to cap or uncap

[sailingdave]

Hey y'all, first time poster here. I was wondering if there is a sonic difference happening when you take the caps of humbuckers? My wife bought me an Epi Les Paul Ultra for Christmas and I LOVE the guitar, but the sound coming from the "Alnico Classic Humbuckers" is very mellow and harmonically dull compared to the cheapo uncapped humbuckers on my REALLY cheapo $100 Epi SG. Those dudes SCREAM! They have so much harmonic nuance and are so sensitive to every slight touch or gaff on the strings that although I LOVE the easy overpicking harmonics that come from them, all of my bad playing skills come bursting forth too.

Does taking the caps off let the pickup produce more bite and harmonics?

Thanks

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: to cap or uncap

I guess that depends on whether you use your tone control or not? If you remove the cap you will get a little more high end, but removing the pot completely will give you the most treble response. You don't necessarily need to completely remove the tone pot from the guitar, as much as just remove it from the circuit.

Options:

• Try lighter value caps
• Try a 1mb tone pot with the same cap
• Modify the pot to make it a no load pot
• Remove the pot from the circuit.

 

[Mononoaware]

Re: to cap or uncap

I'm sure others who are more familiar with Epis will chime in here, but the nickle covers are probably not the main culprit here. The covers usually only shave off a tiny bit of high end; you're describing a huge difference in character.

It's much more likely that your ears don't dig the kind of magnet in the Classics; I'd bet that they're Alnico II, compared to maybe ceramic magnets in your cheapo Epi. Ceramics are going to be high output, hard-edged and very focused (some would say "hard" sounding, but they will scream). Alnico II just naturally has a softer sound, rounder highs, and less output. If you haven't already, play around with pickup height and see if you can improve the voicing.

Anyone know what the specs on the magnets in his Ultra are? I Googled it, but the result was complete and total Fail.

(EDIT: I think he's referring to the nickle caps on the pickups themselves, not the capacitor wired to his tone control, but might be wrong. . .)

 

[sailingdave]

Re: to cap or uncap

Thanks guys. Yeah I'm talking about the PU covers............. caps, whatever. They're gold on the ultra. I'm not displeased with the tone, it's nice to have a TOTALLY different sounding guitar. That SG is unreal hot for a cheapo. All it really needs to be a GREAT guitar are a decent set of Grovers or Schalers and a new bridge, with the adjustable fore and aft set screws to move the whole thing away from the nut a little more.

 

[Sanford]

Re: to cap or uncap

Taking the covers off of the pickups will change the sound only slightly. Mononoaware is probably closer with the description of magnets being the big difference.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: to cap or uncap

nickle covers are probably not the main culprit here. The covers usually only shave off a tiny bit of high end; you're describing a huge difference in character.

It's much more likely that your ears don't dig the kind of magnet in the Classics; I'd bet that they're Alnico II, compared to maybe ceramic magnets in your cheapo Epi. Ceramics are going to be high output, hard-edged and very focused (some would say "hard" sounding, but they will scream). Alnico II just naturally has a softer sound, rounder highs, and less output. If you haven't already, play around with pickup height and see if you can improve the voicing.

Anyone know what the specs on the magnets in his Ultra are? I Googled it, but the result was complete and total Fail.

(EDIT: I think he's referring to the nickle caps on the pickups themselves, not the capacitor wired to his tone control, but might be wrong. . .)

The Epi p'ups are A5, but they sound muddy and lifeless because they've been potted to death!

I've just taken the covers off and got rid of all the excess wax, now they sound more than acceptable, even though they're NOT great. With those specs, they should be better sounding... maybe is the result of cheap, not up to the task materials used in China. Maybe a change of magnets could make a difference!

The neck p'up measures a whopping 8.40K, that's one of the reasons is a bit muddy. The bridge measures 14.4K, so it could be close to a C5, but it doesn't feel as powerful or dynamic like the real thing.

But to have on stage as a backup guitar is quite useable.

HTH,

 

[sailingdave]

Re: to cap or uncap

Great info Pepe, thanks! How does one change out the magnets?

I'm still curious why the PUPs in the El cheapo SG sound so incredible too. Any thoughts on that besides what Mononoaware already said? Seriously, I'm playing through a little bitty Vox DA5 and that guitar puts out crunch, tone and harmonics that resemble Billy Gibbons!!!

 

[hamerfan]

Re: to cap or uncap

Great info Pepe, thanks! How does one change out the magnets?

Look at http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/barmagswap.htm

 

[sailingdave]

Re: to cap or uncap

Hamerfan.................. DUDE, that is some GOOD info!!!:naughty: I may never even use it but I added it to my favorites and it's great to know!

Thanks!

 

[GURU1979]

Re: to cap or uncap

take away the cover...epiphone cover cut a looooooooooot of treble..too much!
they will sound a lot better.
then with a hair drier take away the excess of wax!

 

[blueman335]

Re: to cap or uncap

The Epi p'ups are A5, but they sound muddy and lifeless because they've been potted to death!

I've just taken the covers off and got rid of all the excess wax, now they sound more than acceptable, even though they're NOT great. With those specs, they should be better sounding... maybe is the result of cheap, not up to the task materials used in China.

+1. You may get them to sound better, but they'll never have the clarity & definition of a high-quality American/European/Austalian PU. I've got a number of Epi's and upgraded PU's all of them. You can get used PU's on eBay for about half price. I've found used Schallers & Carvins for $20 to $30, and they sound very good. You're much better off get a used set of good PU's than farting around with cheap Asian ones. Something about a sow's ear & a silk purse...

 

[LtKojak]

Re: to cap or uncap

You're much better off get a used set of good PU's than farting around with cheap Asian ones

That's not the same when you live in Europe, speciallly in Italy. The used p'up market is very small, and the prices for 2nd hand p'ups are so high that when added the shipping expenses the price for one or two p'ups they get to the same level as the new ones...

I too had excellent results with those Schaller humbuckers, evem though they don't split as well as the SD '59s or Jazz.