iconic Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I've just been poking around under one of my Westfield B1000 p bass's and this is what I've found:- volume B500K log' pot' tone A500k linear pot' .047uf tone cap' now I'm too clused up on bass electronics but I'm guessing it's the B500 linear pot' that makes these bass's so bright with the tone open, isn't 250K normal for humbucker P bass pups? I'm got a mind to fit a B250 linear pot to take some of the highs off and go wild with a .1uf for that real deep motown sound....I read that 50's P bass's came with .1uf caps...this could be internet crap though anyone who knows more about these things care to comment. PS strange how ceramic cap pricing works...fleabay has caps for [b]£2.99 each[/b] from one supplier, [b]$25 [/b] stateside and lots have them at [b]50 off for .99p![/b]....a cap' isn't doing much in a bass is it, so why the pricing difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 [quote name='iconic' timestamp='1371820951' post='2118506'] …so why the pricing difference?[/quote] I swapped from 250K to 500K precisely because I wanted a more undiluted signal. A 0.1μF cap (irrespective of construction) will bleed a lot more treble to earth with a 500K pot than a .047μF, you might find that's enough for your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 If you want a 0.1uF cap to try I'll send you one PM me your details. Cheerz, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) Cheers for the offer ....ive got 10 off .1uf coming now in post so i will have few left over too, should anyone else fancy a dub stylee p bass! Question: Hmm should i have matched value pots....i will end up with 500 vol and 250 tone? Would both pots at 250k be even darker? Ps...thanks for snake oil tip....i was guessing a cap is a cap is a cap! Pps....it seems cheaper asian basses come with 500 pots from what i read...I wonder why? Edited June 21, 2013 by iconic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiOgon Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 (edited) You're welcome I usually use 250 K Audio Log pots for both Tone & Volume with .01 for 'old school' or .047 for 'modern rock', occasionally use a 500 K tone pot with .047 to get the brighter end of P-bass territory. It doesn't matter at all if they're matched IMO. There is snake oil, there's many many tons of BullShit & there is also 'you get what you pay for' in terms of capacitor construction, quality & purpose - which doesn't necessarily convert to changes in tones that your average human ear can differentiate. Edited June 21, 2013 by KiOgon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 [quote name='KiOgon' timestamp='1371832953' post='2118687'] You're welcome I usually use 250 K Audio Log pots for both Tone & Volume with .01 for 'old school' or .047 for 'modern rock', occasionally use a 500 K tone pot with .047 to get the brighter end of P-bass territory. It doesn't matter at all if they're matched IMO. There is snake oil, there's many many tons of BullShit & there is also 'you get what you pay for' in terms of capacitor construction, quality & purpose - which doesn't necessarily convert to changes in tones that your average human ear can differentiate. [/quote] Have you tried fitting both 0.1 AND 0.47 caps with a change over switch? Maybe you could use a push-pull switch on a pot? Maybe the difference would be greater if the switch placed the .47 in parallel to the 0.1, so giving a total of .57? Would the human ear actually detect a difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1371843258' post='2118819'] Have you tried fitting both 0.1 AND 0.47 caps with a change over switch? Maybe you could use a push-pull switch on a pot? Maybe the difference would be greater if the switch placed the .047 in parallel to the 0.1, so giving a total of .57? Would the human ear actually detect a difference? [/quote] in parallel would give .147uf wouldn't it..but I know what you mean I did think of that, by swtiching between the 'std/typical' .047uf and the .1 uf via a push/pull.....ordered two 250k pot to keep things tidy now I did think my first Westfield p bass had a fantastic slap tone..I know why now, but I've got jazzers for the slappy stuff, P's should be felt not heard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Point taken, I got the decimal point in the wrong place. If it's 0.1 and 0.047, then you're right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Fitted the .1uf cap with existing 500k pots....didnt really make much difference....im going to fit the 250k pots and report back. my tone pots seem to only wind off tone when at 95% setting....should i swop the pot type from linear to log'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Didn't make much difference to the top end available or the treble roll-off when the tone is dialled down? I'd be surprised if that's the case. I experimented quite a bit on my Jazz a couple of years ago and ended up with 500k log volumes, 500k lin tone and .1uF tone cap because it gave me a really big range - a very full-range signal with the tone up and LOTS of roll-off for reggae. Way more of the extremes than I had with the stock electronics (IIRC 250k volumes and a .47uF tone cap). