Potentiometers

[Bloozcat]

What do you use with 250k pots for a tone cap?
-Ray

Depends on the pickups. With overwound pickups, I usually use Orange Drop 715P-200v caps in .010mf or .015mf. With '60's type winds or vintage winds I usually use .022mf or .033mf. These are the values that I've found to work best for me. You could go to .047mf or as high as .10mf if that's what you like.

The older Strats from the '50's used .10mf and .047mf (or .050mf) caps. Later on they went to the .022mf's.

So, try lower value caps for the darker pickups, and higher value caps for brighter pickups. The only one who can tell you what sounds best to you, is you...so experiment a little. I find that having the right k-ohm value pot is an equal part of the cap/pot equation as well. I'll even try 300k pots with some Strats to get the right tonal balance. They, like the 250k pots have the +/- 10% variance as well, so I'll often use pots that are running in the 265k-285k range.

Of course, this is but a part of the overall equation. There's body wood, bridge materials (especially the inertia block), the nut, action height...etc. Guitars are like a big puzzle and putting them together is half the fun (for me anyway )

[ZoSo65]

Hey Bloozcat, that's some great info your providing, right on the money in my book too
Glad to have you around

[Bloozcat]

Hey Bloozcat, that's some great info your providing, right on the money in my book too
Glad to have you around

Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

I've learned the same way that most everyone else has learned...by listening to others with experience and then applying that information in my own experiments.

When I think back to the days before the internet, it was like the informational dark ages. It's so great to have access to so much information and experience today. And as much fun as it is when you find the right tone formulas with your own equipment, it's just as much fun sharing it with others. It's sort of like a club that we're all members of. We all bring different talents and experiences to the club, and that's what makes the club fun.