What's So Great About CTS Pots and Orange Drop Capacitor?

[Livewire]

Hey guys,

So while procrastinating at work today, I searched threads about P basses and I saw a few people mentioned they installed CTS pots and an orange drop capacitor in theirs, and apparently swear by them. Can anyone tell me what's so great about them? I currently have a 2010 Fender MIM P Bass in LPB, electronics are stock except I swapped the pickups out for Nordstrand NP4's... So what's the dealio?



Thanks

[bongomania]

It's mostly hype and placebo effect. Those are the things "everyone has to use for good tone", so everyone uses them, and then they swear on a stack of bibles that their tone improved. Don't believe the hype.

On the other hand, a good-quality pot really can sound better than a poor-quality pot. Unlike the tone cap, which is not actually in your signal path, the passive volume or blend pots are in the signal path, and they can conduct better or worse, or have greater or lesser capacitive effect on your signal.

So it may be worth your time to find better-quality pots, whether CTS or some other brand.

[BBKINGBASS]

It usually comes down to long term reliability and value tolerance for the electronic. Pots typically have a lifespan to them and will wear out over time. Just look at the Pots for Wah pedals as a classic example. CTS pots are known for their longer lifespan than cheaper made pots. If you put CTS pots in your bass, you'll most likely never have to worry about them wearing out during the lifespan of the bass, same can't be said about cheaper pots.

[Livewire]

Thanks Bongo/BBKINGBASS, you might have saved me from emptying my wallet out on something I don't need...

The pots that come in Mexican Fender's aren't CTS right?

And if I were to get an Orange drop capacitor, which kind should I look into, there's so many.

[Phendyr_Loon]

Originally Posted by Livewire

Hey guys,

So while procrastinating at work today, I searched threads about P basses and I saw a few people mentioned they installed CTS pots and an orange drop capacitor in theirs, and apparently swear by them. Can anyone tell me what's so great about them? I currently have a 2010 Fender MIM P Bass in LPB, electronics are stock except I swapped the pickups out for Nordstrand NP4's... So what's the dealio?



Thanks

Folks like CTS pots probably because the reputation of quality and since people see them a lot in stock Fenders and Gibsons they can be trusted over aftermarket brands.
I've used CTS pots on a few basses before and they are smoother than any economy pot, but a few bucks more.
Orange Drops are known for being more consistant within a value from cap to cap.
Both are worth the extra cash.

[TheFantod]

Originally Posted by Livewire

The pots that come in Mexican Fender's aren't CTS right?

According to the Fender Forum, the pots used in MIM Fenders are made by CTS.
YMMV

[bjabass]

Electronically your signal doesn't know what brand or color of components it passes through. The resistance of the pot is the same if it costs $3 or $300. The quality will show up in longevity and possibly smoothness of operation. Capacitor tolerance is one of their specifications. Color or manufacturer does not affect this. A .047 microfarad cap at a 5% tolerance will perform the same no matter who made it.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

It's basically as everyone else has said.

Better built pots will have a more accurate taper, more accuate rating and last longer. (I tend to use Alpha pots, never had an issue with them)

Orange drop caps are more accurate than some cheaper caps, that's about the only perk of them, in this application.

[JB696]

The orange drop caps add a little bit of color to an otherwise drab control compartment. I also use CTS sealed pots. Black and brass. Very stylish.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by bongomania

It's mostly hype and placebo effect. Those are the things "everyone has to use for good tone", so everyone uses them, and then they swear on a stack of bibles that their tone improved. Don't believe the hype.

+100!

I laugh when I see posts where someone bought a brand new bass and they almost smugly state the first thing they did was put in CTS pots and Orange Drops! As if they are getting into a secret tone club.

I like Bourns pots and any quality metal film cap. But you know what? Doesn't change the tone from cheap Alpha pots and ceramic caps.

So yeah, it's hype. They are quality parts, but wont change your tone.

[::::BASSIST::::]

Well, I am going to go against the grain here and say that the orange drop capacitor DOES make a noticeable difference... when your tone knob is rolled off. On every bass I play I roll off the tone pot about 1/2 to help achieve my tone. A few years back I read about the .47 orange drop capacitor on TB and decided for $3 it couldnt hurt. After the cap swap I immediately noticed a tone improvement for the better over the cheap cap that was in the bass previously.

