My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

[BigAlTheBird]

Hey guys.
So I finally got my custom custom bridge and A2P neck, ready for install. My dad's a professional at installing this kind of stuff (he's an auto mechanic, but he's remarkable at fixing guitars), so he's installing/soldering everything. But I gotta buy pots/caps first.

So what should I buy?

I'm looking at .22 Orange Drop caps, but I have a few questions. Can I use .22 for all four knobs (Les Paul)? I've read to use .22 on the tones and something else on the volumes. Also, is there a particualr site to buy these cheap from or can I buy them anywhere? I mean, is there anything which separates some Orange Drops from others?

Secondly, will short (normal) shaft pots work? I have an Epi LP Standard. I believe Scott told me that they would be fine, I'm just making sure. I know that on Gibby's, you gotta use long shaft.

Lastly, I'm installing a new switchcraft jack. DO I need anything special for that, other than the jack and the plate? I don't think so, but I'm just making sure.

Thanks guys!

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

im planning on doing the same thing to my epi '56 goldtop.extremely soon, and i have gone through all of the parts and made sure that they were all the right ones, ive also looked for the cheapest website and found that http://www.guitarnucleus.com/ is cheapest and has almost everything, short of the orange drop. so heres what you need to get...

3- way toggle switch (short) - GN0066EL-BLK YES!! you do need a new swtich too. the old epi one is crap and you will start getting a lot of noise when switching sooner or later. might as well do it now since youre replacing everything.
deep thread nut to accept the swtich - EP0921-001 (lower down the page) im NOT SURE!!! they say you need this for switchcraft swithces to fit. can anyone clarify?
1/4" Input Jack Mono - EP0055-000
500k cts short split shaft pot - GN0086EL-500

the caps are cheap all-parts bulk ones and not orange drop (i dont think), id suggest getting orange drop ones somewhere else, but if you want these ones go ahead. youll also need new wire which is on the same url as the caps 5 ft of 4-conductor (GN0836EL-005) and 5 ft of Vintage Style Cloth Covered Wire
with Braided Shield (GN0837EL-005).

now if you want to add a little something that i find makes the guitar look even better even though its a very very small part, you might want to get the Pointer Washers - GN0077EL-NKL4

should coust more or less 40 bucks.

this should get you through the day =)

if anyone out there knows that something on this list isnt what he should get, please say so because it would save me too.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

That was a very helpful reply, thank you! I gottta go to a concert now, but I'll respond more later.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

If you want to go the easy way. Order a complete wiring kit from www.rsguitarworks.com or similar site, I recommend that since that's what I did and would do again if I upgraded, you get all the wires you need and high quality everything

I've written quite alot about this on the Thursday Burst site, I also have a schematic for the 50's wiring there. (Check the link in my signature)

And for clarifying, you will most likely need a deepthreaded nut for the switchcraft switch. Sometimes it can fit with the regular nut, but it won't be a really good fit... so you NEED that deepthread!

I put shortshafts in Thursday Burst and had to do some extensive modding to get them to fit. I don't know about Epi's though, wheter it's the Long of Short shafts that fits best.

PS. Notice that if you order a complete wiring kit you might need to order the deepthreaded nut seperately!

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

those prewired kits usually rip you off a bit. but those musiccaps are a bit on the expensive side so thats probably why it costs so much for one. the thing about the prewired also is that they usually dont have what i need (short toggle swtich, short shaft, .047uf) i havnt found a single one with those.

short shaft fit epiphones best. they are meant for them. but if you arnt sure, just take one off and make sure. mine were, my friends was, everyone that has an epi says they are, so im guessing they are short shaft.

 

[Xergey Zenandzen]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

I may be wrong ,but i think you mean 0.022 for the cap values 0.2 will have a very different sound.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Thanks for the help guys!

Still don't know what capacitor to get. Orange Drops, but is there anything special about them? Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Orange Drops are high quality caps, for a good price. Usually alot better than the stock caps.

.022 is they common value, I got a .015 for the neck and a .027 for the bridge when I got my Black Beauty caps, and after installing them I realize that like that combination better than .022 on both, but that's me.

If you are picky about being historically correct like I am you might want to invest in some Paper in Oil (PIO) caps, for example Black Beauties, real Bumblebees (costs alot), Repro Bumblebees, Hovlands (they are PIO, aren't they? ) since that's the cap type that the golden era of Les Pauls had.

