Capacitors

[NancyJohnson]

I've owned a couple of Precision basses over the years, an old '79 Fender (gone) and a '78 Aria beater.

Both had been through a handful of pickup installations from the basic (bypass tone and wire into the jack) to 18v EMG pickup set.

I've just put a Delano in the Aria and while it does sound lively, I've been giving some thought to the tone pot capacitor option. Will changing the capacitor do much to change the feel or better the overall tone of the pickup?

If so, recommendations?

[BigRedX]

Only insomuch as the tolerances of the sorts of capacitors used in guitars (and basses) are not very tight, ±15% IIRC. Therefore two different capacitors of the same supposed value might have quite different actual effects.

[NancyJohnson]

While I've yet to try the Delano in a full tilt rehearsal, the tone at lower volumes has a fairly pleasing mid-scoop.

What I'd like to do is somehow retain the tone of the lows/mid-scoop and cap the level of highs hitting my pre-amp.

[Grangur]

Are you playing the bass with the tone full open, or adjusted to cut the treble at all?

If it's full open, then what you're hearing is the pup, pure and simple, with very little influence from the capacitor at all.

[BigRedX]

Also if you've got no tone control at all in the circuit at present, then it will sound different as soon as you wire one in, no matter what value or type of capacitor you use, as some top end is always filtered off even with the tone control set to 10.

[BassBunny]

Do you mean chaging the value of the capacitor and what effect will it have? The standard cap is probaly 0.047uf a 0.1uf cap will give a more vintage roll off, whilst in the wide open postion it will be the same as any other cap.

[rmorris]

you can experiment with caps - as indicated smaller cap means the frequency roll off starts higher.
But why not use the EQ on the preamp itself - it'll doubtless give you much more control whatever type it is ?

[Downdown]

[quote name='rmorris' timestamp='1487255838' post='3238416']
But why not use the EQ on the preamp itself - it'll doubtless give you much more control whatever type it is ?
[/quote]

This.

[NancyJohnson]

Sometimes I kind of have these ideas in my head that just seem to make sense to me and when I try to quantify things, it doesn't really come out right. It's a curse.

Let's assume the tonal range of my bass is represented on a scale 1-10, with 1 being the bass side and 10 being treble/full open. If I roll the tone back halfway, theoretically I should just be hearing a range of 1-5 (with the lower frequencies intact), yes?

Now then, is it possible that the tone will alter (or bleed) across the entire frequency range, thus rather than above 1-5, I would get 3-5?

Hopefully, this makes some sense...I fully understand about treble cut, but the bass previously sounded less robust when I rolled off the tone.

Edited February 16, 2017 by NancyJohnson

[Grangur]

Are you asking if, by using a different size of capacitor, you might get something like a scooped sound?

I think the answer to this is "no"

[Norris]

What you described is a notch filter if I understood correctly

[Norris]

Have a look at the Jack Bruce (ish) build thread by Andyjr1515. There was quite a bit of discussion about notch filters and Andy had a couple as switch options

[rmorris]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1487278280' post='3238652']
Are you asking if, by using a different size of capacitor, you might get something like a scooped sound?

I think the answer to this is "no"
[/quote]

+1
Basically you won't get a notch / scoop with a simple passive tone circuit.
Also the impedance seen by the pickup alters with the setting so that affects the sound itself.

[MoonBassAlpha]

One of my basses is fitted with a Kent Armstrong Tone Choke. In one position it gives a mid scoop, in the other, a mid bump. There is another switch that gives a shift in the points these occur. It's not as extreme as an active mid but very usable, and no batteries!
There's also a pot to dictate how much scoop/bump you hear.

[Saved]

Artec has an active control with mid boost/cut and push/pull for on/off.I have it in one bass and is very good

[ikay]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1487277935' post='3238646']
is it possible that the tone will alter (or bleed) across the entire frequency range, thus rather than above 1-5, I would get 3-5?
[/quote]

I'm not sure I'm reading this correctly, but with the new Delano do you feel that the lows don't feel as robust when you roll the tone off (ie. you're losing freq 1-2)?