Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

[KLINKDETROIT]

I have a 1994 Les Paul goldtop classic with a C5 in it I installed a 500k pot and have the tone disconnected at the moment. My friend and I discovered we like the girth of having the tone pot connected. He has a 70s deluxe goldtop with bumble bee caps and a SH-6 Bridge. Wondering what cap gives more mids and what cap gives less highs. Is there a cap that gives both? Are orangedrop caps better than bumble bee? I have stock caps at the moment. Thanks for your help.

 

[Artie]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

I don't believe that the quality of the cap in a tone control has any affect on sound quality. The function of that cap, is to route part of the signal to ground. So, it affects the quality of the part of the signal that you toss in the trash - not what goes out the guitar cable.

Its sorta like the argument about CNC or hand-carved guitar bodies. It may affect the quality of the sawdust thats on the shop floor, but not the quality of the wood thats left behind. :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

I agree with Artie. As for which cap would leave more mids in the signal: .02 will leave for mids in the signal than .03 and .03 will leave more mids in the signal than .047. The smaller tha cap, the more mids are left in the signal when you turn the tone down. I use Sprague Orange Drops: .02. Those Bumble Bee Caps are worth alot of money, BTW. Take good care of them. I don't think they sound much differant (and maybe no differant at all) than the Orange Drops but they're still very valuable to collectors. Lew

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

What if the tone knob is up all the way. Does the size of the cap make a difference?
I think it makes a difference having the tone hooked up but not sure of the cap.
Have you heard of 1meg volume pots? If you have a 1 meg pot to get more gain and signal should you have a low# cap or low # tone pot to keep the highs in check?

 

[MattPete]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

Theoretically it makes a difference when the tone knob is up all the way. Having said that, when I was trying to settle on cap values for my strat, I did a little experiment.

I took a spare pickguard and wired a push-pull pot (500k?) as a tone knob. Depending on the setting, different caps could be chosen. Wires lead from the pot to some aligator clips hanging outside the pickguard, where I could easily hook up different caps. I tried .047, .022, and .01 caps, and the push-pull pot allowed me to A/B them. I noticed no difference at all between the caps until the pot was set around 3-4 (audio taper?), then the differences became quite apparent.

So, to make a long story short, I don't think the value of the cap makes much, if any, audible difference when the tone knob is on 10, even with a 250k tone pot.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

What if the tone knob is up all the way. Does the size of the cap make a difference?
I think it makes a difference having the tone hooked up but not sure of the cap.

Maybe it does. My reasoning is that we know some signal bleeds through the tone pot and cap even when the pot is on 10. It's why a guitar with no tone control is brighter than one with a tone control. So that signal that bleeds through has to pass through the cap and a .047 will pass more mids than a .02.

A tone control also sounds differant hooked up before the volume control (the standard method) than it does hooked up after the tone control (Hamer's method & the 50's Mod). After the volume control helps retain highs and I prefer it there. But not everyone does.

Lew

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

Theoretically it makes a difference when the tone knob is up all the way. Having said that, when I was trying to settle on cap values for my strat, I did a little experiment.

I took a spare pickguard and wired a push-pull pot (500k?) as a tone knob. Depending on the setting, different caps could be chosen. Wires lead from the pot to some aligator clips hanging outside the pickguard, where I could easily hook up different caps. I tried .047, .022, and .01 caps, and the push-pull pot allowed me to A/B them. I noticed no difference at all between the caps until the pot was set around 3-4 (audio taper?), then the differences became quite apparent.

So, to make a long story short, I don't think the value of the cap makes much, if any, audible difference when the tone knob is on 10, even with a 250k tone pot.

Good test! I'll take hands on experience over theory every time. Thanks!

 

[KLINKDETROIT]

Re: Caps. What brand/ type/ value for more mids and less high end spike?

Have you heard of 1 meg pots for more gain or signal? If so does the 1 meg compared to 500k have more highs? I am thinking of trying a 1 meg pot with my c5 for more gain but dont want more highs. I also heard that orange drop caps .022 have better mids than ceramic stock gibsons at .022. I want less highs and more mids with a tad more gain. I was thinking of getting a covered sh6 but it has almost too much gain uncovered and the highs are a bit too much.