Tone Capacitor Cap Help

stephenq · #1 12-29-2009, 07:29 PM

hey everyone, ok so i have a p bass, (the 1990's all black logo ones if that matters) and i dont really care for the way it sounds, its hard to explain exactly, but in short it just sounds cheap, Im sure mostly due to the fact that it is

because it was cheap i dont want to spend big money, seeing as how it could go to other upgrades to my jazz basses.

long story short..

Should i even bother looking twice at this as an upgrade for the P?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bass-Guitar-Tone...item4399999535

thanks alot in advance

Craig_S · #2 12-29-2009, 07:39 PM

The cap isn't going to get you there. New strings, first, then pickups if needed. Is it an older Squier? I have a 90's Squier Strat that sounds really good. The logo is all black.

CapnSev · #3 12-29-2009, 07:39 PM

Not worth it IMO.

The ultimate tone control for the P bass is this:

http://www.bestbassgear.com/stellart...tyler-bass.htm

**line6man** · #4 12-29-2009, 07:43 PM

All that crap about paper-in-oil capacitors improving your tone is nonsense.

Capacitors pretty much sound the same, provided they are the same values and such.
The people that claim that fancy expensive capacitors sound better are usually upgrading from cheap ceramic capacitors, in which the tolerances can be all over the place.

Just get a decently priced capacitor with a reasonable tolerance, like a metalized film capacitor and that will sound just as good as the paper-in-oil.

I like Orange Drop capacitors.
I get them for $1.49 which is reasonable enough for me.

Clark Dark · #5 12-29-2009, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by line6man

All that crap about paper-in-oil capacitors improving your tone is nonsense.

Capacitors pretty much sound the same, provided they are the same values and such.
The people that claim that fancy expensive capacitors sound better are usually upgrading from cheap ceramic capacitors, in which the tolerances can be all over the place.

Just get a decently priced capacitor with a reasonable tolerance, like a metalized film capacitor and that will sound just as good as the paper-in-oil.
I like Orange Drop capacitors.
I get them for $1.49 which is reasonable enough for me.

+ 1000
the polypropylene metalized film types are every bit as good !!! You can get the Vishay-Sprague Orange Drops from Mouser, .047uf 400V for $1.05 ea..

xaxxat · #6 12-29-2009, 08:18 PM

Xicon poly caps will get it done...

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/electrical_caps.htm

**line6man** · #7 12-29-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clark Dark

+ 1000
the polypropylene metalized film types are every bit as good !!! You can get the Vishay-Sprague Orange Drops from Mouser for around $.79

$0.79?
That's awesome, except the shipping costs of course.

I usually buy all of my components from two electronics stores that I go to and sometimes RadioShack, so I have never had to order anything from Mouser yet. OTOH, the other month I was at Fry's Electronics looking for NTE458 N-Channel JFET transistors and they only had one in stock. I came close to ordering some on Mouser, but the shipping costs discouraged me.

Clark Dark · #8 12-29-2009, 09:07 PM

I had to edit that $.79 price. It seems the higher you go in voltage coupled with a different manufacturer you can get caps for that low price but not the one I specified. (.047uf 400V)..they're $1.05

BassLife77 · #9 12-29-2009, 11:52 PM

I think that ebay Precision cap is all hype. When I was shopping for caps I tried different values of Mallory 150's (.022uf, .047uf, .1uf) until I found one I liked. never tried Orange Drops because I read they mess with the mids.

Craig_S · #10 12-30-2009, 12:33 AM

Again: If the bass sounds like crap, a new capacitor isn't going to fix it. There is more of an issue than that silly little item.

**SamanthaCay** · #11 12-30-2009, 01:07 AM

I got mine for .50 cents from a local shop. I’m not sure of the brand but it's definitely an oil & paper wax sealed cap, also changing your pots can make a huge difference in tone. the higher the value the more frequency will pass, particularly high frequencies as they are more susceptible to passing to ground through resistance. here’s a shot inside my bass. I’ve got two allen bradly 2.5 meg type j pots and a .12 cap this set up can go from sounding almost like the bridge pickup on a j bass to thick bassy mud.