Tone control capasitor value???

Re: Tone control capasitor value???

Depending on the pickups a Vitamin Q set would be good depending on the values. In a LP try an .022 at the bridge and a .015 at the neck. Using a .022 in both positions is ok as well but the neck will be a bit bright.

A .015 in the neck would be even brighter than a .022.
 
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Re: Tone control capasitor value???

Under very controlled circumstances in a perfectly quiet soundroom you MAY be able to hear some tonal differences between different types of cap materials. But in any other circumstance, and especially in a band situation, you will NOT be able to hear a difference between different types of caps...only the value will make a practical difference.

I like using Orange Drops because the large size (compared to most discs that come standard in many guitars) is easy for me to work with, and they look cool. They are not outrageously expensive and they work beautifully. My preference in my guitars with buckers is generally .022, but I've got some guitars with .015 and .010. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Good advice to buy an assortment and try them to see what you like best. And you may find that even your own tastes will change over time, so keep an open mind. Nothing is carved in stone. (Van Gough was severely chastised in his day because he "didn't follow all the rules" of painting, but he created some of the most admired paintings in the history of art).
 
Re: Tone control capasitor value???

Good advice in general
Not all orange drop caps are 5% tolerance so check when ordering
A corner electronics supply may be cheaper
Some ceramic caps are microphonic
Cap material does make a difference but as far as I know not in audio frequencies
The pot value to cap value seems odd though a 250k pot will allow more bleed that tends to be more desirable for single coils which can sound harsh at which point you may suggest a TBX pot which is no load at center
That opens up other discussions
The capacitor acts as a resistor that has lower values for higher frequencies and the tone pot is a variable resistor in front. High inductance pickups tend to be dark already which is why high tone pot values are used.

Finally if you just alligator clip to the existing to the control pot you will be adding your test capacitor to the current one and so may not get the test result you expect

Two caps in parallel add cap values 5nf // 10nf is a 15nf cap so kind of the reverse of calculating resistance if looking to tweak things
Some people with extreme tendencies might try a trim capacitor and dial it to precisely the value they want

If only knowing this could be converted into talent
I'll return to being a doofus
 
Re: Tone control capasitor value???

Good advice in general
Not all orange drop caps are 5% tolerance so check when ordering
A corner electronics supply may be cheaper
Some ceramic caps are microphonic
Cap material does make a difference but as far as I know not in audio frequencies
The pot value to cap value seems odd though a 250k pot will allow more bleed that tends to be more desirable for single coils which can sound harsh at which point you may suggest a TBX pot which is no load at center
That opens up other discussions
The capacitor acts as a resistor that has lower values for higher frequencies and the tone pot is a variable resistor in front. High inductance pickups tend to be dark already which is why high tone pot values are used.

Finally if you just alligator clip to the existing to the control pot you will be adding your test capacitor to the current one and so may not get the test result you expect

Two caps in parallel add cap values 5nf // 10nf is a 15nf cap so kind of the reverse of calculating resistance if looking to tweak things
Some people with extreme tendencies might try a trim capacitor and dial it to precisely the value they want

If only knowing this could be converted into talent
I'll return to being a doofus

Very useful info. So in some respects caps behave the opposite of pots (resistors)... lower value caps = brighter tone; higher value pots = higher tone; caps in parallel = addative values; resistors in series = additive values.

It doesn't hurt to have a few more doofuses around.
 
Re: Tone control capasitor value???

The tolerance doesn't matter.

In my pickup test harness which I use to find good pot values and capacitors for certain pickups I have a rotary switch with a number of different capacitors. Since I imagine I can hear a difference I wanted to test whether the difference comes from:
  • The differences in construction of the capacitor
  • The small differences in actual value (printed value is same for all)

To resolve that I went through the trouble of picking out of 50 ceramic disks the one that on my capacitance meter showed the value closest to one of the fat capacitors. The harness already has a same printed value ceramic disks with a different actual capacitance.

The result is that to my ears the two ceramic disks sound the same although they show different values on the capacitance meter, and the fat capacitor and the disk that show the same actual value on the meter sound different from each other.
 
Re: Tone control capasitor value???

The tolerance doesn't matter.

In my pickup test harness which I use to find good pot values and capacitors for certain pickups I have a rotary switch with a number of different capacitors. Since I imagine I can hear a difference I wanted to test whether the difference comes from:
  • The differences in construction of the capacitor
  • The small differences in actual value (printed value is same for all)

To resolve that I went through the trouble of picking out of 50 ceramic disks the one that on my capacitance meter showed the value closest to one of the fat capacitors. The harness already has a same printed value ceramic disks with a different actual capacitance.

The result is that to my ears the two ceramic disks sound the same although they show different values on the capacitance meter, and the fat capacitor and the disk that show the same actual value on the meter sound different from each other.

I'd love to see a picture of your test harness.
 
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