What exactly do capacitors do in a guitar amp?

[arcadesonfire]

 

Would anyone care to write me an explanation or point me to some trusted concise sources where I can learn about the physics of the capacitors in my guitar amps? I write/edit science tests for an educationalc publisher, and I'm working on a test about capacitance right now, how capacitors store potential energy and can hold a charge to be discharged later... I know that tone pots use caps with different capacitances that tune to different frequencies. These are tiny capacitors, but I also know there are giant caps in my amps. Are they doing totally different things? Or the same? What exactly are they doing with those electrons?! How is the current's frequency related to capacitance?!?!?

 

Thanks!

[HKSblade2]

The big electrolytic caps are for filtering HV DC. The smaller non polarized caps are mostly for dc blocking, some noise filtering, and active tone circuits.

[sillypuddy]

Well explained!

[Mogwix]

 

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HKSblade2 wrote:

 

 

The big electrolytic caps are for filtering HV DC. The smaller non polarized caps are mostly for dc blocking, some noise filtering, and active tone circuits.

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yup. also, caps in tone circuits serve to roll off high frequencies by smoothing them out. the cap is across the wiper of the potentiometer and ground, serving to put "more" or "less" signal in parallel with the cap as the potentiometer is adjusted.

[Steve2112]

 

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HKSblade2 wrote:

 

 

The big electrolytic caps are for filtering HV DC. The smaller non polarized caps are mostly for dc blocking, some noise filtering, and active tone circuits.

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"filtering"...what? High voltage DC comes out of the electrical power path? A step down of voltage? Sorry. I;'m a noob...and curious.