µ is the way to go for starters but don't be afraid to try lower value caps if you want to keep more highs as you roll off the tone control.[/quote'] Yeah, I'm new at this so this got me going WTF for a while. I was afraid of experimenting at first but I'm gonna try Funkwire's idea and try some lower value caps like you and Layboomo suggested. Thanks for all the help guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 There's an electronics supply store in Montreal that I like to check out every now and then... they have a huge section with parts at liquidation prices. Mostly it's computer-related crap but every now and then you find stuff suitable for use in guitars and amps. I buy .022 µF caps by the handful there and they only cost a couple of cents each. Good solid parts, don't even know who the manufacturer is... sometimes you get good quality Siemens metal oxide types and the like and I also grabbed a bunch of really funky blood red ceramic disc types but whatever ones I use they all work fine. There's some misconception as to the actual effects of changing the capacitor size; anyone expecting a significant increase or decrease in the overall brightness of the pickup will be disappointed. What actually happens is that the range of the tone control is changed; with a smaller cap there is less attenuation of high frequencies as the tone control is dialed back and with a larger value there is more attenuation of high frequencies as the tone control is dialed back: As you can see, with the tone control 'off' (i.e. at the zero position) the total resistance to high frequencies (this chart is for 1,280 Hz, or the note on the high E string at the position of the 24th fret) is almost 50% higher with a .015 µF cap than with the stock .022 µF cap (higher resistance means less high frequencies are shorted to ground and are thus 'heard' by the amplifier); however as you dial up to 10, the resistance of the pot becomes the controlling factor and the effect becomes less and less pronounced so that at the full tone (10) position the actual difference between the two parts becomes insignificant (about one-half of a percent difference). Use different caps to reduce or extend the range of your tone control's effect, not to 'brighten' or 'darken' a pickup's output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I think it's nitpicking. they are darker or brighter.. and that's the way they are typicall described. But I can see your point. for those of us ok with the terms.. read this http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors.aspx and the comments have good ideas, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shartom Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 If you want to hear the affect the tone cap has on your sound, just disconnect one end from the pot. I did this on my Tele using a switch. With the cap out of the circuit, you could just about break wine glasses. It was pretty dramatic. I'm not sure what effect it would have on a humbucker. I'll know tomorrow. As far as the P90's are concerned, my 56 LP Gold Top Reissue sounds just fine. I jammed with a Gibson jazz box owner a couple of months ago. I could tweek the tone controls on my 56 to match his. Considering a $2000 price difference, I felt pretty good. The whole tone thing is totall subjective. They talk about pots in the Stew Mac catalogue. There philosophy is use what ever you want. Use good caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 If you want to hear the affect the tone cap has on your sound' date=' just disconnect one end from the pot. I did this on my Tele using a switch. With the cap out of the circuit, you could just about break wine glasses. It was pretty dramatic.[/quote'] I believe it. With the Tele's bright pickups, 250K pot and .047 µF cap, you can expect a huge difference when you break the circuit; a lot of the high end must be being shorted out even with the Tone control wide open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potatos N Dragons Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I put a Harmonic Design Z90 in neck position of my Dot Studio n it sounds awesome so yeah if gitbox has humbuckers dont bother changing the pots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 BTW if you ever want to see what a 250K pot would sound like, just dial your existing pot to a bit above '7'; That's more or less the 250K point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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