Volume Pots and Capacitors

[DarkCide]

I just purchased a Fender (38950 0341 CTS) 500K pot for my guitar volume. It came with a .022K F capacitor. Where should I solder the capacitor terminals on the pot so I won't lose the highs when I roll down the volume?

[axegrinder]

Well first I find it funny that your alter ego was helping me with wiring yesterday. Anyway, the diagram in there won't help, but this one might. The purpose of the cap IS to bleed off higher frequencies by connecting to the tone pot, so I am not sure what you're after. Look around at the seymour duncan site (under support) for a schematic that fits your configuration. Good luck:thu:

[DarkCide]

I've seen schematics but they all connect to the tone pot. My guitar has no tone pot. I'm wondering if it's possible to connect to the volume pot.

[axegrinder]

OK it sounds like you don't want a tone control. In that case you don't need the capacitor. Like this... a very simple setup.

[guitarcapo]

Have you ever noticed that when you turn your volume down on your guitar that it can get dull sounding? If so, here is a super simple mod that you can do to your guitar. All you have to do is get a 0.001uF film cap an solder it across the wiper of the volume pot (middle lug) and the outer lug that is not connected to ground. That's all there is to it. What this does is allows some of the higher frequencies to get through directly to the output when the volume control is turned down. Some guitars already have this cap installed in them, but a good many of the ones I have seen do not have this cap installed. I like this simple mod because if you like to use your volume control a lot, it helps you to retain some of the dynamics that would otherwise be lost. If the 0.001uF cap doesn't have enough of an effect for your taste, then try a 0.002uF or even a 0.005uF cap.

 

 

 

AND

 

 

Treble Bleed Capacitor Mod

Often as the volume control is turned down, the guitar sound seems to become more bassy and muffled. This mod allows some of the high frequency sound to "bleed" into the output as the volume is turned down, making the guitar brighter sounding at lower volumes.

 

To do this, I added a small .001mfd capacitor to the volume control, across the wiper (middle) tab and the upper tab (where the switch connects). Some prefer doing this mod with both the capacitor and a 150k fixed resistor in parallel with the capacitor, finding it to give a more natural tonal balance at lower volumes, but I find this also changes the taper of the pot, which I do not like.

 

At the right is a diagram showing what the wiring will look like if you do all the mods on this page.

[axegrinder]

OR perhaps you are after this? The thread discusses loss of highs when rolling off the volume. You might need a different pot though.

 

*edit* in other words, yeah like guitarcapo said.

[DarkCide]

I installed the pot and it acts more like a linear pot rather than a volume pot. So down the quick volume change licks on this is impossible. I guess I have to buy another pot.

[axegrinder]

you could be right...I recently ordered a pair of audio taper pots along with a pair of linear taper pots from GuitarElectronics.com. They shipped them to me with no labelling. I had to call them to tell me which were which. As I recall the audio taper pots have "GUITAR" or maybe "GTR" stamped on them (along with "500k" and other stuff). The linear taper pots did not have the guitar designation. Also the pot shaft on the audio tapers were silver colored whereas the linear pots had brass-colored shafts. Hope this helps.

[cousin itt]

This is probably what you want:

 

 

If I'm not mistaken Leo Fender is the first to utilize this circuit in a guitar. It allows you to turn down the volume without losing high end.

[DarkCide]

Mine has a brass shaft and I'm pretty sure it's a tone pot. Unfortunatly I have solder on it and can't return it. I'll have to buy a volume pot soon.

[Matter-Eater Lad]

.022uf is usually on a Tone pot but if you take it off it's just a pot. You can use it as a volume pot just lose the capacitor.

[DarkCide]

 

Originally posted by Matter-Eater Lad .022uf is usually on a Tone pot but if you take it off it's just a pot. You can use it as a volume pot just lose the capacitor.

 

 

I thought tone pots were linear and volume pots non-linear.

[wah wah]

Originally posted by DarkCide I thought tone pots were linear and volume pots non-linear.

Most if not all pots for passive guitar circuits are audio taper.