Do tone caps make a difference?
- Thread starter Sykes
- Start date
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
i actually use .022 or less for everything. 0.015 is another value that i like on neck pups.
a higher value cap rolls off lower frequencies
with no tone control you have less high end loss. this can be good or it can lead to a shrill or overly bright tone
i actually use .022 or less for everything. 0.015 is another value that i like on neck pups.
a higher value cap rolls off lower frequencies
with no tone control you have less high end loss. this can be good or it can lead to a shrill or overly bright tone
M
MartinSixStringCustoms
Guest
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
Actually, .022 if the common bucker value and ,047 for single coils.
I really like the RS Guitarworks Hovlands.
Sykes said:
Actually, .022 if the common bucker value and ,047 for single coils.
I really like the RS Guitarworks Hovlands.
metallicaxlxl
New member
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
what difference in tone do they make though? like .47 warmer? or other way around or something??
what difference in tone do they make though? like .47 warmer? or other way around or something??
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
Right on!
I checked with Dan Erlewine, he agrees with you.
What thru me off is that the SD wiring schematics use .047 on their bucker drawings as well as their singles. :smack:
I guess I will fix that(the right caps) before I start bailin' on pups. I bet it will help make a difference.
Bada Bing! said:
Right on!
I checked with Dan Erlewine, he agrees with you.
What thru me off is that the SD wiring schematics use .047 on their bucker drawings as well as their singles. :smack:
I guess I will fix that(the right caps) before I start bailin' on pups. I bet it will help make a difference.
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
I would say that you should just try out a bunch of 'em. Some people (freaks with tin foil hats maybe) wire a super rotating switch in (like 12 positions), each with a different capacitor. To quote guitar electronics:
"How does the tone capacitor value affect the sound of the guitar?
Most guitars and basses with passive pickups use between .01 and .1MFD (Microfarad) tone capacitors with .02 (or .022) and .05 (or .047) being the most common choices. The capacitor and tone pot are wired together to provide a variable low pass filter. This means when the filter is engaged (tone pot is turned) only the low frequencies pass to the output jack and the high frequencies are grounded out (cut) In this application, the capacitor value determines the "cutoff frequency" of the filter and the position of the tone pot determines how much the highs (everything above the cutoff frequency) will be reduced. So the rule is: Larger capacitors will have lower cutoff frequency and sound darker in the bass setting because a wider range of frequencies is being reduced. Smaller capacitors will have a higher cutoff frequency and sound brighter in the bass setting because only the ultra high frequencies are cut. For this reason, dark sounding guitars like Les Pauls with humbuckers typically use .02MFD (or .022MFD) capacitors to cut off less of the highs and guitars like Strats and Teles with single coils typically use .05MFD capacitors to allow more treble to be rolled off. Keep in mind that the capacitor value only affects the sound when the tone control is being used (pot in the bass setting) The tone capacitor value will have little to no effect on the sound when the tone pot is in the treble setting."
Therefore, basically, the smaller the value of the cap, the less of the high band that is being reduced, so a .047 will cut more highs (sound darker when rolled down) than a .022, etc. However, you COULD get a variable capacitor and be totally 1337....
Sykes said:
I would say that you should just try out a bunch of 'em. Some people (freaks with tin foil hats maybe) wire a super rotating switch in (like 12 positions), each with a different capacitor. To quote guitar electronics:
"How does the tone capacitor value affect the sound of the guitar?
Most guitars and basses with passive pickups use between .01 and .1MFD (Microfarad) tone capacitors with .02 (or .022) and .05 (or .047) being the most common choices. The capacitor and tone pot are wired together to provide a variable low pass filter. This means when the filter is engaged (tone pot is turned) only the low frequencies pass to the output jack and the high frequencies are grounded out (cut) In this application, the capacitor value determines the "cutoff frequency" of the filter and the position of the tone pot determines how much the highs (everything above the cutoff frequency) will be reduced. So the rule is: Larger capacitors will have lower cutoff frequency and sound darker in the bass setting because a wider range of frequencies is being reduced. Smaller capacitors will have a higher cutoff frequency and sound brighter in the bass setting because only the ultra high frequencies are cut. For this reason, dark sounding guitars like Les Pauls with humbuckers typically use .02MFD (or .022MFD) capacitors to cut off less of the highs and guitars like Strats and Teles with single coils typically use .05MFD capacitors to allow more treble to be rolled off. Keep in mind that the capacitor value only affects the sound when the tone control is being used (pot in the bass setting) The tone capacitor value will have little to no effect on the sound when the tone pot is in the treble setting."
Therefore, basically, the smaller the value of the cap, the less of the high band that is being reduced, so a .047 will cut more highs (sound darker when rolled down) than a .022, etc. However, you COULD get a variable capacitor and be totally 1337....
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
Just be glad I'm not finding variable capacitors on google
Just be glad I'm not finding variable capacitors on google
Re: Do tone caps make a difference?
I have no idea what caps are on my 1976 les paul as when i roll the pots on and off quickly i get some serious Wah Wah type sounds.... none of my other guitars do that... Which value of cap do you think would do this effect?
I normally do not use my tone pots... but i sure do find they come in handy on my stock MIM Tele.... I sometimes just roll the tone back slightly for a more P90 rockin sound....
I have no idea what caps are on my 1976 les paul as when i roll the pots on and off quickly i get some serious Wah Wah type sounds.... none of my other guitars do that... Which value of cap do you think would do this effect?
I normally do not use my tone pots... but i sure do find they come in handy on my stock MIM Tele.... I sometimes just roll the tone back slightly for a more P90 rockin sound....
