.0033 tone caps

Re: .0033 tone caps

They mean .033uf ... which is half way between the .047uf and .022uf. I usually have all 3 of these plus even a .015uf orange drops on hand at all times ... that'll keep you covered.

The .047 will roll off more highs than the .022 ... the .033 is about in the middle.
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

doveman said:
They mean .033uf ... which is half way between the .047uf and .022uf. I usually have all 3 of these plus even a .015uf orange drops on hand at all times ... that'll keep you covered.

The .047 will roll off more highs than the .022 ... the .033 is about in the middle.
Click to expand...


Are you sure? My math(s!) must be off then - I could swear the guy is talking about 0.0033, rather than 0.033. :dunce:
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Diocletian said:
Are you sure? My math(s!) must be off then - I could swear the guy is talking about 0.0033, rather than 0.033. :dunce:
Click to expand...

Pretty sure ... the cap changes the frequency of the roll off ... the smaller the cap value the less effect it would have when you roll off the treble.

I think a .0033uf cap would set the frequency so that the tone knob would not do anything. The smallest I've ever used in a tone cap as been a .015uf ... most guitars use .022uf, .033uf or .047uf ... IMHO of course. I think it's just a slipped decimal.

Anything is possible I guess. It would not hurt anything to try it if you can find one. I predict the tone knob would appear to have little effect.

Now much smaller values are used on the treble pass (a.k.a. treble bleed) that is placed between two lugs on the volume pot. But that's an entirely different subject. For example, notice the smaller value cap on Kinman's version ... maybe that's what that cap is being used for (on volume pot rather than tone).

TrebleBleedMod.gif


I may be wrong ... it has happened before ... but that's my guess ... just a slipped digit. :D
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

It was ME that slipped the digit, so it's very possible! Did you read the article in the link?
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

I just read the article (didn't see the link the first time) ... you quoted him correctly. I also double checked the 3300pf and it does convert to a .0033uf.

Every guitar I own has been through the process he describes ... with the alligator clips. But I've found that once I get down to .015uf it's having about the smallest effect that I need. I would still predict that value would be hard to hear.

All I can say is go ahead and try it ... it certainly won't hurt anything. Report back if it's really good ...
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Diocletian said:
Anyone tried using a cap as small as that? There's a couple of articles on the net claiming the usual 0.047 and 0.022 are too big. THe guy's saying 3300pf caps (which I think mean 0.0033uF) are ideal and make the tone control work better.

Any thoughts?

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors.aspx
Click to expand...

Hopefully you will be able to determine through this method what your favorite cap value is. My tip is to try 2200pF, 3300pF, 4700pF and 6800pF and listen to how they interact with the tone and taper of the pot. Chances are good that you will like them!

That equates to 0.022, 0.033, 0.047, and 0.068

For those with math-restricted brain waves.
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Stratman said:
Hopefully you will be able to determine through this method what your favorite cap value is. My tip is to try 2200pF, 3300pF, 4700pF and 6800pF and listen to how they interact with the tone and taper of the pot. Chances are good that you will like them!

That equates to 0.022, 0.033, 0.047, and 0.068

For those with math-restricted brain waves.
Click to expand...

Actually that equates to .0022uf, .0033uf, .0047uf, 0068uf ... so the original poster is correct in his question. Here's a link to a converter to double check me.

http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe...lator/picofarad-[pF]-to-microfarad-[µF]/

The writer's point was that he considered the regular caps too high in value ... so he suggests lower value pots. I didn't read the article at first (missed the link).

"In the “golden days” of electrical guitars, Fender and Gibson used tone caps with a very high capacitance (0.1uf/0.05uF and 0.047uF/0.022uF, depending upon the time period). The 0.022uF value is still the standard today. If you need very dark and bassy tones, this value may work for you. For most of us, however, this value is much too large and the effect is more or less useless, resulting in the aforementioned problem of the effect only taking place between 10 and 8. The solution to the problem is simply a tone cap with a much smaller value. This little change will enhance the usability of your tone control dramatically, giving you a good evenness among the complete taper of the tone control without any hotspots, and every movement of the pot will result in a change of tone.

The value of your tone cap is always a matter of individual choice and needs, because everyone has a different ideal tone and everyone uses the tone control differently. Personally I use very small tone caps of 3300pF up to 6800pF, depending on the guitar and how bright it sounds. With these mall values I´m able to dial in a lot of tonal shades and colors all over the tone pot, and with every small movement the tone gets a little bit warmer and sweeter - not dull and dark."

So that's what the OP was asking. I say try it ... nothing too lose. I just think those values would not have very much effect. I also don't agree with his statement about the effect on the pot (the 8-10 comment). I think that is the pot ... not the cap. But then again ... I've been wrong many times.
 
