Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Capacitor

heymisterk

By heymisterk
in The Gibson Lounge

Recommended Posts

heymisterk

heymisterk

Posted
Posted

Okay, I am really trying to learn about the inner-workings of guitars. First stop, something called a capacitor...I know every electric guitar has one and Bumblebee seems to be the most-coveted. But I have to admit that I don't know what the hell they do. And what is this, "Oil-in-paper" jargon? [confused]

 

Can someone give me the Cliff Notes version of this so I can pass Guitar Electronics, 101?

[unsure]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Riverside

Riverside

Posted
Posted

Okay, I am really trying to learn about the inner-workings of guitars. First stop, something called a capacitor...I know every electric guitar has one and Bumblebee seems to be the most-coveted. But I have to admit that I don't know what the hell they do. And what is this, "Oil-in-paper" jargon? [confused]

 

Can someone give me the Cliff Notes version of this so I can pass Guitar Electronics, 101?

[unsure]

 

A capacitor is like a dam on a river. Bigger capacitors can do more than smaller ones.

 

How they're made is rather immaterial, regardless of what the guys who'd like to charge you $100 for some old ones (or worse yet, ones that only look old) have to say about it.

 

Read this:

 

http://www.tone-lizard.com/Electronic_Parts.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Riverside

Riverside

Posted
Posted

It slows down the amount of current running thru your circuitry, to a pre- determined amount.., of which is why they have colored stripes around them....

It tells you the amount of current that it chokes off...

Simple huh??

 

 

No, they don't do that at all.

 

To quote the bard:

 

"Capacitors are widely used in electronic circuits for blocking direct current while allowing alternating current to pass, in filter networks, for smoothing the output of power supplies, in the resonant circuits that tune radios to particular frequencies and for many other purposes."

 

That first part is kind of important. To the extent that they also can block some AC (which frequencies) has to do with why and how they're used.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rocky4

Rocky4

Posted
Posted

It slows down the amount of current running thru your circuitry, to a pre- determined amount.., of which is why they have colored stripes around them....

It tells you the amount of current that it chokes off...

Simple huh??

 

 

That's a resister

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hall

Hall

Posted
Posted

A capacitor is like a dam on a river. Bigger capacitors can do more than smaller ones.

 

How they're made is rather immaterial, regardless of what the guys who'd like to charge you $100 for some old ones (or worse yet, ones that only look old) have to say about it.

 

Read this:

 

http://www.tone-liza...ronic_Parts.htm

 

 

Thanks, Riverside. Glad to hear it put simply, and I enjoyed the article.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
heymisterk

heymisterk

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks, Riverside. Glad to hear it put simply, and I enjoyed the article.

 

Here Here. I really enjoyed that article. Kinda makes me think that I WON'T be replacing the capacitors in my Les Paul with "vintage" parts. I even noticed on the RS Guitarworks page that some make the wiring LOOK vintage! WTF!! It's hidden by a friggin' plastic plate! [scared]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ChanMan

ChanMan

Posted
Posted

A cap is a bucket. It is like an empty battery at power on that fills with an electrical charge. Once it reaches it's fill point, it will start allowing the charge to escape, or trickle out. If I recall, some are "fill and flush", while others allow a more steady stream to escape.

 

It is also cool to know that, once power is removed, it takes a few seconds for the cap to discharge. For really big caps like those used in CRTs and TV sets, this charge can last for a very long time.

 

 

For those who work in electronic assembly, the capacitor discharge is the preferred method of tagging one's coworkers..... :)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Riverside

Riverside

Posted
Posted

 

 

For those who work in electronic assembly, the capacitor discharge is the preferred method of tagging one's coworkers..... :)

 

Maybe back in the day... The IT helpdesk guys here like to shake up a can of compressed air, turn it upside down, and then shoot each other in the "plumber's crack" when it is presented...

 

Blood blisters all around!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
djroge1

djroge1

Posted
Posted

In a guitar the capacitor is used to bleed off high frequencies so they work in connection with the tone pot.

 

The blocking of Direct Current (DC) and allowing Alternating Current (AC) that is for amplifiers not guitars. Those are called electrolytic caps. You can tell them because they will have a + on one end also newer ones have the indent. I've never heard of anyone using one in a guitar circuit ~ doesn't mean it can't be done though.

 

As for the material and sound ~ this is a great debate. An engineer would tell you there is no difference especially since the guitar is a passive circuit. Also, those with poor hearing sensitivity or un-trained ear would say the same thing. However, I've known people who could hear the grass grow and they could tell the difference.

 

There are different material to make caps - paper in oil is just what it says; inside is some type of oil and paper.

 

The idea is that the Paper in Oil (PIO) caps have the smoothest sound with the fancy plastic orange drops right behind in sound quality; I have orange drops in my '78 Les Paul. Ceramic discs are considered the worst sounding and cheapest.

 

Finally, I gave some orange drops to another member here and he absolutely loved them. He replaced his ceramic discs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Riverside

Riverside

Posted
Posted

Now "mojo" is a whole 'nother thing.

 

I can't fault a guy banging on the effort-justification thing (who just bought himself a new $6,000 LP) for wanting to "improve" it with some fine old "vintage" caps - the more expensive, the better, I guess.

 

Heck, those guys pay silly money for amplifiers, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Riverside

Riverside

Posted
Posted

And why pay all that money for a hand built amp when they are pretty easy to build.

 

Designing an amp isn't easy at all. I have all the respect in the world for folks who know how to do it.

 

Building them takes skills and know-how that not everyone possesses. But in one way, you are right - hammering one together isn't the hard part - I've done it and it doesn't make me an EE.

 

I suppose if one were an experienced woodwright, building a guitar wouldn't be so difficult, either.

 

But that wouldn't make one a geneticist. Can you see the wood at the nano level? Some folks think Maple is better than Rosewood.

 

Folks who pony up the really stupid money for amps mostly just want to look at them, anyway. Replaced a power cord or cap on a vintage piece? Down goes the price.

 

 

 

A good hand-built amp can be a work of art - and I have no problem paying for what I get. But the BS factor does rise pretty high sometimes.

 

 

 

 

Peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FirstMeasure

FirstMeasure

Posted
Posted

And there's a guy on the SG page that says he can hear a difference when using cloth-covered wire.

 

All I'm saying is beware the hype.

 

And if you spend $100 bucks on a cap for your guitar, you had better think it sounds better...

Personally I like Teflon Coated wire. You don't have to be as careful with the Soldering Iron.

 

If it's "sound" that folks are worried about, just take the wires out of an Instrument Cable and use them to wire your guitar, That's what the signal ends up going through, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...