Tone caps
- Thread starter TinPan
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mojosman
New member
Re: Tone caps
There are folks here with a better comprehension of the electronic theory behind capacitors, and how a different type might impact tone, so I will not go there. I can only say this I have PIO caps in all three of my Les Pauls, no little ceramic chicklet style ones like Gibson is so fond of. My older brother likes to say, "when you hear a guy play, can you tell which kind of caps his guitar has?". He thinks a lot of this boutique stuff is snake oil. I don't believe anyone can hear any difference. I do know that many of the caps we use are made to handle much more voltage and current than we have going through a guitar. I'm going to say that any quality brand will most likely do the job just as well as any other brand.
China is making lots stuff these days that is sold to us with brand names we know and trust. I've been told, but I don't know this to be fact but cheaper CTS pots are supposedly made in China now. If that's true, why wouldn't Emerson caps, or any other component be produced there to save money? It is scary that we really don't know what we are buying anymore, but buy the ones you can get most affordably and I'm guessing you'll be OK.
There are folks here with a better comprehension of the electronic theory behind capacitors, and how a different type might impact tone, so I will not go there. I can only say this I have PIO caps in all three of my Les Pauls, no little ceramic chicklet style ones like Gibson is so fond of. My older brother likes to say, "when you hear a guy play, can you tell which kind of caps his guitar has?". He thinks a lot of this boutique stuff is snake oil. I don't believe anyone can hear any difference. I do know that many of the caps we use are made to handle much more voltage and current than we have going through a guitar. I'm going to say that any quality brand will most likely do the job just as well as any other brand.
China is making lots stuff these days that is sold to us with brand names we know and trust. I've been told, but I don't know this to be fact but cheaper CTS pots are supposedly made in China now. If that's true, why wouldn't Emerson caps, or any other component be produced there to save money? It is scary that we really don't know what we are buying anymore, but buy the ones you can get most affordably and I'm guessing you'll be OK.
Jacew
New member
Re: Tone caps
It doesn't make a difference.
There was actually a pretty comprehensive try out of lots of different caps, I believe you can find it online, where they noted only a very subtle differences across the whole range of caps they tried. And looking at the final graphs the differences lined up quite perfectly with the amount that values of caps had drifted from spec.
It doesn't make a difference.
There was actually a pretty comprehensive try out of lots of different caps, I believe you can find it online, where they noted only a very subtle differences across the whole range of caps they tried. And looking at the final graphs the differences lined up quite perfectly with the amount that values of caps had drifted from spec.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Tone caps
Capacitors are capacitors. At least with guitar tone controls. All that matters is the capacitance value.
Even big orange drops are overkill.
Any type of cap will do. These expensive caps are a gimmick. A couple of companies (Gibson and Deluxe) were repackaging inexpensive (35 cent) film caps as vintage bumble bee and paper-in-oil and selling then for $50!
Also keep in mind that when your tone control is on 10 the cap is effectively out of the circuit. Any tonal change is due to the resistance of the pot. Because of the cap’s impedance it appears as a wire jumper.
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Capacitors are capacitors. At least with guitar tone controls. All that matters is the capacitance value.
Even big orange drops are overkill.
Any type of cap will do. These expensive caps are a gimmick. A couple of companies (Gibson and Deluxe) were repackaging inexpensive (35 cent) film caps as vintage bumble bee and paper-in-oil and selling then for $50!
Also keep in mind that when your tone control is on 10 the cap is effectively out of the circuit. Any tonal change is due to the resistance of the pot. Because of the cap’s impedance it appears as a wire jumper.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Tone caps
I can show you the difference on a spectral analyzer but between 20 and 20k hz -but the human ear isnt sensitive enough for almost all of it... its difference is likely in your head -which is scientifically proven that when you buy "Prestige Goods" that your brain will convince you its better to keep the Dopemine flood reoccurring and build a defense against the naysayers. Emersons are a waste of money IMO. I have a pile of them (reds and yellows) and most caps are fine -Its all about the exact value and manufacturing precision and consistancy if you change them out. I use mostly Orange drops, because on average their values and tolerances are tighter than the cheaper greenies and little gourdies etc...
I can show you the difference on a spectral analyzer but between 20 and 20k hz -but the human ear isnt sensitive enough for almost all of it... its difference is likely in your head -which is scientifically proven that when you buy "Prestige Goods" that your brain will convince you its better to keep the Dopemine flood reoccurring and build a defense against the naysayers. Emersons are a waste of money IMO. I have a pile of them (reds and yellows) and most caps are fine -Its all about the exact value and manufacturing precision and consistancy if you change them out. I use mostly Orange drops, because on average their values and tolerances are tighter than the cheaper greenies and little gourdies etc...
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Re: Tone caps
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Some people are strange. Many people are just plain stupid.
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Jacew
New member
Re: Tone caps
You can plot the different dilectric materials on a graph and see minimal differences. Minimal as in perhaps only noticeable if:
You are in the ideal listening environment
you know your rig really well
were using a very dynamic tone in a guitar that was receptive to such eq shifts
and could swap in real time between the various types.
For most people they would struggle to even have 1 of these covered.
You can plot the different dilectric materials on a graph and see minimal differences. Minimal as in perhaps only noticeable if:
You are in the ideal listening environment
you know your rig really well
were using a very dynamic tone in a guitar that was receptive to such eq shifts
and could swap in real time between the various types.
For most people they would struggle to even have 1 of these covered.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Tone caps
You don't even need to plot the different materials on a graph to see the "differences". It's done for you here at the middle of the page: http://zerocapcable.com/?page_id=224. It pretty clearly shows that if you were in the ideal environment, know your rig very well, were using a very dymanic tone in a guitar that was receptive to such EQ shifts, and could swap in real time between various types you would realize that there is no difference between the capacitors beyond the variation in value. So you don't have to struggle. Just pick the one with the value you want that you like the look of. What it's made of demonstrably doesn't matter.
You don't even need to plot the different materials on a graph to see the "differences". It's done for you here at the middle of the page: http://zerocapcable.com/?page_id=224. It pretty clearly shows that if you were in the ideal environment, know your rig very well, were using a very dymanic tone in a guitar that was receptive to such EQ shifts, and could swap in real time between various types you would realize that there is no difference between the capacitors beyond the variation in value. So you don't have to struggle. Just pick the one with the value you want that you like the look of. What it's made of demonstrably doesn't matter.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Tone caps
I reckon tone cap material doesn't even make a difference for a bass cut. If the cap cuts the given frequency by 100%, it shouldn't make a difference what that cap is made of.
I reckon tone cap material doesn't even make a difference for a bass cut. If the cap cuts the given frequency by 100%, it shouldn't make a difference what that cap is made of.
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