Using 2 capacitors with same value for strat tone control - Does it make any sense?

[dav70ita]

I have recently checked the wiring of my Stratocaster because I want to upgrade the pickups and I found out that each tone pot (250K audio) has a capacitor with the same value (0.022uF). The guitar is a Harley Benton Stratocaster ST-62 with 3 single coils
¿Does it make any difference when the guitar has 2 capacitors with the same value (one for each tone pot) instead of only 1 capacitor connected to both tone pots?

I know that connecting one capacitor to each tone pot is interesting when we want to give a different tone control approach for the pickups, with different values of the capacitors. For example; a 0.022uF capacitor for the neck and middle pickups, for more brightness, and a 0.047uF capacitor for the bridge pickup, for a warmer tone.
But normally, when the value of the capacitor is the same, the standard diagram suggested by Seymour Duncan uses only one capacitor connected to both tone pots. (See the wiring diagram suggested by Seymour Duncan for a standard Stratocaster: http://www.seymourduncan.com/wiring...me,2-tone,5-way-blade#schematic-results-count)

So, my question is. Considering that we have a Stratocaster with 3 single pickups and that we want to use the same capacitor value for both tone control, is there any advantage when using 2 capacitors with the same value (one connected to each tone pot) instead of only one connected to both tone pots?
The Harley Benton ST-62 it’s a cheap guitar and it’s really strange that the manufacturer uses 2 capacitors with the same value, when they could use only one and reduce production costs.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Using 2 capacitors with same value for strat tone control - Does it make any sens

Welcome to the forum!

I wouldn't be sure without seeing the wiring, but there shouldn't be an advantage one way or the other if they are the same value (someone will correct me if I am wrong). Unless the wiring is otherwise different from a regular Strat. You can certainly post a pic and I am sure we can get to the bottom of this.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Using 2 capacitors with same value for strat tone control - Does it make any sens

If this Harley Benton is wired like a regular Strat, its tone caps are in parallel when the tone pots of the neck and mid pickups are @ 0/10: it gives 0.044µ of capacitive load instead of 0.022...

It might be a way to darken the sound when the pickups are in parallel (the stock Harley Benton transducers having a thin tone due to a really low inductance: I've measured something like 1,5H only on such SC's).

Another possible reason is the easiness to pre-wire tone pots in a standard way: when there's one cap for two pots, the pots must be mounted on the pickguard before to receive their common capacitor and it takes more time... and time is money.

In any case, 2 caps instead of one won't make the guitare THAT more expensive to produce, IMHO.

 

[dav70ita]

Re: Using 2 capacitors with same value for strat tone control - Does it make any sens

Thank you for your response.
The wiring is not a standard Strat one, for the fact that there is no connection between the middle lug of Tone2 pot to the end lug of Tone1 pot. In such way the capacity load will be 0.022uF, also when pickups are connected in parallel.
I think that Harley Benton pre-wires the tone pots in a standard way for more efficiency in assemblage work. That’s the only reason I can find.
Anyway, because I’m upgrading the pickups, I have decided to not use the original electronic parts of Harley Benton, which are not really good and wire a completely new set: 3 x CTS 250K audio, 1 x 5-way CRL switch, 1 x Orange Drop capacitor (0.022 uF 225P series) for tone1, 1 x Orange Drop capacitor (0.047 uF 225P series) for tone2, 1 Switchcraft input jack and 1 x Treble Bleed Volume made of 1 NOS Russian made Silver Mica capacitor 0.001uF and 1 150K Metal film resistor 1% tolerance.
I will also give tone control to bridge pickup and add a switch for the 7 sound Strat configuration, because I think that combining bridge and neck together can be an interesting added tone.
I hope that with the new pickups and this new wiring set, the tone of my Harley Benton Strat will improve considerably.