Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

[Gearjoneser]

I'll admit, before I got on this forum, I'd never given much thought about modding my electronics with capacitors. I'd gotten used to my volume pots having a natural sweep from 0-10. When adding a capacitor between the two non grounded wipers on the pot, you lose that even sweep. What happens is that your pickups sound bright and clear from 2-10, but there's not a dramatic change in volume level. What you gain is more treble and clarity when the volume is backed off.

Another benefit of a cap is that when you back your volume down, it doesn't matter if you're at 4 or 7, the volume is about the same. Without the capacitor, there's a big difference between 4 and 7 in volume. However, the sound of the pickup is a bit darker and less crisp.

I bought a few .01 and .02 pF caps recently and installed them on my main player Pauls and Strats. I'm undecided about them so far.

Which value do you prefer, and on which guitars? How many of you could care less, and just leave the electronics stock?

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I could care less; but have never tried anything besides removing the tone pot, and wiring the tone pot accross the jack. I think that's the 50's mod?

I always end up just getting rid of the tone pot though. I like the added brightness, and swear that it adds a bit of clarity.

 

[Artie]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Hey GJ; The "mod" you're refering to is the "treble-bleed" mod, and for that, you're using way too large of a cap. Thats why you're getting the oddball volume behavior. You should be using .002uf or maybe .001uf.

Your values are almost 10x too high. (Just my 2-cents worth.)

Artie

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I don't use caps on my volume pots and I remove them when I see them. I prefer that my guitar warms up when I roll down the volume pot.

I agree with Artie and when I use a bleed cap to either hold top end or pass it the range that I have found works best is .001-.002 mf.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Hey GJ; The "mod" you're refering to is the "treble-bleed" mod, and for that, you're using way too large of a cap. Thats why you're getting the oddball volume behavior. You should be using .002uf or maybe .001uf.

Your values are almost 10x too high. (Just my 2-cents worth.)

Artie

Artie.... .001 is the highest I'd ever go on the value... .002 is way too high as a rule(Too bright)...I Like anything from about 470pf to 820pf max...It matters also whether you use a resistor in series or parallel with the cap on the values also..On my Les Paul I just use caps by themselves...I have a 620pf on the bridge pickup and an 820pf on the neck..The idea is to have the treble bleed mod transparent throughout most of the volume down range...What I don't want,is brighter as I roll my volume down,but the highs sounding like they do with the volume on 10...There's that Munson Curve in the equation also.. :smack:

 

[Artie]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Artie.... .001 is the highest I'd ever go on the value... .002 is way too high as a rule(Too bright)...I Like anything from about 470pf to 820pf max...

I agree completely. I only used the .002 example because it's what the SD schematic for treble bleed shows.

Me personally, if its already on there, I don't bother taking it off, but if I replace electronics, I don't reinstall it.

Artie

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I agree completely. I only used the .002 example because it's what the SD schematic for treble bleed shows.

Me personally, if its already on there, I don't bother taking it off, but if I replace electronics, I don't reinstall it.

Artie

Yep,I've tryed Seymour's Treble Bleed mod and if memory serves me right he had a 100k resistor or there abouts along with the .002 cap?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Even with a resistor is parallel with the cap, the tone seems to crisp and bright to me. I prefer the 50's mod and all of my guitars are wired that way with the tone cap/control connected after the volume control. If it's a single tone control guitar I just attach the tone control to the output jack or to a terminal leading directly to the output jack. Lew

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Even with a resistor is parallel with the cap, the tone seems to crisp and bright to me. I prefer the 50's mod and all of my guitars are wired that way with the tone cap/control connected after the volume control. If it's a single tone control guitar I just attach the tone control to the output jack or to a terminal leading directly to the output jack. Lew

LOL....Yes Lew,we know about the 50's mod! :smack: :laugh2:

The treble bleed cap value has to be tweaked until you reach a value that you can perceive as being "transparent"...This mod does work,but you have to find the correct values... :dance:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Yep...I know John. I've spent a little time fussing with the cap and resistor relationship too. Just haven't been able to find the combo that makes me comfortable. .0025 for the cap and 220K for the resistor works well with single coils for most folks...I'm just to fussy I guess. Lew

 

[aleclee]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

All my players (except my Variax ) have treble bleed caps. OTOH, they all came with 'em. Since I like the way they work, I'd eventually get around to installing one on a guitar I played that didnt' have one.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Yep...I know John. I've spent a little time fussing with the cap and resistor relationship too. Just haven't been able to find the combo that makes me comfortable. .0025 for the cap and 220K for the resistor works well with single coils for most folks...I'm just to fussy I guess. Lew

I know buddy...We're both very fussy! :laugh2:
I should send my les paul to you and let you wire it up "correctly" for me with the 50's mod....Mine doesn't just need the pots rewired,but maybe the switch,pickups,pots,etc..all could be redone?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I know buddy...We're both very fussy! :laugh2:
I should send my les paul to you and let you wire it up "correctly" for me with the 50's mod....Mine doesn't just need the pots rewired,but maybe the switch,pickups,pots,etc..all could be redone?

