Multi-capacitor tone control

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Orange caps are a rip off associated with boutique gear, when in reality they are vastly overpriced and even if their tolerances were tighter, we ain't talking space ships here.

Hey Joe - thanks for the info. As far as the boutique/rip-off issue goes - I'd really rather not start a flame war here. Personally, I don't hear a difference, but that's just speaking for myself - wouldn't wanna suggest others need to hear it that way. Also not sure it matters - we're talking about the difference between $1.89 and $0.39 which is some pretty cheap peace of mind.

[SurferJoe46]

I dunnow - the price, shipping/handling/PayPal/Credit card is just too much money methinks. Then there's the time factor and waiting for the PO or Pony Express for things to arrive.

An Orange Cap will work nicely. (to satisfy the Product Liability lawyers out there) they are just too expensive and not necessary (to satisfy the Truth In Advertising lawyers out there)

[tonebrulee]

Sounds samples here. All three caps have been sampled as both pick and finger styles and at both 100% roll-off (ending in '-100') and 85% roll-off (ending in '-85'). There are two control samples '0-finger' and '0-pick' which have the tone knob dialing the cap out. The bass is going through a little ART tube pre-amp to control the gain going into the computer. No further EQ or processing of any kind.

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I dunnow - the price, shipping/handling/PayPal/Credit card is just too much money methinks. Then there's the time factor and waiting for the PO or Pony Express for things to arrive.

An Orange Cap will work nicely. (to satisfy the Product Liability lawyers out there) they are just too expensive and not necessary (to satisfy the Truth In Advertising lawyers out there)

;-) Cheers mate!

[lareamond]

This is great. I've thought about something like this in the past. You've given me motivation to do it

Sub'd btw.

[Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by tonebrulee

Here is the wiring diagram for how I set things up. I like this scheme b/c it is completely self contained on the switch and might be a little clearer to understand - i.e. you remove the standard cap on the tone pot and wire lugs 2/5 from the switch right to the same points.

OK call me a thickie but I just don't follow how only one cap is used at a time on the diagram. Can someone explain it to me in simple terms.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by Pharaoh

OK call me a thickie but I just don't follow how only one cap is used at a time on the diagram. Can someone explain it to me in simple terms.

The switching goes like this:

Follow the signal path for each position.

[Pharaoh]

Thanks! Now I get it.

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by line6man

FYI folks - this diagram is for two different DPDT switches. The 3 positions shown in the left column is the ON-ON-ON switch that I use in this circuit. The right column shows what is called a "center-ON" switch and is more commonly found. The two switches only differ in their center position. If you used the center-ON switch in this circuit, the center position would put all three caps in parellel rather than selecting just the 3rd cap.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by tonebrulee

FYI folks - this diagram is for two different DPDT switches. The 3 positions shown in the left column is the ON-ON-ON switch that I use in this circuit. The right column shows what is called a "center-ON" switch and is more commonly found. The two switches only differ in their center position. If you used the center-ON switch in this circuit, the center position would put all three caps in parellel rather than selecting just the 3rd cap.

I usually use that diagram to indicate which type of DPDT On-On-On switch must be used for whatever application I'm explaining, hence the arrow at the bottom pointing to the switch function on the left. Come to think of it, I should make new diagrams that show just the one switch, for times like this when the other type of switch is irrelevant and only causes confusion.

If you have the type of DPDT switch shown on the right, you can still select between three cap values, however, your middle position is going to be the sum of the capacitances from positions 1 and 3.

[NorCal Dog]

interesting thread

was bored this evening & watching a rerun on tv, so i whipped one of these on-on-on switches, already had all the ceramic caps, & had a 4hole plate from a squier, was a pretty simple project, & was in no hurry, so it took about an hour





will test it out tomorrow

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by line6man

I usually use that diagram to indicate which type of DPDT On-On-On switch must be used for whatever application I'm explaining, hence the arrow at the bottom pointing to the switch function on the left. Come to think of it, I should make new diagrams that show just the one switch, for times like this when the other type of switch is irrelevant and only causes confusion.

Yeah, I think part of the confusion is how these switches are named. In technical terms they are both a kind of on-on-on, but the one on left actually has the name of "ON-ON-ON" - i.e. that's how it is listed and sold - while the one on the right is called "center-ON" and gets listed that way.

Originally Posted by line6man

If you have the type of DPDT switch shown on the right, you can still select between three cap values, however, your middle position is going to be the sum of the capacitances from positions 1 and 3.

Right - the center-ON switch is what you would use for the "guitarnuts" circuit linked to earlier by markanini.

Cheers!

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dog

was bored this evening & watching a rerun on tv, so i whipped one of these on-on-on switches, already had all the ceramic caps, & had a 4hole plate from a squier, was a pretty simple project, & was in no hurry, so it took about an hour

Hey, nice. What cap values are you using?

[NorCal Dog]

the same as you used, .047 .022 .0047

[line6man]

Originally Posted by tonebrulee

Yeah, I think part of the confusion is how these switches are named. In technical terms they are both a kind of on-on-on, but the one on left actually has the name of "ON-ON-ON" - i.e. that's how it is listed and sold - while the one on the right is called "center-ON" and gets listed that way.



Right - the center-ON switch is what you would use for the "guitarnuts" circuit linked to earlier by markanini.

Cheers!

The switch on the left is also known as an SP3T.

[TomA1234]

Originally Posted by line6man

The switching goes like this:

Follow the signal path for each position.

Why couldn't they just make it simple and have it so that the opposite pins are connected rather than some strange pattern? It would make things so much easier!

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by TomA1234

Why couldn't they just make it simple and have it so that the opposite pins are connected rather than some strange pattern? It would make things so much easier!

I know that might seem right in an intuitive way, but that pattern wouldn't give you anything like the ON-ON-ON pattern. The key part of the pattern is that you get a single pair of lugs (middle pair) that are common to all three positions and can be used as the input/output for the circuit, along with a unique "open" pair of lugs for each toggle position that you can bridge with whatever you want to insert into the circuit. If you look at the diagram I drew and add in the lines for each of the 3 toggle positions, you will see how the pattern works and how elegant it is. I can understand though how confusing it might seem before you see what's really going on.

[TomA1234]

I now have a 3 pole 4 way rotary switch and the appropriate capacitors. I have figured out how to wire it up but won't be able to wire it up until my T bird is re finished.

[tonebrulee]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dog

the same as you used, .047 .022 .0047

Hey - I just now noticed that your axe is a J-bass setup with a P-bass pickup. Cool idea - seems like an obvious design to try, but I don't think I've ever seen that before. Wondering if it sounds completely like a P-bass or whether the neck/body differences have a significant impact on the tone? I could imagine they would - the tone on any electric guitar/bass starts with an acoustic profile. More important as a factor with clean tones though rather than processed/stomped ones.

[scotch]

Yup, love having different cap options! I went with an outboard passive solution- 10 combinations with an inductor 'choke' available on a push/pull tone pot!