Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

[STRATDELUXER97]

Ok guys...Tell me what you all hear if you change your tone cap values from .022 up to say a .047... .1 is just way too dark for my tastes...

Do you hear any difference with the tone pot(s) on 10 as you raise the cap values?

What overall effect does the larger cap have on the way your tone control works?

I Know my own answers to these questions but I'd love to hear yours?

John

 

[midnite_man]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Hey John!
.047 is too dark for me...I went with .022 and did the treble-bleed mod to my strats. It helped in giving both guitars a great vintage tone, but now having the SSL's and APS-1 in the 60's RI Strat has made the guitar's tone totally different as well.
I'm sure which cap value you use has a lot to do with what type of single coils you're using as well, right on down to what kind of amp you're playing it all through.
I run my signal through a lot of effects pedals, too...so I'm sure that impedes the tone to a degree. I think I might use this Boss line selector pedal I bought a few months back which would allow me to play directly from guitar to amp, maybe with a tubescreamer; or play through all the effects and then to the amp.
I like having those tone-blending pots in my Strats, too. I can add a little more treble to the neck pickup, or add a little more bass into the bridge s.c. with a slight turn of the knob. Cool toy.
...Bob

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Since some highs leak through a 250K tone pot even when it's on 10, I think do hear a slight diff between the two values when the tone pot is on 10. I need to do an experiment with a push/pull tone pot that would allow me to switch back and forth between a .02 and .047 cap in real time to be certain tho. But it seems to me that the .02 value retains more extreme upper mids and gives the guitar a slightly more vowel like tone with more definition, and which I think I prefer. Retaining extreme upper highs and harmonics doesn't make the guitar "brighter", IMO, in the same way as retaining those extreme upper mids. Those might be the same extreme upper mids that some complain about when they say the JB humbucker is to "bright", IMO. That's just my gut feeling...I could be wrong. Lew

 

[Dom L]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

I like the narrower range that a .022 gives me. The only time I roll down the tone is when I do Sunshine of your Love or when I wanna be Carlos. A .047 gets to muddy at the extreme. Now about how it effects the tone on 10. Well, its been discussed so many times, I think its splitting hairs. I use 250K pots on all Strats whether or not there is a hummer in it, I also use .02 caps.My Starts are all pretty bright-- even the mahogany one!!!! On my Epi Les Paul I use 500k pots and .047 (which I'm gonna change) Theoretically speaking there should be a difference when the tone is on ten (or 11) and you change the cap value....
Dom L

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Since some highs leak through a 250K tone pot even when it's on 10, I think do hear a slight diff between the two values when the tone pot is on 10. I need to do an experiment with a push/pull tone pot that would allow me to switch back and forth between a .02 and .047 cap in real time to be certain tho. But it seems to me that the .02 value retains more extreme upper mids and gives the guitar a slightly more vowel like tone with more definition, and which I think I prefer. Retaining extreme upper highs and harmonics doesn't make the guitar "brighter", IMO, in the same way as retaining those extreme upper mids. Those might be the same extreme upper mids that some complain about when they say the JB humbucker is to "bright", IMO. That's just my gut feeling...I could be wrong. Lew

Lew...Would the fix be to just use pure Nickel strings on this strat to tame it down? Whenever I have used pure nickel though,I SEEM TO LOSE THE SNAP THAT I need on the E,A,and D strings..I'm currently using D'Addario EXL 110s(My favorite strings)...I also need to hook up with my band since I'm sure I'll be wanting that extra presence the guitar has now...I'm going to leave the .022 cap in place also...Thanks guys..

John

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Lew...Would the fix be to just use pure Nickel strings on this strat to tame it down? Whenever I have used pure nickel though,I SEEM TO LOSE THE SNAP THAT I need on the E,A,and D strings..I'm currently using D'Addario EXL 110s(My favorite strings)...I also need to hook up with my band since I'm sure I'll be wanting that extra presence the guitar has now...I'm going to leave the .022 cap in place also...Thanks guys..

John

I don't know. I just use regular DAddario's. If you've gone to the .02 cap and replaced the No Load tone pot, your guitar is wired just like my Strat with the Surfers is.

I do have the No Load tone pot in my blue Strat with the APS-2/Twangbanger set. Those are alnico 2 and I thought the No Load tone would be appropriate, but I'm having second thoghts. It's pretty bright.

When I change strings I think I'll change that to a regular tone pot.

I started using the No Load tone pot thing only a couple of weeks ago in my Teles with the Jerry Donahue and Antiquity pickups. I felt the Jerry Donahue benefited from the edgier tone the No Load tone pot gives.

But brighter pickups like the A5 Surfers may not need the No Load tone pot...maybe it's to much.

I think you ought to just play it for a while if you've made the changes we talked about....especially play it in your band.

Then if the bridge pickup strikes you as still being to bright, I'd suggest swapping it for a Twangbanger.

