Changing capacitors?

[guitarfreak122]

I currently have .022uF capacitors installed in my Les Paul, and a friend recommended switching to the old .047uF bumblebee caps. I like the sound of my guitar already, but I would just like to know how this would affect my sound.

 

[Peter Antal]

Re: Changing capacitors?

Higher value caps will make the sound darker and bassier as you turn down the tone control. There's no need for expensive caps in a guitar's tone circuit, just pick a solid cap with the right measured value.

 

[guitarfreak122]

Re: Changing capacitors?

So do the caps not affect the tone at all when the tone control is all the way up?

 

[Peter Antal]

Re: Changing capacitors?

They do affect the sound - for example a 250K linear tone control all the way up is like a 500K one turned halfway down. Finding the right cap and pot values requires patience and good ears but it's very rewarding.

 

[guitarfreak122]

Re: Changing capacitors?

So do the caps not affect the tone at all when the tone control is all the way up?

What I should have asked is how the different cap values affect the tone/volume of the guitar's frequency spectrum.

 

[John Wymore]

Re: Changing capacitors?

A higher value capacitor rolls of more highs as you engage the tone control and a lower value rolls off less highs. The tone pot value also affects the roll off frequency. Guitar tone is affected somewhat even when the tone control is turned down unless you install what is called a no-load pot which then takes the capacitor completely out of the circuit when turned down.

Different cap types can also somewhat affect tone. For example, some people feel the paper and oil bumblebees give the guitar a slightly different tone than the poly based Orange Drops.