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  • Capacitor Questions

    Yeah, capacitors again.

    When I opened up my HSS Jackson, the existing wiring in no way resembled the schematic I downloaded from Seymour Duncan.

    For instance, the schematic shows the capacitor connected between the volume and tone pots. On mine the capacitor was wired directly from the tone pot tab to the tone pot body.

    Also, the white wire from the volume pot went to the number one position on the 5-way selector, and then on to one of the tone pot tabs where the tone pot ground wire should start (a single wire exposed in the middle at the 5-way), so it seemed to be both connecting the volume knob to the 5-way switch and somehow grounding the tone pot at the same time.

    So, three questions:

    1. Are there multiple paths can be taken with all this wiring?
    2. Should I re-wire it like the SD schematic shows (HSS one tone one volume, split at #4 position). It seemed to be working fine before.
    3. My capactor is labelled "2A473J" What does that mean?

    Thanks guys.

    -Matt
    Last edited by JammerMatt; 04-20-2004, 09:30 PM. Reason: Forgot something
    Originally posted by Scott_F
    On that day, should I ever be so unlucky, I will expect an unholy assault of pure metal mayhem attacking all my senses with a little tiny voice in the background screaming Effing Hails!

  • #2
    Re: Capacitor Questions

    1. So many your head would spin. There are a bunch in the "Guitar + Bass Wiring" section of the www.guitarelectronics.com website. Awesome site.

    2.Totally up to you.

    3.The important numbers are "473". In guitars, you use microfarads. The 47 is the value in UF, the 3 tells you how many places LEFT to move the decimal. So you have a .047mf cap. If you want more highs, lower the value to .033 or .022mf
    Originally posted by Pink Unicorn Horsey
    Dumbness on massive idiocy with the stupid dumb-dumbnity of ridiculous WTFation in the dumbass of you-idiot.
    Originally posted by Sosomething
    "How do I improve the tone of my ThrasherKidzz-O-Blaster combo??"

    The answer is always "burn it, dumbass."

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Capacitor Questions

      Thanks Korova. Deciphering the electrical heiroglyphics really helped out.

      The SD schematic indicated a .022 capacitor.

      Oh yeah, having the capacitor between the tone pot tab and the tone pot body... is that okay?

      Where can I get a capacitor? Music store or Radio Shack?

      -Matt
      Originally posted by Scott_F
      On that day, should I ever be so unlucky, I will expect an unholy assault of pure metal mayhem attacking all my senses with a little tiny voice in the background screaming Effing Hails!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Capacitor Questions

        Go to Radio Shack, and get a polyester, polypropolyene, or metal film capacitor. Basically, any kind but the cheaper ceramic capacitors will work fine.

        Ryan
        Originally posted by JOLLY
        I'm the reason we had to sign waivers

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Capacitor Questions

          Ive found that too. My Epi Ace F Lp has crossover wires from the tone pot to its corresponding Volume pot.. The Gibson Ace schematic it different. I' m wiring to Gibson spec.

          Do the caps make much difference?? It seems like Orange Drops are highly regarded. I cant imagine that alittle 70 cent thing like that could make much diff..
          Believe me when I say that some of the most amazing music in history was made on equipment that's not as good as what you own right now.

          Jol Dantzig

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Capacitor Questions

            Originally posted by JammerMatt
            Thanks Korova. Deciphering the electrical heiroglyphics really helped out.

            The SD schematic indicated a .022 capacitor.

            Oh yeah, having the capacitor between the tone pot tab and the tone pot body... is that okay?

            Where can I get a capacitor? Music store or Radio Shack?

            -Matt
            The capacitor can be hooked up several ways, and generally it refers to what other functions the tone knob is called upon to do ... whether it's ground to cap to pot to signal, or ground to pot to cap to signal the control will function the same (some claim that there is a difference in sound between the two ... couldn't tell yeah though). Capacitor ... yeah radio shack or any electronics supply house, the polypropylene caps are what you want, something rated at about 100V (50V will do). Polyester will work well also, metal film are kinda overkill, but Ryan's right just about any except for electrolytics and tantalums will work ... Actually ceramics will work also ... you have to be a bit more careful with those when soldering because you probably won't be able to get them in a large voltage rating at RS. The reason for the voltage ratings is simple ... the higher rated capacitors tend to withstand the heat of soldering a bit better. Use a heat sink, a pair of hemostats works well for that, plus it hold the part lead while you solder, and you can buy a pair of hemostats while at radio shack.
            ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
            ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
            Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Capacitor Questions

              Hey Bloodrose, did you get the PM I sent you a while back?

              To answer your question, I don't think they make that much of a difference, unless you use a cheaper ceramic capacitor. They make more of a difference when used in a pedal or an amp. In a guitar, I can't really tell the difference between an Orange Drop cap and a regular metal film cap.

              Ryan
              Originally posted by JOLLY
              I'm the reason we had to sign waivers

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Capacitor Questions

                Originally posted by rspst14
                Hey Bloodrose, did you get the PM I sent you a while back?

                To answer your question, I don't think they make that much of a difference, unless you use a cheaper ceramic capacitor. They make more of a difference when used in a pedal or an amp. In a guitar, I can't really tell the difference between an Orange Drop cap and a regular metal film cap.

                Ryan
                I don't hear much of a difference either, sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't ... And I can't explain why ... there must be something else electrically going on there . The reason for me leaning with the polypros is generally because they work consistantly well for me, and have ...and the metal films might run a bit more in the wallet. I do think the ceramics tend to have a bit different tone. Fender used some in their earlier stuff, but they where like 1kV rated or so. I have seen the smaller ones with actual bubbles on the surface or where they have sweat from people overheating them, so since one tends to find the smaller valued caps in smaller voltage ratings then you gotta take a little extra care with say the caps you'd use on a treble bypass set-up on a volume knob.
                ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Capacitor Questions

                  Oh and as long as we are talking about the orange drops ... depends what type ... most people hawk the 715-P (I think that's it), those are ploypros; the 225 series are the polyester ... FWIW, most people use the 715s in about a 400V ~ 600v rating, like I said they take heat a little better.
                  ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                  ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                  Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Capacitor Questions

                    So, I'm hearing that it's possible to overheat them during the soldering process?

                    Okay, what gauge of wire is normally used?
                    Originally posted by Scott_F
                    On that day, should I ever be so unlucky, I will expect an unholy assault of pure metal mayhem attacking all my senses with a little tiny voice in the background screaming Effing Hails!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Capacitor Questions

                      Originally posted by JammerMatt
                      So, I'm hearing that it's possible to overheat them during the soldering process?

                      Okay, what gauge of wire is normally used?
                      I'm confused ... what does the wire gauge have to do with the cap? If you heatsink the leads while soldering, and don't be excessive with the soldering time you shouldn't have a problem ...My point is though that it is possible to cook them, when cooked they can drift from there capacitance rating (not likely to be crucial in this particular use), short, go totally open (well a cap is open, but point is they don't do anything), or create some nasty sounding distortions (I don't know what electrically has happened there). The higher rated voltage caps, withstand the heat better is the point. And for some weird reason they tend to sound a bit better, I can't explain it, they just do.
                      As an experiment, get ahold of an extra cap that you don't need and hold the soldering iron to the lead, keep it there and watch what happens to the cap.
                      ::::To sound reinforcement engineer::::
                      ... What? ... ::::snicker:::: ...Yes, ... Right, ...
                      Could we please have everything louder than everything else ? ...

                      Comment

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