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Ceramic Capacitors?
- Thread starter 25oclock
- Start date
The difference is mainly the tolerance. Ceramic capacitors are noted for having tolerances as loose as 80%, whereas other types of capacitors, such as film-based capacitors, are often much tighter. (Like 5%)
Ceramic capacitors are also notably microphonic, but that usually does not matter much.
Ceramic capacitors are also notably microphonic, but that usually does not matter much.
It depends, to an extent, on the application.
If you're talking about a passive tone control on a bass, the answer is no, but I'm sure someone will jump all over me for suggesting that.
If you're talking about a passive tone control on a bass, the answer is no, but I'm sure someone will jump all over me for suggesting that.
The capacitance of the capacitor, along with the impedance of the pickups, determines the frequency cutoff of the tone control. If you allow the capacitance to vary, the effect is like adjusting the frequency control on a parametric equalizer. With a tight tolerance, you know that you are getting a capacitance close to the rating that you have chosen. With a loose tolerance, it's the luck of the draw. You might order a particular capacitance, and actually get a capacitance that is totally different, so the tone control will be brighter or darker than you expected.
The type of cap used in a passive tone makes very little discernable difference, if any.
Microphonics are not really much of a consideration for this application, either, although they can be troublesome in other types of circuits
Most general-purpose ceramics fall in the +/-20% range, which is totally acceptable for a passive tone.
Line6man is absolutely right that there are some very low-grade ceramic caps with terrible tolerances and microphonic tendencies, but the ones you'll typically find in a guitar tone control tend to be of reasonable quality; reliable and stable. More than fine for the task.
Thanks for all the info. This is great. My local Radio Shack offers a ceramic that is +20% for $1.60. Am I safe with RShack or do you think that am I gambling like line6man suggests?
Ok. I'm going for it. The reason I began the thread is because my bass sounds like a towel is muffling it. Tone knob does very little to alter the sound. And because I watched this vid. This guy did a blind test on capacitors for guitars. He took a pretty scientific approach. Interesting.
There are physical and electrical differences between types of capacitors, it's true, and in some types of circuits those differences are audible, but most of the differences only come into play when dealing with very high frequencies, very high voltages, very high temperatures or very tightly tuned resonances and those just aren't really issues you're going to run into in a bass guitar circuit.
It's not that there aren't differences, it's just that we're very unlikely to ever be affected by them.
As line6man pointed out, the capacitance of the tone cap and the impedance of the pickup make a tuned circuit but, as he also pointed out, +/-20% is not going to be an issue unless you've got one heck of a set of ears.
Use your RS caps and solder away!
Thanks I did not know that, that explains why my solid body started feeding back after I swapped the cap for a cheap ceramic.
LoveThatBass
Supporting Member
That doesn't make sense. The capacitor was not to blame.
This is part one of the capacitor test. I just listened with Sennheiser HD280's. The differences are hardly discernible, if at all. Good test.
What your hearing is different capacitance values, he didn't measure them like the first video so there could be a 20+% difference between values.
If your bass is very muffled...change your strings for a new set...that'll bring back some zing. Check your amp and cab...it's possible the muffled sound is due to your output. Go to a good music store with your bass and try out some high end amps / cabs / combos and see if the sound is better.
