7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

[SilentRob187]

I just picked up a set of hot ceramic pickups for my strat and learned about the ability to use a push/pull pot to get additional pickup options (neck and bridge, and all three), so I am going to add this when I update my strat. I am using all 500k pots for volume and tones (I was told this is the best option for ceramic pups, even if single coil), and I was planning on using a paper-in-oil .047uf capacitor like the SD diagram shows. However, I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possbile to wire the push/pull portion of the schematic so that it exclusively uses a .022uf capacitor for tones so that I can get additional tone variation? So the 5-way selector would use the .047 but when I pulled it, the 2 additional options woudl run using the .022.

I am just looking to get the best versitility and it seems that .022uf capacitors are used to get clean tones and .047uf for "dirtier" tones, so I thought the option might be cool for the bridge/neck mix. Any input would be cool but I could not find any diagrams for wiring showing using more than one cap, although I am thinking it might be possible.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

I always use two caps on my Strats, .047uf for the neck tone control and .033uf for the middle. I've never done it on a switch, but it could be useful if you use your tone control a lot.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

Christopher, try living in the past with a .1uF cap.

Rob, yes, that should be possible. I think you are only using one pole of the push/pull switch to activate the selected pickup for N/B and N/M/B, so the other pole could be used for switching the capacitor. The cool thing is that if you have the push/pull setup to “add bridge”, with the selector in the bridge position and the push/pull activated, you’d have the alternate cap there too.

 

[AlexR]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

Values for caps are in no way based on clean or dirty tones. They are all about how much treble you need/want to remove from the pickup. In that way, a .047 value used usually for singlecoils might be your go-to for a humbucker......or a .022 might be for a singlecoil......or .1 for either.
I usually go for a higher value for a bridge pickup, lower for a neck pickup - sometimes even no tone for the neck.

 

[Jacew]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

It would indeed be possible, and really great "fine touch" for the setup too.

What AlexR said: There's no specifics how caps should be used to shape the tone.

I actually have .0050 and .0077 (I don't remember the exact values) caps in my strat behind a resistor.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

Hmm, this got me thinking about modding my #1 Strat to use .033uf for the split positions instead of the .022uf I have in every position in the current setup.

 

[SilentRob187]

Re: 7-Way Strat: Dual Capacitors?

Thanks for the posts everyone! So my next question is this. Since it is possible (and I am thinking either a .022 or .033 pio for the split cap), how/where would I add it in the schematic attached? I know if I looked into this longer, and studied on the electrical diagrams I could eventually figure it out (I am new to all this), but why reinvent the wheel when I know one of you has the answer (and right one)? I am guessing the orange one picutred would be the .047 for the "normal" 5-way, but I have no idea where to place the other for the additional 2 (neck+bridge, and all three options).



PS-If I am not allowed posting this image sorry... It was free so I am hoping it is ok.