Help with Capacitors

[GuitarMadCap]

Vintage Stack Tele (Neck)
Classic Stack Plus Strat (Middle)
59 (Bridge)

I’m thinking a .047uf on the single coil tone and .022uf on the humbucker. Although the noiseless single coils are probably closer to humbuckers than single coils so should I use .022uf for all 3 pups?

What should I put on the volume knob which will control all 3 pups? I see that Warmoth has two different ones (.1uf and .001uf). I can’t find any significant difference between the two on the web.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Modern strats normally use 0.022uF tone caps. IMO it is a universal value that works in every application I have come across. At the least, it is a reliable starting point.

The treble bleed capacitors of 0.001uF or more are too big to be used with a 500k volume control IMO. I’d suggest either 220pF or 330pF if you want to try a single capacitor as a treble bleed. However I would build the guitar without any treble bleed in the first instance. Then if you feel it is necessary, you can add it later. I suggest this because it is better to check you are happy with the pot values first. A lot of people have a negative experience with treble bleed caps, so although it seems like a trivial thing, it can be a distraction if it turns out to have an undesirable effect.

There are a lot of custom treble bleed circuits that are designed with a parallel resistor in combination with the cap. That is a matter of taste and depends on the application as well. The parallel resistor means it normally needs to be used with an “audio taper” a.k.a. Log volume pot.

 

[stratamania]

I’m thinking a .047uf on the single coil tone and .022uf on the humbucker. Although the noiseless single coils are probably closer to humbuckers than single coils so should I use .022uf for all 3 pups?

Start with the values you mentioned if they are separate tones. You can always alter them later if needed. If it is a master tone I would use a .022uf for this use case.

What should I put on the volume knob which will control all 3 pups? I see that Warmoth has two different ones (.1uf and .001uf). I can’t find any significant difference between the two on the web.

Not sure what the question is?
You don't need to put a cap on a volume knob.

If it is for a treble-bleed, see the diagram here. Detail at what is marked as A on the diagram.

The Mystical Mahogany Build...

First post here, but I have been watching this as I plan on building a rear routed 7/8 all mahogany Tele with a TOM bridge and Bootstrap Humbuckers. I was thinking truoil after a coat of red dye for an SG vibe. Enjoying watching the process.

unofficialwarmoth.com

 

[GuitarMadCap]

I would build the guitar without any treble bleed in the first instance. Then if you feel it is necessary, you can add it later.

I like this idea. Less work now and possibly more work later sounds better than more now and possibly more later. Thanks for your help.

 

[Rick]

I've found . 022 to work and the prs style Treble Bleed, I think it's 180 something

 

[ragamuffin]

I'm a big fan of adjustable treble bleed circuits like these on Reverb
You just solder them in and then you can adjust the amount of treble bleed with the little potentiometer.

 

[GuitarMadCap]

prs style Treble Bleed, I think it's 180 something

treble bleed circuits like these on Reverb

I’ll check these out. I don’t believe I have a treble bleed circuit on any of my guitars but I feel like they all need one as much as I ride the volume knob. Probably off topic but I just love to adjust the guitar volume in a jam to get more or less grit out of my overdrive pedals. No matter where the jam goes I think a treble bleed could really help even out my tone.

 

[TBurst Std]

It all matters on how you connect your vol and tone pots. Use a 50s era wiring and a treble bleed is not needed. There are other impacts you may need to deal with

Personally I use a more modern connection and install a treble bleed. Keeps things from getting muddy when rolling off the vol.

 

[Strat Avenger]

You don't need tone controls on anything other than a bridge-position single coil pickup. I'd run a .022 for that.

 

[stratamania]

Looks like I posted yesterday at the same time as @JohnnyHardtail as I had not seen his post when I replied.

You don't need tone controls on anything other than a bridge-position single coil pickup. I'd run a .022 for that.

It's subjective whether someone needs controls or not.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Looks like I posted yesterday at the same time as @JohnnyHardtail as I had not seen his post when I replied.