Say What??? Like you, your own bad self, couldn't do that in your sleep??? :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[BlueGuitar]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

It depends on the pickups. P90's (especially the ceramic variety) seem to get brighter as you turn the volume pot down without any cap or resistor at all. For my other guitars I had settled on 180pF (0.00018uF) mica caps, usually in parallel with a 220k resistor. I heard about the resistor mod from Dangerous Dan Torres; the added resistor will alter the taper of the pot so that you don't get as drastic changes as you turn the volume control down. If you use your volume control like a volume pedal for swells, you probably will not like the added resistor. My rule of thumb is: if you like to adjust your volume from 10 on down use the resistor; if you like to adjust it from 0 on up then don't use it. BTW you can use the resistor without the cap just to affect the taper.

Just when I thought I had tried everything I learned of a different approach from both Fender and Kinman: rather than using a cap and resistor in PARALLEL use them in SERIES. Kinman recommends using a 0.0012uF (1200pF) cap in series with a 130k resistor. By using a larger cap you get a treble boost across a wider range of frequencies; the series resistor will make the treble boost more subtle.

I wasn't able to find the Fender example on their web site anymore... it was on one of the signature models no longer listed. But Fender used to use a 0.001uF cap on some of their teles, a value that I found to be WAY too bright. However, I think that the treble boost was supposed to be exaggerated so that as you turned the volume pot down you could get a very bright chicken pickin' sound.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Say What??? Like you, your own bad self, couldn't do that in your sleep??? :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Just don't have the energy to mess with it Lew! Busy doing lots of other stuff... :smack:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

It depends on the pickups. P90's (especially the ceramic variety) seem to get brighter as you turn the volume pot down without any cap or resistor at all. For my other guitars I had settled on 180pF (0.00018uF) mica caps, usually in parallel with a 220k resistor. I heard about the resistor mod from Dangerous Dan Torres; the added resistor will alter the taper of the pot so that you don't get as drastic changes as you turn the volume control down. If you use your volume control like a volume pedal for swells, you probably will not like the added resistor. My rule of thumb is: if you like to adjust your volume from 10 on down use the resistor; if you like to adjust it from 0 on up then don't use it. BTW you can use the resistor without the cap just to affect the taper.

Just when I thought I had tried everything I learned of a different approach from both Fender and Kinman: rather than using a cap and resistor in PARALLEL use them in SERIES. Kinman recommends using a 0.0012uF (1200pF) cap in series with a 130k resistor. By using a larger cap you get a treble boost across a wider range of frequencies; the series resistor will make the treble boost more subtle.

I wasn't able to find the Fender example on their web site anymore... it was on one of the signature models no longer listed. But Fender used to use a 0.001uF cap on some of their teles, a value that I found to be WAY too bright. However, I think that the treble boost was supposed to be exaggerated so that as you turned the volume pot down you could get a very bright chicken pickin' sound.

Great post Steve....I have tryed Kinman's mod off his website and I Like it also...I handle each guitar differently and find what works on one doesn't always work on another,especially if the pickups are different..

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I know what'cha mean about not having enough time, John....that's why I send all my pedals that need working on to YOU! :laugh2:

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Hey GJ; The "mod" you're refering to is the "treble-bleed" mod, and for that, you're using way too large of a cap. Thats why you're getting the oddball volume behavior. You should be using .002uf or maybe .001uf.

Your values are almost 10x too high. (Just my 2-cents worth.)

Artie

Oops, I'm a moron! :laugh2: :laugh2: Honestly, I never really paid much attention to caps. I was in Radio Shack and thought I'd pick up a few of what I THOUGHT were the right ones.

I guess, I'll take the advise here and get the right ones. :smack:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

I know what'cha mean about not having enough time, John....that's why I send all my pedals that need working on to YOU! :laugh2:

:smack: :laugh2:

And that's why I need to send my Les Paul to you ....I'm better at the pedal mods... :saeek:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Do you prefer caps on your volume pots or not?

Oops, I'm a moron! :laugh2: :laugh2: Honestly, I never really paid much attention to caps. I was in Radio Shack and thought I'd pick up a few of what I THOUGHT were the right ones.

I guess, I'll take the advise here and get the right ones. :smack:

You aren't a moron! Live and learn like we all do brother. :wink: :burnout: