Question regarding Esquire tone cap values

[Curly]

Howdy all!

I've put together several teles, but I'm doing my first Esquire build, early 50s style.

I've looked at several wiring schemes. I'll likely use the standard 3 way wiring -- "bassy" tone/ tone pot engaged/ wide open.

However, I've read comments that the "bassy" tone is nearly useless. Before I wire things, I'd like to know if others have found cap values that work better.

for reference, my specs are:

• lightweight ash body
• maple / maple neck (neck & body both USA Custom)
• vintage hardware
• Wilkinson "swivel" bridge
• likely a Voodoo BD Caster pickup (9K)

Thanks kindly for your input.

[w0odman]

I used the simple esquire wiring diagram that can be found in TDPRI wiring page.

and here is a link to a thread where I talked about it all.

Esquire Capacitor Experiments

[JCollins]

I have found some uses for the "deep rhythm" tone. (I have vintage style Esquire wiring -- three .047uF caps and one 3.3K resistor). If you are in a band with an organ, and the organ is taking a solo, this tone works well for a rhythm guitar because it doesn't compete in the same space as the organ. It works the same way if there is another guitar in the band, during that guitar's solos. (This is assuming a certain type of music, of course.)

That sound can even work well during your own solos, if the passage is quiet. It does help with dymanics. However, you will never get as much use out of that position as you will in the other two positions -- with tone control, and tone control bypassed.

If you are certain you won't like the deep rhythm position, you might try a different pickup. A Duncan Hot tapped Tele bridge will give you two sounds, right off the bat -- the full bridge and the tapped bridge. The tapped bridge sounds pretty close to a Duncan vintage Tele bridge, and the full pickup has a hotter, more midrangy tone. You could easily wire this to give you, for instance, tapped bridge with tone, full bridge with tone, and either one with the tone bypassed. If you wanted to include a push/pull tone control, you could wire it with standard Esquire wiring, and have the push/pull determine whether you were including the full pickup or the tapped pickup.

[Curly]

Originally Posted by w0odman

I used the simple esquire wiring diagram that can be found in TDPRI wiring page.

and here is a link to a thread where I talked about it all.

Esquire Capacitor Experiments

thanks ... I looked through that, and I'll take another look at the "simple" wiring ... 3 caps and a resistor seems like a lot of wiring for a position that some don't find too useful.
on a regular tele with a Duncan Vintage neck, I find myself using the neck position with the tone almost wide open.

Originally Posted by Jim.Collins

I have found some uses for the "deep rhythm" tone.

That sound can even work well during your own solos, if the passage is quiet. It does help with dymanics. However, you will never get as much use out of that position as you will in the other two positions -- with tone control, and tone control bypassed.

If you are certain you won't like the deep rhythm position, you might try a different pickup. A Duncan Hot tapped Tele bridge will give you two sounds, right off the bat -- the full bridge and the tapped bridge.

thanks for the info Jim. I have considered a tapped pickup -I've used Seymour's custom shop tapped pickup in two teles, with a 5 way switch, and it's a GREAT pickup, and one of my favorite setups so far -- it gives you 5 very usable positions at the flick of the switch, with VERY LITTLE knob turning, if any
BTW, the Duncan custom shop tapped pickup is the same one used in Seymour's signature Esquire.

However, I wanted to try a Voodoo A3 pickup this time, so I'll either use the stock wiring, or consider the "simple" version.

thanks again.

[Nub]

On my homebrew Esquire, I used a setup that's slightly different than the first diagram; I did away with the mess of capacitors, jumpered lugs 6 & 7, and ran a .0047uF cap from lug 7 to the vol pot. This gives the 1st position a slightly bassy, "cocked wah" sound that works great with od/dist.

[messhead]

I used a 0.0047 in my pine esquire in one position, absolutely love it.

[spankdplank]

I would recommend the "simple esquire" wiring diagram referenced above, without all the resistors, but substitute a .0022 or lower value cap in place of the .0047. YMMV, but I found the .0047 to be too bassy. The .0022 was closer to a "cocked wah" sound to my ear, and through a cranked overdrive pedal would do a fair approximation of Clapton's Cream era lead tone

[ktwilli]

I have a cap that says 223 on it what is its value??

[1962guitargeek]

Originally Posted by ktwilli

I have a cap that says 223 on it what is its value??

.022

edit: here's a cap chart

[1962guitargeek]

I have an Esquire that I just love....I'm using a .010 cap for the "cocked wah" tone, and a .047 for normal tone control. I had a .022 tor the tone control, it didn't give me enough tonal range.


lol! I JUST noticed this is a zombie thread..... doh!!