Great Article On Tone Capacitors:
- Thread starter Inspector #20
- Start date
OP
Yes!
RVA
Ambassador
Understood. I have just never seen anyone disavow the importance of a particular cap in an amp as vocally as in guitars, or at all really. Maybe I just don't read as much about amps!
OP
I only care about one thing relating to time capacitors - having 0.01uf on both pickups.
It makes no sense to me to have tone controls where less than 1/2 of the knobs range produced any usable tones.
I like the shape of the K40Y'S
It makes no sense to me to have tone controls where less than 1/2 of the knobs range produced any usable tones.
I like the shape of the K40Y'S
eclecticsynergy
Ambassador of Electric Synergy
I too find that a lower value tone gives a much larger usable range on tone pots.
I didn't bookmark it, but I remember reading an article - or perhaps a forum post - where someone argued the benefits of an extremely low value cap (1pF/.001μF) for use with low output PAF types. The gist was that one could take off only the harsh highs, leaving untouched some upper mid content that a conventional cap would be rolling off along with the treble. And that with the knob turned all the way down it could produce a tone reminiscent of a cocked wah.
I haven't tried this but was intrigued enough that I still remember it years later.
EDIT: Found a link for that thread; this is a link for that particular post.
www.seymourduncan.com
I didn't bookmark it, but I remember reading an article - or perhaps a forum post - where someone argued the benefits of an extremely low value cap (1pF/.001μF) for use with low output PAF types. The gist was that one could take off only the harsh highs, leaving untouched some upper mid content that a conventional cap would be rolling off along with the treble. And that with the knob turned all the way down it could produce a tone reminiscent of a cocked wah.
I haven't tried this but was intrigued enough that I still remember it years later.
EDIT: Found a link for that thread; this is a link for that particular post.
Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals
Hand-crafted electric guitar pickups, acoustic guitar pickups, bass pickups and pedals. Helping musicians find their signature sound since 1976.
www.seymourduncan.com
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OP
I too find that a lower value tone gives a much larger usable range on tone pots.
I didn't bookmark it, but I remember reading an article - or perhaps a forum post - where someone argued the benefits of an extremely low value cap (1pF/.001μF) for use with low output PAF types. The gist was that one could take off only the harsh highs, leaving untouched some upper mid content that a conventional cap would be rolling off along with the treble. And that with the knob turned all the way down it could produce a tone reminiscent of a cocked wah.
I haven't tried this but was intrigued enough that I still remember it years later.
EDIT: Found a link for that thread; this is a link for that particular post.
Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals
Hand-crafted electric guitar pickups, acoustic guitar pickups, bass pickups and pedals. Helping musicians find their signature sound since 1976.
Great article!!! Even fully rolled off, the pickup retains considerable character with what appears (sonically) as a mid boost of sorts.
I also add 220k resistors to 500k pots - making them a 720k pot - and on some guitars, I use 1 megaohm pots to get the "bite" that has become an element of my sound.
BFT Gibson
Ambassador of Originality
thanks for the share, i am eating this kinda stuff up right now in a learning phase, have the gear & now wanna really learn what i can do with it. Its the lil things here & there that really make our tone better.
eclecticsynergy
Ambassador of Electric Synergy
Cool - I'd heard of people wiring a resistor in parallel with 500K volume pots, so pickups would "see" 250K, or using a resistor between switch & pot so a humbucker could see 500K when using a 250K volume pot. But it using a resistor in series with a 500K to effectively have a higher value is a neat trick.
OP
Have you seen the Bill Lawrence 220k ohm resistor added "piggy backed" to a pickup's hot lead to tame the brightness???
OP
I'm still experimenting with this effect and thus far, the tone has been really good...although I have developed a preference for 1megaohm pots of late...
DonP
Guest
My G400 has 1 Meg pots - they came as standard
eclecticsynergy
Ambassador of Electric Synergy
Bill was way ahead of his time. He also invented the resistor padded coil split, which many wrongly ascribe to Paul Reed Smith.