Capacitor question

[Ktulu09]

Hey guys. I think most of you will think this question is kind of silly. Hopefully it will be an easy answer. I wasn't sure what forum to post it in, but I think it fits here the best. Anyhow....

I recently modded my first guitar. It turned out alright. I took my old Squier Affinity strat apart, colored the body surf green, and upgraded pickups. I actually replaced the three single coils with a humbucker. The pickup is a duncan invader running to a single volume knob to be exact. I did NOT put a capacitor in anywhere in the process. The pickup sounds good, but is pretty bright.

So, my question is....if I put in a capacitor, would it darken the tone a bit? Should I have put in a capacitor anyhow? What type of capacitor? Any other useful information that I simply don't know about?

Any help is appreciated. I haven't posted much on the forums, but I check it often. You guys seem to be of great help. Thanks in advance.

[Pete Galati]

I find that having a tone control in a guitar makes the tone a bit more mild. I've found that some pickups love not having a tone control, and some don't.

I've always wondered if I could get the equivalent effect by putting a tone cap, and resistor (in series) between the hot connection, and the ground, on guitars that I need all the pots for other things. Seems like it'd work, but I haven't tried it yet.

Pete

[JCollins]

A tone control is nothing more than a variable resistor and cap, in series, from the volume pot input to ground, although some people like to put the tone control on the volume pot wiper lug. (I've never bothered with that, myself, so I can't comment on the difference.)

If you want to simulate a tone control on ten, use a resistor equal to the full value of the tone pot that you would have used. If the guitar has Fender style single coils, the tone pot probably would have been a 250K pot, so use a resistor near 250K ohms. If the guitar has humbuckers, the tone pot probably would have been a 500K pot, so use something close to 500K ohms.

If you want to simulate a tone control that is turned down, a little, use a resistor that has a lower value. A tone control on 10 has the full value of the pot in series with the cap. As you turn the tone control counterclockwise, you have less and less of the value of the pot in series with the cap.

[Ktulu09]

I've got a humbucker and a 500 K volume pot. Are you saying that I should use something like a 250 ohms resistor?

[Pete Galati]

Originally Posted by Ktulu09

I've got a humbucker and a 500 K volume pot. Are you saying that I should use something like a 250 ohms resistor?

I'm pretty sure that250 ohms would be like having the tone control turned all the way down. Very muddy. Don't forget the "K"!

With resistors, you'll probably find values like 270K, 390K, 470K, 510K, 560K

I'm just picking some values PartsExpress has, they're pretty easy to order from.

Just personally (keep in mind that I haven't tried this) with a humbucker, I'd start with 510K and a .022uf cap. If that's still too bright, drop the resistor value till it sounds right.

Better yet, use a pot to decide what sounds best, and measure the pot with a DMM when you get the sound you want. Just thinking while I'm typing.

Pete

[tazzboy]

if you don't mind my asking what does this guitar look like?

[Ktulu09]

I'll try to post a picture tomorrow if I get a chance. Its a light green (attempted seafoam) with a perloid pickguard. Slightly Tom Delonge-esque. A duncan invader at the bridge position with a single chrome volume knob. Again, I think I'll take a good picture or eight tomorrow.

Thanks for the capacitor help. Those are fairly cheap, so I might just order several or see if I can find a store selling them.

[tazzboy]

Does your guitar have a 3 way or 5 way pickup switch?

[Ktulu09]

The pictures are kind of bad, sorry. My camera is from the stoneages. No switch at all. Pickup-volume pot- input jack.

[tazzboy]

I happen to like Orange Drop cap myself cause they manufacture by Vishay Sprague which used to manufacture Bumble caps. I would go with 0.22uf 100v cap or 0.022uf 100v cap.

I think Tom DeLong was trying to is have a guitar similar to Eddie Van Halen guitar.

[rizZo77]

Originally Posted by Ktulu09

The pictures are kind of bad, sorry. My camera is from the stoneages. No switch at all. Pickup-volume pot- input jack.

I've been planning to turn my lame, little Squier Affinity Strat into a Tom Delonge kind of Strat. Did everything work out okay with yours after you changed it? What were the things you changed to it? I've been wanting to sand off my guitar and give it a graffiti yellow finish, and then add a single SH-8 Invader and a black pickguard with a single volume knob like yours. I was afraid the kind of bridge it has might interfere though, would it?

I'd have to change the pot to a 500k too, wouldn't I?