The Hoax's latest Mod - Tone cap

For about the last year, whenever I get a new guitar, I swap out the tone cap ,usually either 0.47 micro farad or 0.22 micro farad as standard, for 0.1 or 0.15 micro farad jobbies.

I have tried paper in oil and ceramic and it does not make a great deal of difference between the two. Just lower the value of the standard one and the results are great!!

You get a real great quack when the tone is rolled right back and Clapton's "woman tone" is easily within reach.

It's a 10 pence mod and is well worth trying.

Hoax

Is it possible (or worth doing) to make it switchable.  1 cap for HB and another for tapped coil?

Robert

I don't think that you would want to. I do it for both humbucker and single coil guitars and it makes the world of difference.

Personally, I don't really find a lot of useable tone when a standard tone pot is turned right down. I cannot achieve the "quack" I get with a lower value cap.

The best way I could describe it is - either a "cocked wah" or two pickups out of phase. It is different and you can play solos with the tone right down, yet still have an edge.

Ten pence and two solders - try it!!

Hoax

I've never tried this but heard about it before, may give it a whirl.  Thanks Hoax.

I've been doing this for about a year now since hoax put me onto the 0.1 caps, got 50 for 99p or something daft, never tried a direct comparison with the regular caps, but does work a treat! ! Cheers hoaxy!

this guy gives an excellent explanation and demonstration of tone capacitors.
he shows a nice method to select a value that you prefer
tone cap demo