After 30 Years, I'm Back To A 1987 Stratocaster:

ivan H said:
Hi Robert, can you see any numbers printed on the little green cap, like say, 223, maybe followed by a letter? Many guitars, even with single coils now use an 0.022uf, even Fender who used to use an 0.047uf (0.05uf) in the past. Seems there may be a few variations in the switches. They are pretty easy to work out using a multimeters ohms scale or diode/continuity setting. I'm glad you got your axe sorted. Just as there is no right or wrong with tone, there is no right or wrong with how you get it, electrically, so as Smitty said, experimenting is a good thing. Cheers
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I need to look again. I seem to recall the cap is blank - no data, or the data has been worn off...
 
ivan H said:
Ok, so to use the neck pickups tone control either move the white wire (non jumpered one) to the free tab, which will leave no tone control on the neck pickup, or simply add a jumper to link the white wire to the free tab. Actually that will probably work well as the neck & bridge are never in use at the same time with stock wiring. Cheers
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Ivan,

The bridge tone is what Leo should have done all along. It makes sense too. First tone knob bridge, second tone knob middle....I'm not going to open it back up just to inspect the 1987 tone capacitor...It's green ploy, but I don't recall there being any markings on it. Could be anything. However, with the super hot output of the 1992 Virtual Vintage Solo (advertised in 1992 as 10k) and the tone modification, the tone rolls off nicely with the stock 1987 Alpha 250k pot and "mystery" 1987 tone capacitor.

My gut feeling is it's probably around a .022uf???
 
ivan H said:
Hi Robert, can you see any numbers printed on the little green cap, like say, 223, maybe followed by a letter? Many guitars, even with single coils now use an 0.022uf, even Fender who used to use an 0.047uf (0.05uf) in the past. Seems there may be a few variations in the switches. They are pretty easy to work out using a multimeters ohms scale or diode/continuity setting. I'm glad you got your axe sorted. Just as there is no right or wrong with tone, there is no right or wrong with how you get it, electrically, so as Smitty said, experimenting is a good thing. Cheers
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Should have photographed the other side of it...
Strat 1987 Tone Cap.jpg
 
If it sounds good it doesn't matter what value it is, its the right one, though 0.022uf is probably right. I'll never have a strat with no tone control on the bridge pickup again, so much more useable with one on it. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
If it sounds good it doesn't matter what value it is, its the right one, though 0.022uf is probably right. I'll never have a strat with no tone control on the bridge pickup again, so much more useable with one on it. Cheers
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I agree 100%!
 
Thatbastarddon said:
Why can your effectively Faraday Caged guitars perform more quietly than a nearly unshielded guitar with open coils in a high RF environment? Did you actually ask that question out loud?
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Took the Gibson Gold Top to a friend's studio and it behaved exactly the same as it did here at home....makes the same noise anywhere you take it...
 
Thatbastarddon said:
Why can your effectively Faraday Caged guitars perform more quietly than a nearly unshielded guitar with open coils in a high RF environment? Did you actually ask that question out loud?
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Tell me why a totally unshielded Les Paul Custom Replica makes zero noise in the same environment?
 
Robert Herndon said:
Tell me why a totally unshielded Les Paul Custom Replica makes zero noise in the same environment?
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I don't know for sure, but not open coiled...covered pickups, well wired.
Looks like the common denominator in your situation. Is the rehearsal space lit with fluorescent lights too?
I do have a Peavey classic 30 that will make any otherwise quiet guitar hum like your examples just from proximity to the transformer. If you're within a three to four foot radius of it, with the guitar pickups positioned above level with the top of the amp by a couple of inches or more, it has made every guitar plugged in to it humm like crazy. Otherwise, it's dead quiet with every guitar outside of those conditions. (not my amp...dropped for repairs, and the owner never came back to pay for any parts...so there it sits...)
Whatever the cause, I didn't buy it...but I get to read all about it in, what now, three separate threads...so far. You bought another guitar without trying it out first, and you're unhappy for a third time with your open coil, vintage style, Gibson pickups in your high RF environment.(household dimmer switches in a studio environment...you may want to read up on that subject a bit, as there is no shortage of opinion on the subject out there)
I wanted to be happy for you, but you're making it difficult sir.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Cheers
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I don't know for sure, but not open coiled...covered pickups, well wired.
Looks like the common denominator in your situation. Is the rehearsal space lit with fluorescent lights too?
I do have a Peavey classic 30 that will make any otherwise quiet guitar hum like your examples just from proximity to the transformer. If you're within a three to four foot radius of it, with the guitar pickups positioned above level with the top of the amp by a couple of inches or more, it has made every guitar plugged in to it humm like crazy. Otherwise, it's dead quiet with every guitar outside of those conditions. (not my amp...dropped for repairs, and the owner never came back to pay for any parts...so there it sits...)
Whatever the cause, I didn't buy it...but I get to read all about it in, what now, three separate threads...so far. You bought another guitar without trying it out first, and you're unhappy for a third time with your open coil, vintage style, Gibson pickups in your high RF environment.(household dimmer switches in a studio environment...you may want to read up on that subject a bit, as there is no shortage of opinion on the subject out there)
I wanted to be happy for you, but you're making it difficult sir.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Cheers
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Again I must point out the covered/uncovered issue is not an issue here. The gold top makes the same noise in two separate studios...through different amps and cables.

No other guitars, even the totally unshielded replica, makes noise in my home rehearsal space.
 
Robert Herndon said:
Again I must point out the covered/uncovered issue is not an issue here. The gold top makes the same noise in two separate studios...through different amps and cables.

No other guitars, even the totally unshielded replica, makes noise in my home rehearsal space.
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Your replica's pickups are effectively, at least partially, shielded by the metal covers. The rest of the wiring is not.
Again, best of luck.
Try before you buy.
Cheers.
 
Thatbastarddon said:
Your replica's pickups are effectively, at least partially, shielded by the metal covers. The rest of the wiring is not.
Again, best of luck.
Try before you buy.
Cheers.
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I find it more interesting than disappointing really. I can probably tell you I won't be buying Gibson #4....LOL
 
Robert, I have a possible answer. Remember how I posted the thread about setting the pickup heights.

I found if I had my Humbucker pups too high to the strings, even when shielded, I could still hear extra hum or slight crackling.
I knew it should be dead quiet so I actually found if I lowered the pups, the noises dissipated. My conclusion was the power of the pups being so close to the strings caused a very sensitive microphonic effect due to their proximity to the strings. I know you like the position of your pups, but maybe you need to lower them and see what happens.
 
Raining here...Putting together the custom neck order.

Mahogany construction CBS headstock

24-3/4" scale length

1-3/4" fretboard width at the nut

Thick 50's Gibson Profile 1" 12th fret to nut - no taper (like my SG)

Double acting truss rod

12" fretboard radius (like ny SG)

Ebony board Triple 'A' grade deep black

6230 Stainless Dunlop Frets level and crowned to .028"

Mother of Pearl face and side dot markers

Vintage 11/32" tuner holes

Tusq XL nut

Should be a nice setup....

I can re-use the Fender script tuners from my 87 Stratocaster neck and the roller string trees too, so I keep all the original hardware....
 
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