YMMV but it worked for me.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

Well, I am going to go against the grain here and say that the orange drop capacitor DOES make a noticeable difference... when your tone knob is rolled off. On every bass I play I roll off the tone pot about 1/2 to help achieve my tone. A few years back I read about the .47 orange drop capacitor on TB and decided for $3 it couldnt hurt. After the cap swap I immediately noticed a tone improvement for the better over the cheap cap that was in the bass previously.

YMMV but it worked for me.

You mean .047µF, right? What value was the original? If they were not exactly the same, then of course you will hear a difference. For example, some tone controls use .1µF. On that cap you would want it half way. Also, some cheap caps are way out of tolerance.

See, here's the problem. Those caps don't cost $3. But because they are a fad, people are overcharging for them.

Here they are for.... $1.32:

715P47354LD3 Vishay/Sprague Polypropylene Film Capacitors

But just about any film cap will sound the same used in a tone circuit.

Like this one for $0.91:

MPXQS47K Cornell Dubilier Polypropylene Film Capacitors

Or this one for $0.48:

1429-2473 Xicon Polypropylene Film Capacitors

Or you can get some polyester film caps like this for $0.17.

1429-2473 Xicon Polypropylene Film Capacitors

You wont hear any difference.

[CapnSev]

I put them in my P bass for two reasons:

1) I wanted to change my cap value, and my volume pot to linear taper and

2) I wanted not to have to open up my bass again for a really long time.


Like others have said, the tone difference is slim to none.

[Bassman822]

BTW- while you are in the control cavity replacing the pots and cap(s), be sure to replace the jack with a good quality Switcraft unit. It won't affect your tone (except that it will make better contact with the plug)

[allexcosta]

It's not just CTS... Actually Noble or Bourns make better components than CTS. It's about lasting longer, being more robust and smoother to turn. That's it...

[::::BASSIST::::]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

You mean .047µF, right? What value was the original? If they were not exactly the same, then of course you will hear a difference. For example, some tone controls use .1µF. On that cap you would want it half way. Also, some cheap caps are way out of tolerance.

See, here's the problem. Those caps don't cost $3. But because they are a fad, people are overcharging for them.

Here they are for.... $1.32:

715P47354LD3 Vishay/Sprague Polypropylene Film Capacitors

But just about any film cap will sound the same used in a tone circuit.

Like this one for $0.91:

MPXQS47K Cornell Dubilier Polypropylene Film Capacitors

Or this one for $0.48:

1429-2473 Xicon Polypropylene Film Capacitors

Or you can get some polyester film caps like this for $0.17.

1429-2473 Xicon Polypropylene Film Capacitors

You wont hear any difference.

You are probably right. Heck, I'm no expert, but whatever technical aspects may be present, the sound with the orange drop was better to my ears.

And yes, .047µF.

[Bassamatic]

We use Alps or Noble first in our audio products, Bourns if it is is something picky or you need a special taper or feature or is has to be sealed. In early days of the cheapo instruments, CTS was probably easier to get from local parts houses and cheaper than Allen-Bradley (the grandpa of pots) to replace the REALLY cheap pots that came with the instrument, so it became the known name amongst musicians. BTW - there are good and there are cheap pots from CTS as well.

Different types of caps DO have different sound, even as a roll-off, as there is some hysteresis to the capacitive action. Film caps are the best and always used for audio coupling, so an Orange Drop may sound "better" than a disc cap, although no one in the audience will be able to tell and it will be no better than any other film cap in this use.

[Datsgor]

They are just pots and caps. Better than some...etc, etc. I have put them in some of my basses, even advertized them as having "cts and orange drop guts", and I think it is an improvement. Could be a plecebo.

[Bill Posters]

Originally Posted by allexcosta

It's not just CTS... Actually Noble or Bourns make better components than CTS. It's about lasting longer, being more robust and smoother to turn. That's it...

This is it for me. I'm unreasonably picky about how smoothly my pots turn. The nicest ones I've ever felt are the Alphas on my Squier CV Tele. The worst ones I've ever felt were the CTS pots on my Highway One P. They were absolutely terrible with a total lack of turning resistance. I recently replaced them with some much nicer feeling CTS pots.

I also took the opportunity to replace the greasebucket circuit with a single treble bleed capacitor. Despite knowing full well it would have little to no affect on the tone I used a 'paper in oil' capacitor purely for the old school vibe. The only time thoughts of tone entered my head was when deciding on the actual value of the cap.

[bongomania]

For the record, the people who posted that the orange drop caps are more "consistent" or "accurate" were talking out their hineys. Period.