That Steel Pole 43 you have is not as bright as the Twangbanger or Surfer Custom bridge...but just out of curiousity, how does it compare to your Texas Hot Custom bridge?

Lew



Lew

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

I don't know. I just use regular DAddario's. If you've gone to the .02 cap and replaced the No Load tone pot, your guitar is wired just like my Strat with the Surfers is.

I do have the No Load tone pot in my blue Strat with the APS-2/Twangbanger set. Those are alnico 2 and I thought the No Load tone would be appropriate, but I'm having second thoghts. It's pretty bright.

When I change strings I think I'll change that to a regular tone pot.

I started using the No Load tone pot thing only a couple of weeks ago in my Teles with the Jerry Donahue and Antiquity pickups. I felt the Jerry Donahue benefited from the edgier tone the No Load tone pot gives.

But brighter pickups like the A5 Surfers may not need the No Load tone pot...maybe it's to much.

I think you ought to just play it for a while if you've made the changes we talked about....especially play it in your band.

Then if the bridge pickup strikes you as still being to bright, I'd suggest swapping it for a Twangbanger.

That Steel Pole 43 you have is not as bright as the Twangbanger or Surfer Custom bridge...but just out of curiousity, how does it compare to your Texas Hot Custom bridge?

Lew



Lew

Lew..I actually haven't a/bd the SP43 to the Texas Hots,but I do like both bridge pickups very much...It wouldn't be a good comparison because the alder body strat with the Fralin has a Floyd Rose original bridge...My other strat in alder is an American Deluxe with the new style 2 pivot bridge...The Fralin is a stronger sounding pickup overall I think...I'll continue to play the Surfers and I still need to change my no load pot back to a stoch one...Maybe I'll go with a bit lower resistance pot also for my tone pot..

John

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Ok guys...Tell me what you all hear if you change your tone cap values from .022 up to say a .047... .1 is just way too dark for my tastes...

Do you hear any difference with the tone pot(s) on 10 as you raise the cap values?

What overall effect does the larger cap have on the way your tone control works?

I Know my own answers to these questions but I'd love to hear yours?

John

Hey bro,

1. No I don't hear much difference after changing the cap values. Maybe there is but doing the cap mod takes at least 10 min (opening the pickguard and doing the soldering work). And in that time even if there are some differences due to the leak, I don't hear them.

2. Rolling off the tone pot creates two effects as far as I can hear. The first is that it washes away the high end without altering the tone that much (of course with nice caps). That is true on my LP and strats for 10-6. If I go further down, the tone gets kinda wah like, where mids are more predominant.

The larger the cap value, the bigger the range for the wah like result. that is if I were to increase the cap value, 10-6 range I talked above gets smaller. That's something that I don't like.

I am using 0.033 on the bridge of my strats, and 0.022 on the neck. When it comes to LPs my choice would depend how bright the particular LP is. If it is on the bright side, I'd go 0.033/0.022. My R8 which is not that bright has 0.022 and 0.015 in them. And I love that guitar with its throaty, clear and hollow tone.

B

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

Hey bro,

1. No I don't hear much difference after changing the cap values. Maybe there is but doing the cap mod takes at least 10 min (opening the pickguard and doing the soldering work). And in that time even if there are some differences due to the leak, I don't hear them.

2. Rolling off the tone pot creates two effects as far as I can hear. The first is that it washes away the high end without altering the tone that much (of course with nice caps). That is true on my LP and strats for 10-6. If I go further down, the tone gets kinda wah like, where mids are more predominant.

The larger the cap value, the bigger the range for the wah like result. that is if I were to increase the cap value, 10-6 range I talked above gets smaller. That's something that I don't like.

I am using 0.033 on the bridge of my strats, and 0.022 on the neck. When it comes to LPs my choice would depend how bright the particular LP is. If it is on the bright side, I'd go 0.033/0.022. My R8 which is not that bright has 0.022 and 0.015 in them. And I love that guitar with its throaty, clear and hollow tone.

B

Hello Doc....I'm going to get back into this strat and try either a .027 or the .033 cap(Most likely the .033)and change the no load tone pot back to a regular pot...I think that'll get me where I need to be...If not,then I'll have Scott at Duncan trade me my surfers for another set of Texas Hots...Usually I'm an A2 guy all the way,even with most of my humbuckers...I Like the Surfers,but I don't love them like I do the Texas Hots..."YET" :13:

 

[MattPete]

Re: Strat W/250K Tone Pots And Tone Cap Values

I tried a 500k push-pull that switched between a .047 and a .010 cap. At 10, there was absolutely no difference at all. In fact, I couldn't tell a difference until the knob was turned down to 2, where the difference between the caps became vary apparent.

The cap will have no perceptual effect when a 500k pot is dimed, and I doubt you would be able to tell a difference with a 250k pot on 10.


As for cap values, I recomend staying away from .047. I use .010 in my strat, and I liked the results so much that I think I'm going to change the caps on the rest of my gutiars to .010.