oldskoolstreet
New member
Looking for a cheap way to modify your instrument's tone? I have two words for you: tone capacitor.
When I modify guitars, I come a lot of different variables that contributes to an instrument's tone. However there is one variable that is often overlooked that plays a KEY role in the sound of passive instruments: the tone Capacitor. Understanding this little bugger can mean a CHEAP way to have a GREAT impact on your tone.
Essentially, your tone control is like a volume control for a certain range of frequencies. It is the tone capacitor that selects the frequency. I won't go into the physics of how this works, but the larger the value, the greater the range of frequencies are effected (starting from the highest frequency working its way down).
So a larger tone capacitor means you'll roll off more highs when you turn the tone knob down. However, it also effects your tone while the knob is all the way up, because the tone circuit is always leaking some highs. So even if you don't use that tone knob a lot, choosing a different cap can change your instrument's basic tone. Here's a simple guide to choosing the right cap.
.1 uf: This is the cap found in 50's era vintage guitars. It will roll off a LOT of highs and give you a very boomy tone. I would NOT Recommend any value above this.
.05 uf: This is the standard cap found on just about all modern fender instruments. Chances are, this is what you have in your guitar.
.03 uf: This is the cap found on the brighter blues/jazz guitars. With the tone all the way up it will have SLIGHTLY more treble, and with the tone down it won't roll off quite as much.
.022 uf: This is the cap used in most 70's era. It has more of a drastic effect than the .03 cap, and you'll fine a lot more treble in your tone. I would not recommend using a cap value less than this.
Fender uses ceramic disk capacitors. These are VERY cheap and VERY inconsistent. Because of inconsistencies in the materials and manufacturing different ceramic caps with the same value can often have differing values of up to 10 percent. Ever wondered why you pick up 2 of the same instruments and they sound different? Most people cite differences in the body wood as the cause, but chances are it's inconsistencies in cap values.
Orange Drop has very solid caps for very cheap. I recommend choosing those if you want to swap out your cap. I have never seen a cap for more than 2 bucks, so we're talking a VERY cheap mod.
However, if you are interested in better sounding capacitors and do not mind spending about fifty bucks on your favourite guitar, look for the very beautiful Russian models. These Russian Paper -in - Oil caps are heavier weight because they are soaked in oil and perfectly sealed. Oil caps deliver woman-like squealing to a smooth-tasting half-boiled cholesterol-free egg-tone
NOS Military Grade, Very High Definition Tone Caps which are Made in Russia.
Comes Only in 2 types: 0.05uF (Bright Sound of Present Day Fenders) & 0.1uF (Dark Sound of old Fenders).
When I modify guitars, I come a lot of different variables that contributes to an instrument's tone. However there is one variable that is often overlooked that plays a KEY role in the sound of passive instruments: the tone Capacitor. Understanding this little bugger can mean a CHEAP way to have a GREAT impact on your tone.
Essentially, your tone control is like a volume control for a certain range of frequencies. It is the tone capacitor that selects the frequency. I won't go into the physics of how this works, but the larger the value, the greater the range of frequencies are effected (starting from the highest frequency working its way down).
So a larger tone capacitor means you'll roll off more highs when you turn the tone knob down. However, it also effects your tone while the knob is all the way up, because the tone circuit is always leaking some highs. So even if you don't use that tone knob a lot, choosing a different cap can change your instrument's basic tone. Here's a simple guide to choosing the right cap.
.1 uf: This is the cap found in 50's era vintage guitars. It will roll off a LOT of highs and give you a very boomy tone. I would NOT Recommend any value above this.
.05 uf: This is the standard cap found on just about all modern fender instruments. Chances are, this is what you have in your guitar.
.03 uf: This is the cap found on the brighter blues/jazz guitars. With the tone all the way up it will have SLIGHTLY more treble, and with the tone down it won't roll off quite as much.
.022 uf: This is the cap used in most 70's era. It has more of a drastic effect than the .03 cap, and you'll fine a lot more treble in your tone. I would not recommend using a cap value less than this.
Fender uses ceramic disk capacitors. These are VERY cheap and VERY inconsistent. Because of inconsistencies in the materials and manufacturing different ceramic caps with the same value can often have differing values of up to 10 percent. Ever wondered why you pick up 2 of the same instruments and they sound different? Most people cite differences in the body wood as the cause, but chances are it's inconsistencies in cap values.
Orange Drop has very solid caps for very cheap. I recommend choosing those if you want to swap out your cap. I have never seen a cap for more than 2 bucks, so we're talking a VERY cheap mod.
However, if you are interested in better sounding capacitors and do not mind spending about fifty bucks on your favourite guitar, look for the very beautiful Russian models. These Russian Paper -in - Oil caps are heavier weight because they are soaked in oil and perfectly sealed. Oil caps deliver woman-like squealing to a smooth-tasting half-boiled cholesterol-free egg-tone
NOS Military Grade, Very High Definition Tone Caps which are Made in Russia.
Comes Only in 2 types: 0.05uF (Bright Sound of Present Day Fenders) & 0.1uF (Dark Sound of old Fenders).