Cap across the volume pot

[M29]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on putting a 560pf capacitor alone or with a 300k ohm resistor across the hot legs of a volume pot to allow you less treble loss at low volume. It bothers me that when I turn my volume down just a little bit it gets bassier with less treble. At home I play at low volume a lot. Dimarzio mentions this as well as many other people that you can make this mod to keep this from happening. I did this to my Chicom Strat and I think I lost a bit of bass at louder volumes, the guitar sounds a bit thin now but I may be imagining it. I should have run wires under the pickguard to test it before I made the mod. From now on I will do this when ever I make any electrical mod to a guitar.

Any thoughts on this?

Thank you for your time and help.

M29

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I normally use a .001uf without the resistor. The resistor changes the taper of the pot and some like that and some don't. I haven't heard of anyone using a 560pf for that. Where did you get that spec from?

 

[M29]

Hello tone!

Got that from a Dimarzio instruction sheet. I thought that was an odd cap value. Found a few in an out of the ordinary electrical shop.

I usually see the .001uf used for this as well. I will have to try that and without the resistor. I don't want to change the taper I like it like it is.

Thanks for the explanation tone.

M29

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Sure man you bet. The .001uf value works really good. I put it on all my guitars because I usually roll the volume back a bit and it still retains that treble spank.

 

[Bloozcat]

From Chris Kinman's site:

This is a pretty reasonable treble loss mod, but as stated it will still affect the pot swell. You can change the cap to a .0010 for higher frequency, or to a .0018 for lower frequency.
Change the resistor to a 150k for less effect on the swell, a 120k for more.

 

[M29]

Thanks all for your time and help.

Bloozcat, have you started your Valve Junior yet? I am at a point that I need some serious treble boost. Other then that I am very happy with it so far.

Thanks again guys.

M29

 

[Bloozcat]

Thanks all for your time and help.

Bloozcat, have you started your Valve Junior yet? I am at a point that I need some serious treble boost. Other then that I am very happy with it so far.

Thanks again guys.

M29

I really wish I could say that I have M29, but....

The last three weekends have been a seemingly endless parade of chores and other such things that conspired to steal all of my spare time.

First came the painting of the living room 'til 11:30 during the week nights, then having new living room furniture delivered, and finally the house full of family for several days. In the middle of all of this, our well pump went out. That was a lot of fun to fix. Then came the mirror and picture hanging, moving all of the "stuff" back into the new furniture, and finally the re-wiring of the TV/stereo/surround sound system. I finally finished it all late last week just in time to go out of town for the weekend.

So, seeing as how the only way to find the time to get anything done is to get it on the "scheduling calendar", I've done exactly that - this weekend is MINE, come Hell or highwater.

Oh crap, now there's a new tropical storm out there that the weather geeks are saying could become the first hurricane of the season. Just what I need...

...and the phrase "the best layed plans of mice and men", runs over and over through my mind...

I think DVM has a bright switch mod that he did on his VJ, M29. It's listed on his web page if I'm not mistaken. There's also the "silver mods" that will convert a VJ to a more Fender-like tone - brighter and cleaner.

 

[M29]

Thanks Bloozcat,

I know what you mean with the painting and all I went through that last winter and will be again some this winter. Oh the joy of it all...

I should bring this back to the cap issue I suppose and leave the VJ for another time I know it will be getting plenty of attention down the road.

I am dry running my Jazzmaster project right now and I do not have any caps in the wiring and it sounds pretty good. bright enough but not too bright. I need to get to the local electrical supply and pick up an assortment of orange drops.

Thanks Bloozcat.

M29