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelLaHash Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Pricing, its all about catchment. Guitar cap £2+ for one Caps 100 for £2 Any thing like that again just ask around, I think one of us would sooner give you it that pay them prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 Didnt make much difference as in still very bright with the .1uf...i when fitted another to check if it was a duff cap. Changed the cap on my vmj.....worked a treat.....these westfield are very bright on 500 pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelLaHash Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 (edited) Should make it sound a bit basser Could use a push/pull pot and switch between two values Think max I could do is four with no hole drilling But that would be (100, 47, 22 and 10nF) with a A1M pot on a push pull switch Edited July 3, 2013 by AngelLaHash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 I've just gone through the same problem. I also installed a push/pull switch to switch between 0.1 and 0.047uf caps. There was some difference between the 2, but not a lot. Mine too is a p-bass. Maybe you can gain something from what I've done. Not that I'm an expert. Also from what I've seen, 500K pots give a brighter sound than 250K. If I were you I'd change them. My bass one I'd just rebuilt with new pups and elects. There was a bright"metalic" twang to the sound. When I looked/listened closer I found this was a especially pronounced on the D and G strings. To resolve it I turned the pup under the D&G round 180 degrees. This sounded a lot better. Still finding it bright to my taste. I tried a few other things. (Not that I've totally "got there yet") I wired the pups direct to the output jack to test is it the pups or the elects. The pups were deep and nice.So I knew the solution has to be in the elects. Like a good-boy I'd wired the new pups in the circuit that Bartolini gave out with the pups. I next took this out of circuit and connected the old elects from the Squier. This made things a lot better. So I changed the wiring of the new pots and cap to the Fender configuration - improvement still. In the new elects I'd installed a nice new [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271083739649?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649"]Sprague Orange Drop cap capacitor .047uf[/url]. I had the luxury of having another cap from the old circuit from my Squier and replaced this - same value. And this has improved it a fair bit. The bass through the elects is still not as deep as from the pups alone. In the new elects I installed some nice small pots. My next step is to change the pots to some top of the range (well, maybe) CTS pots. I'm wondering if the size is also a factor. While I've thought, "a resistor is just a resistor"a pot is also a coil of wire. This coil will, therefore, also add an inductance to the circuit and a back-emf (emf - electro-motive force - for any readers not familiar) So this may also effect the sound. I hope some of this might help, or at least be relevant. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelLaHash Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 (edited) Way to get 4 Tone selections: A1M pot.. open it up and cut a Line down the middle Making it TWO TRACKS (2xA500K) Middle leg to the Pickups as normal and the outer legs to the Middle Pins and ever side of the Push/Pull Switch then have 100nF and 47nF on the bottom of the Push/Pull Switch and 22nF and 10nF on the top of the Push/Pull Switch then tie all the legs together and to ground. Turn one way you got 100nF (Center being 0) and turn the other you got 47nF Pull the Switch up and now you got 22nF one side and 10nF the other SCRUB ALL THAT.. I forgot that A500K was LOG It would only work with a B1K Lin so if you would be happy with that then this should work and ill knock up a demo Lin thats been made in to a LOG with the use of a Resisters, that would mean have a DUAL Pot of 1M and Painted with conductive paints on Left for one and the other right . still working on this .. seems for a dual POT to cut the inner ring is a bit more complex with the 2nd Pot as the Layout of the common pin is a bit different 47nF Cap.. i think i brought some Paper/Oil Russian Caps for cheaper than that.. shocked they have sold so many of them Should go to RS Components a bit more Edited July 3, 2013 by AngelLaHash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) [quote name='iconic' timestamp='1371820951' post='2118506'] I've just been poking around under one of my Westfield B1000 p bass's and this is what I've found:- volume B500K log' pot' tone A500k linear pot' .047uf tone cap' [/quote] That's odd.. I think B500's / B250's are linear and A500's / A250's are Audio ( Log ) , hence the A designation I could be wrong Ooops, just realised its a 3 year old thread Edited January 28, 2016 by fleabag Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) The A and B designations mean nothing. Or at least they do depending on the brand or country of origin. British Standards are A for Linear B for Logarithmic. US standards are the opposite A for log and B for linear. Some ( many ) think A is for Audio. It is not. So if you get a bourns, CTS or Alpha pot it will be A log B Lin, If you get an OMEG pot A is Lin B is Log. Edited January 29, 2016 by Chienmortbb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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