Need help deciding on Capacitor for lil puncher

Hello everyone I just got my lil punchers from GFS and need some advice.

I have the

- Calibrated Lil Punchers (Cool Vintage)
- One Volume Push/Pull Pot (500k)
- One Tone Push/Pull Pot (500k)
- Three way switch

I emailed Jay from GFS and asked which Capacitor to get. He said a .22
That is what I ordered. But then when I was looking for a wiring diagram for the '2 humbuckers, 2 push/pull, 1 three-way switch I found this diagram

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_1v_1t_3w_2pp

which recommends a .47 capacitor. I emailed Jay back and he sticks with his .22.

What's the difference? Can someone explain the difference between the .22 and the .47 and which one I should use?

Also when I previously mentioned I was going to have the two push pulls and this setup, someone on TDPRI said I should do a series/parallel setup. Can someone explain that as well?

Installing on a partscaster.
Thanks,
Jason

jes' mho, 'k ? go with the .22 cap

Duncan's diagrams are good, but there's also other wiring diagram(s) here (http://www.joebarden.com/Products/Wiring-Diagrams/Alternatewirings.pdf)

I put of the Cool Vintage Punchers in over the weekend, and I went with a .047cap. Mainly because I thought that they were modelled after Joe Barden pickups and I read something on their site that said .047 caps...Plus I went with the .047 because I was under the impression that while they are humbucking, they are supposed to be more like single coil PUs which tend to use a .047cap...

Can anyone describe the difference between the .22 and the .47? I heard the .47 give a more precise control whereas the .22 will be lounder (a friend told me that).

I think this post will be helpful for those seeking to install or purchase the Lil Punchers from GFS. Heck, I know I need the info :)

-From all of my worthless knowledge I've gathered over time, the difference between the two is that the .022 cap will have more highs than a .047. The .047 will bleed a bit more treble to the ground.

L8R,
Matt

Can anyone describe the difference between the .22 and the .47? I heard the .47 give a more precise control whereas the .22 will be lounder (a friend told me that).

I think this post will be helpful for those seeking to install or purchase the Lil Punchers from GFS. Heck, I know I need the info :)

The value of the cap gives an indication how "deep" into the frequency spectrum it will dig/dip/reach.

When you roll off your tone control, you are actually reducing the resistance at the tone pot, as when you "turn up" your volume pot. That's why the tone pot is wired hot at the opposite lug.

The lowest value cap will shunt only the highest frequencies. That portion of your signal will be shunted to ground through the pot.

As you increase the value of the cap, from, say .010 through .022, .033, .047, etc, you are digging deeper into the frequency range of the signal. A high value cap (e.g. .1uF) will shunt most of your signal to ground.

The value of the cap gives an indication of the "lower threshold" of frequencies that will be shunted - that frequency, whatever it happens to be, and everything above it, will be removed from your signal as you roll back your tone knob. Using a higher value (e.g. .022 versus .047) will preserve more of the mids, as it's threshold will start higher.

Think of your guitar's wiring as one of those gold mining sluices like they have in the movies. The big fat main sluice (your guitar's full signal) runs straight down the mountain. Half-way down the mountain, there is a somewhat smaller sluice that exits to one side of the "main" sluice.

Ten feet from the main sluice, on this smaller "side" sluice, is a valve (your tone pot) that controls how much water is released through this sluice.

Mid-way between this valve and the main sluice is a board that can be raised and lowered. It always blocks the water in the deepest part of the sluice from exiting via the side sluice. It can be raised to permit only the top part of the water to pour over (.022 cap) or it can be lowered a bit (.047 cap) to permit the water deeper in the sluice to pass over.

All of the water that passes over the board is lost when the valve is opened fully.

That's how your cap works.

So according to what you had said, that the higher the capacitor, the more it diggs into the frequency range:

A .22 capacitor will only remove ('shunt') the highest frequencies when rolled, thereby maintaining more mids

A .47 capacitor will start a bit lower in the frequencies and remove up through the high so that less mids will be there

Is this right? So it sounds like I should go with the .22 to allow for more mids (which I would want) to pass through

Thanks for all of your help. I think I understand now (sort of) :wink:

I've got a couple of Lil' Punchers in a Strat build. Started with a .022 cap, but wound up using a .047 since the .022 sounded harsh.

So according to what you had said, that the higher the capacitor, the more it diggs into the frequency range:


That's right. Sounds like you've got it.

It doesn't really help to think of caps & tone pots the way you were told... "more precise," loudness, brightness, etc, aren't really considerations.

The lowest frequencies in your signal will always bypass the cap & tone pot. Your tone pot works sort of like a "volume control" for the higher frequencies, pulling them off the main signal, and shunting them to ground.

And the cap you choose will determine how broad that range of frequencies is. You'll always roll-off the highest frequencies, but the cap determines how deep into the mids your tone pot "reaches."

As they said.....but one of the fun parts of doing electronics on a guitar is to play a little with caps...and that depends on two things mainly....your taste for tone and the pickups.
A .47 cap is like a "standard" and a good point to start.....but play with different values until you reach the sweet spot
HTH

So according to what you had said, that the higher the capacitor, the more it diggs into the frequency range:

A .22 capacitor will only remove ('shunt') the highest frequencies when rolled, thereby maintaining more mids

A .47 capacitor will start a bit lower in the frequencies and remove up through the high so that less mids will be there

Is this right? So it sounds like I should go with the .22 to allow for more mids (which I would want) to pass through

Thanks for all of your help. I think I understand now (sort of) :wink:

Sounds like you have it backwards?? The .047 cap will remove more high end, leaving more mids. The .022 cap will allow more high frequencies, poviding a brighter sound, which may sound harsh, or ice-pick to some ears.
Bottom line, you want brighter? Go with the .022> Want more mids? Take the .047. In between? Look for an .033. Of course, changing the pots to a more standard tele config of dual 250k pots will darken up the sound a bit too.

Sounds like you have it backwards?? The .047 cap will remove more high end, leaving more mids. The .022 cap will allow more high frequencies, poviding a brighter sound, which may sound harsh, or ice-pick to some ears.
Bottom line, you want brighter? Go with the .022> Want more mids? Take the .047. In between? Look for an .033. Of course, changing the pots to a more standard tele config of dual 250k pots will darken up the sound a bit too.

No, he has it right.

Given a typical (or even atypical) capacitor, the high frequencies are always rolled off. The cap determines how low the "corner frequency" is.

Higher value cap in uF yields a lower corner frequency, and vis versa.