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Re: .0033 tone caps

BTW ... I clicked on the link in the article for www.singlecoil.com. There's some real good stuff and some really questionalble advice over there, as well. So advice is just that ... I mean like here ... it's the internet.

For example: They recommend that a really big change in the sound of a Strat can be achieved by taking off the vibrato cover ... the plastic cover ...

If your guitar has a rear-routed tremolo cavity (eg. Stratocaster) that is
covered with a plastic cover and some screws, take it away. It´s amazing
how the overall sound of a guitar can change by simply taking away this
cover.

Hmmm? :D
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Why can't we say 3.3 nF?

It is just something different, not better. The 22 or 47 nF capacitors are only suitable for partial application for a low pass filter.

With low-value capacitors in the range of 0.1-2 nF you can apply the capacitor whole (pot at 0) and that turns the tone control off. Instead of a low pass filter you now have a load capacity, and that lowers the frequency of the resonance peak. Quite a few people like this to thicken up Strat pickups for some isolated high-gain playing.
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Stratman said:
Hopefully you will be able to determine through this method what your favorite cap value is. My tip is to try 2200pF, 3300pF, 4700pF and 6800pF and listen to how they interact with the tone and taper of the pot. Chances are good that you will like them!

That equates to 0.022, 0.033, 0.047, and 0.068

For those with math-restricted brain waves.
Click to expand...

Ah ha ha ha!!! :lame:

:fest7:
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

I never notice a large enough difference with caps so I just use .022 bridge and .010 neck. That seems just fine. Then again the Steve Morse guitar sounds great and that has 250k pots and .047 caps!!! Do you guys think the cap impactr tone on ten???
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

doveman said:
BTW ... I clicked on the link in the article for www.singlecoil.com. There's some real good stuff and some really questionalble advice over there, as well. So advice is just that ... I mean like here ... it's the internet.

For example: They recommend that a really big change in the sound of a Strat can be achieved by taking off the vibrato cover ... the plastic cover ...

If your guitar has a rear-routed tremolo cavity (eg. Stratocaster) that is
covered with a plastic cover and some screws, take it away. It´s amazing
how the overall sound of a guitar can change by simply taking away this
cover.

Hmmm? :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, I tried that when I was 14 because I found I didn't like the look and it was annoying me, so I took it off and I noticed the sound got better, so I never put it back on. :beerchug:


...As for the tone pot thing, I use .047uf caps on my Tele and love 'em, I've heard .033s are ok though too
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Hello from Finland: I've been reading quite a lot of this brilliant forum recently due to my strato wiring project (jus finished a week ago). I decided a had to register and contribute after found this old post.

Of course it depends of situation, but by my own experience I'd say 0,047 is too dark. After changing pickups of my naturally dark sounding strat to Quarter Pounders, I put in 0,022uf Orange Drop. The tone was completely unusable below 8.

Currently I have 0,0055 uf cap and it's close to perfect. Giving a wide usable range of tone: From nicely bright scream to very dark, even too darkly dull tone.
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

Diocletian said:
Anyone tried using a cap as small as that?
Click to expand...

I found this in my files, copied from a previous thread here on the Forum. Tried to Bing for the source but only got a defunct SDUGF search page. Anyway, it's snipped from a conversation about using a very small value tone cap for bridge position PAFs, not so much for use as a conventional tone control but only to roll off the very high end. Here are the quotes:

"Cool beans!! Does this make it sound warmer?

Yes. I do that with PAFs in most guitars as I find them too bright unless the guitar is naturally dark. I always do the .001uf tone control on the bridge and roll it down on a PAF, regardless of whether I use a 250k or 500k pot.

The .001uf is 1/22 the size of a standard tone cap. It rolls off the "harsh", giving a perceived midrange boost, but doesn't lose cut or articulation like a larger cap will. Try it, you'll hear some classic rock tones where you probably always thought it was a 'cocked wah' or something. You don't get that overwhelming low/low-mid thing like with higher output pickups, which can sometimes be annoying.

I've been keeping the stock PAFs in the bridges of my LPs since doing this, no need to change them with that cap in place and tone rolled down til it sounds good.

For bridge PAFs (7.5k-8.5k range 42ga wire) I find .001uf works great. For anything hotter, 750pf works great. Removes the obnoxious frequencies but leaves the cut and articulation."



I haven't tried this myself yet, but I thought it sounded useful. Rolling back the brightness without affecting a PAF's voice in the critical upper midrange. Again, not like a typical tone pot, but something I'd consider trying psrticularly with PAF types in a bright guitar. Wish I'd copied the source...
 
Re: .0033 tone caps

that seems really small to me. i like .001 but less than that is too small for me. .047 is about as big as ill go. depending on what you play, how much gain you use, and personal preference you may find that .0033 is fine but if you use a lot of gain, you might not even notice a difference with it all the way off since the amp/pedal is going to replace almost all the lost overtones
 
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