When you are in there changning stuff make sure to use vintage style metalbraided wire all around aswell

metallica is right though about that the wiring kits usually don't come with the short switches... My tokai had a short switch from the beginning, I ordered a kit with long switch and it worked well with a deepthreaded nut. But that might of course not always be the case. So I guess it's better to order a short switch :smokin:

 

[ES350]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

500K CTS split shaft pots, old stock (Fender branded)---the good stuff. The new stock (Gibson, etc) has a different wiper composition that can melt or deform with heat. AES told me that Fender bought most of the old stock.

For caps, try the polyester 0.022 ODs or Mallory 150's. You can always upgrade to PIO or other expensive caps later...

The Gibson packaged Switchcraft 3-way switch comes with the recessed nut---a part that is usually hard to find by itself.

Find some Lenzite with cotton braid for hookup wire...

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

http://thieery.tr.free.fr/indexe.html this guy upgraded all his stuff in his epiphone.

the standard long 3 way switch was too large for the cavity so he had to sand it to make it larger, the hole in the external body for the swtich (smaller hole on the face) was a bit too small too so he had to sand that to make it a bit bigger. i dont know if other people with epiphones have had this problem. is it just with the older models like his, or are new ones too small too??

 

[ES350]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

You might be stuck with the shorty import switch---the rout or body may not be deep enough for the Switchcraft. I have a 90's Gibson LP Special and it doesn't fit in there either....although Gibson tells me it does...???

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

You might be stuck with the shorty import switch---the rout or body may not be deep enough for the Switchcraft. I have a 90's Gibson LP Special and it doesn't fit in there either....although Gibson tells me it does...???

weird, those switchcraft are meant as gibson replacement parts. they should fit perfectly in there.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Ok guys check this out.

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/PK3S

How does this look? I'm thinking of getting this. Do I need any wires or anything to go with it? And don't I need capacitors for the volume kobs?

Again, if either question is stupid, remember that I know nothing. Thanks for everything!

 

[ES350]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

You dont need caps for the volume pots unless you want to do the treble bleed mod---try it without them in the stock configuration first and add them if you need it. That switch shown in the photo is the Allparts import short switch and not much better than what you already have---get a Switchcraft 3-way if you can.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Perfect! Thanks a lot for the help dude.

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Graphite paint must be remove from the cavity, the Switchcraft switch beeing larger than the Epi one.

so hopefully you dont mind going in there and sanding the cavity a bit.

 

[rainsong86]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

what exactly is the point in using vintage-style metalbraided wire?.. I've just been using 22 guage copper insulated hookup wire on my guitars... it works but am I hurting my tone at all by doing this?.. I mean it's wire, as long as the current is allowed to flow it's doing it's job right?

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

so hopefully you dont mind going in there and sanding the cavity a bit.

My dad is an expert woodworker, and so I'm not worried. He does fantastic work.

 

[metallicaxlxl]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

youre lucky. noone in my family is, my neighbor was insane with it, built his entire kitchen from scratch, but now he moved, damn lawyers always going to the more expensive parts of town. o well, i guess ill have to do it myself.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: My ultimate/last capacitor/pot thread! Please help!

Hey guys. So I finally got my custom custom bridge and A2P neck, ready for install. My dad's a professional at installing this kind of stuff (he's an auto mechanic, but he's remarkable at fixing guitars), so he's installing/soldering everything. But I gotta buy pots/caps first. So what should I buy? I'm looking at .22 Orange Drop caps, but I have a few questions. Can I use .22 for all four knobs (Les Paul)? I've read to use .22 on the tones and something else on the volumes. Also, is there a particualr site to buy these cheap from or can I buy them anywhere? I mean, is there anything which separates some Orange Drops from others? Secondly, will short (normal) shaft pots work? I have an Epi LP Standard. I believe Scott told me that they would be fine, I'm just making sure. I know that on Gibby's, you gotta use long shaft. Lastly, I'm installing a new switchcraft jack. DO I need anything special for that, other than the jack and the plate? I don't think so, but I'm just making sure. Thanks guys!

Uh, I don't really think you have to do orange drops because honestly it's just milliamps: orange drops are meant for amps (am i wrong?). Not like it matters though, a cap is a cap, at least for guitars. But me, I'd recommend .047 cap (get a .022 just in case you don't like the .047) and two 500K push-pull pots.