It's subjective whether someone needs controls or not.

Rarely. Most players leave their tone knobs wide open all the time. I think most are conditioned to believe they must have them.

 

[TBurst Std]

Depends. You want Duane’s tone on LAFE, you want 2 vols and 2 tones wired ala 50s or modern with treble bleed. Dime a Plexi and roll both vol knobs to 7. Roll the bridge tone to 6. Keep neck tone at 10. Add JBLs to you speaker cab and voila.

It’s the recipe for that honky tone.

 

[GuitarMadCap]

It’s the recipe for that honky tone.

Just reading that recipe is making me hungry. I can almost smell it. Guess I need to listen LAFE tonight.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Depends. You want Duane’s tone on LAFE, you want 2 vols and 2 tones wired ala 50s or modern with treble bleed. Dime a Plexi and roll both vol knobs to 7. Roll the bridge tone to 6. Keep neck tone at 10. Add JBLs to you speaker cab and voila.

It’s the recipe for that honky tone.

Except that honky tone sounds atrocious. And no one had treble bleeds back then.

 

[somebodyelseuk]

Vintage Stack Tele (Neck)
Classic Stack Plus Strat (Middle)
59 (Bridge)

I’m thinking a .047uf on the single coil tone and .022uf on the humbucker. Although the noiseless single coils are probably closer to humbuckers than single coils so should I use .022uf for all 3 pups?

What should I put on the volume knob which will control all 3 pups? I see that Warmoth has two different ones (.1uf and .001uf). I can’t find any significant difference between the two on the web.

None of your pickups are 'single coils'.
As I mentioned in one of your other threads, I've been playing HSS with stacked Strat pickups for 3 decades. Mine have one volume, one tone, both 500k, wired like a 50s Les Paul, with a 0.022uf cap.

IMO, a lot of why people complain about the sound of 'noiseless pickups based on Fender single coils' is that they assume they should use 'single coil controls' for them - they don't take in to account that the stacked pickup is a humbucker and probably reads upwards of 8k... which is roughly what a PAF is.

At the end of the day, what you prefer in terms of the cap is up to you, but stop thinking 'single coil', just because they're Strat/Tele shaped pickups.

 

[stratamania]

Rarely. Most players leave their tone knobs wide open all the time. I think most are conditioned to believe they must have them.

Some players probably don't use them. Many do use them.

@TBurst Std mentioned Duane Allman, also jazz players, Clapton's woman tone. Bonamassa etc. etc.

It is subjective. If someone does not want tone controls, that is their choice, as is having tone controls. What one person's opinion and preference is, does not make it a fact to be forced upon others.

 

[TBurst Std]

Except that honky tone sounds atrocious. And no one had treble bleeds back then.

Nope he had 50s. That’s why I said 50s or a modern with treble bleed. Modern with treble bleed gets you close.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Some players probably don't use them. Many do use them.

@TBurst Std mentioned Duane Allman, also jazz players, Clapton's woman tone. Bonamassa etc. etc.

It is subjective. If someone does not want tone controls, that is their choice, as is having tone controls. What one person's opinion and preference is, does not make it a fact to be forced upon others.

I don't force anything on anyone, so that point is moot. It's just a fact that the vast majority of guitar players have their tone controls wide open at all times, and they are pretty useless for most types of music except for bridge-position single-coil pickups which can sound harsh without backing off a little high end. In other positions, especially with humbuckers, they just make the tone muddy, which is never good. Like I said, it comes from decades of conditioning.

 

[Strat Avenger]

a lot of why people complain about the sound of 'noiseless pickups based on Fender single coils' is that they assume they should use 'single coil controls' for them

Exactly this.
With my noiseless "single-coil" pickups, I always use 500k volume controls and either no-load tone controls or no tone control at all. They sound wonderful and I would never go back to noisy true single-coil pickups ever again.

 

[Spud]

Well I do like tone controls. Especially when I am butchering Clapton's Cream era stuff.