2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

[jbear]

I traded a Tele for a 2012 Traditional Pro today. What a sweet playing guitar! It's Vintage Sunburst, which is not my favorite color. I may try to trade it for another finish, but the actual guitar...pretty smokin!
Anyway, here's the question...I like PIO caps, and I have some so I'm checking this thing out as one does with a new guitar. I open the cavity to take a look and I can't find any capacitors. I already played it, so I know it works, but....I'm stumped. Finally, I figure out (I think) that these two tiny blue blobs the size of solder drops are tantalum caps. What's the scoop on these things? Are they considered to be decent...crappy...really good? They sounded ok, but I didn't really give it the full workout...just enough to know it plays like a dream and the sonic potential is pretty crazy.
So...what's up?
Also...you like the BB3's for low-mod OD tones? I don't have enough time on it yet to have an informed opinion. I'll be playing the Robben Ford catalog with this one.

 

[AlexR]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

It will be much better once you get in there and put a decent harness in there. I'm not sure about the pro, but my Trad+ had 300k vol pots, and modern wiring. You will gain clarity with 500k all round, and 50's wiring. The PIO caps I've had mixed results with....as in there was one guitar it made a bit of a difference to, the others have been so subtle that you really need to listen back to back (seconds apart) to tell any difference. Personally if you have them, put them in and let 'er rip.

The BB's are, well....a pickup. I've never heard people really rave about them, but they certainly will do ok for low gain. You may find they become more unsatisfactory once the wiring is improved as there is no more hiding of their tonal quality. Only YOUR ears will be able to tell you this though.

 

[jbear]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

Thanks for the response. I do know that RF was using an LP with a BB2/BB3 for a while, so if it sounds crappy...it's me.

 

[David Collins]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

No tantalum caps here, but if you want to check out a comparison of new ceramics against an original PIO bumblebee with real time switching, I just put this video up the other day (with survey if you have the time).

http://youtu.be/817JHiYV_Po



I tried my best (with what limited time I have for such things) to give as much benefit to identifying a difference as possible. If anyone here has time to take the survey, I'd love to get as much input as I can.

 

[jbear]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

The caps are CTS 500's and I will definitely make the cap decisions with my ears.
David, I have seen your site before and I will take a closer listen for sure. I have some .022 and .015 PIO's that I will likely use. My perception is that there is a difference, and I hear it primarily when play cleaner and especially when hybrid picking. The touch sensitivity seems greater in the guitars that have quality caps (mostly PIO's but also some-O Drops). Other variable for sure, but...it's so easy to do and so inexpensive...why not. I have no idea why Gibson wouldn't do that outright, but... The platform is awesome...I can mess with the rest. I will definitely cover the PUP's.

If anyone cares to give input...how high do you like your bridge PUP. This one seems waaaay high (almost touching the strings).

I am so happy with this neck and the action. I tend to like the 50's style necks (95 Studio has one of the nicest necks for me...Ibanez AS-103...also awesome). I've recently picked up this Paul, a '12 335 Mem Dot RI, and a '13 SG and I was iffy on the 60's necks, but...I am totally digging all of them!

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

The type of cap makes absolutely no difference in this application. At least, it is not a variable worthy of "tone-chasing" because it is so un-noticeable in nearly every application. If it works - it works.

What DOES make a much bigger importance is the actual value and tolerance of the caps along with the value/taper/tolerance of the pots.

The above posted video did a good job I think. I didn't notice any difference, but I do have some comments on it.

- The voltages of the capacitors were not the same. Just a technicality of controlling all the variables really, but it could raise some questions if a difference is noticed.

- I'm assuming it is a camera microphone being the means for recording, which may not give accurate results. Also, YouTube automatically compresses videos to make them fit, that includes audio.

- It'd be very hard to control the variable of natural picking dynamics being the same for every test.

- A placebo test may increase significance of results/identify possibilities of listener-input.

Just some suggestions if a re-do is ever considered for higher accuracy.

 

[jbear]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

Disagree on the first count...agree on the second.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: 2012 Gibson LP Trad Pro Caps?????

Disagree on the first count...agree on the second.

What would guide you to think the type of capacitor produces a noticeably different sound? Considering it is such an extremely small variable in any practical situation where amp/mic-placement/preamps/power amps/pickups/room acoustics/amp placement/strings/playing dynamics/the guitar itself would all influence the sound to a much greater extent, making any incredibly subtle differences irrelevant.

If you use any pedals of any kind, could you tell me what types of components are in there? Why aren't they all a certain type of cap/resistor/transistor/diode/etc.? Surely that would alter the sound. What about amps themselves?