Change a pickup's resonant frequency and tone with a loading capacitor

[NotAGardener]

From your description , you’re putting capacitors in a different position than where a loading cap would be. A loading cap does not take away the tone control’s function.

Your description of using a higher value in the normal tone cap position is spot on- at max tone there is no audible difference across a wide range of capacitor values. There’s a thread on how tone controls work (a sticky) that describes this (with response curves)

I placed the loading cap per the instructions in post #1, second para: "just add a capacitor between the pickup hot lead, where it connects to the volume pot, and ground"

But: I think I removed the tone cap prior to the loading cap exercise! Did I just prove that absent it's cap the tone pot becomes inert?

 

[micguy]

I placed the loading cap per the instructions in post #1, second para: "just add a capacitor between the pickup hot lead, where it connects to the volume pot, and ground"

But: I think I removed the tone cap prior to the loading cap exercise! Did I just prove that absent it's cap the tone pot becomes inert?

A .1uF cap from the hot to ground has the exact same loading as a .1uF (twice the "normal" capacitor value) in the tone circuit, with the tone control "off". It's also equivalent to about a half mile of extra cable. The fact that you didn't hear much difference means....either:

1) You had the cap connected somewhere else, or....

2) (forgive me) you really should have your hearing checked.

I'm betting on #1 - something in the intricacies of your bass's wiring wasn't quite what you though it was.

And yes, if you remove the capacitor from the tone circuit, the tone control does absolutely nothing.

 

[NotAGardener]

My hearing is pretty good; #1 seems the most likely culprit and I'm a little more knowledgeable for the next time I mess around with it; but it sounds awfully good now.

Thanks for the help.

 

[NotAGardener]

My G&L Kiloton tone cap experiment conclusion (instrument adjusted for same/same volume, using 0.1 and 0.129mF caps):

First: What drove this exercise for me was simply the philosophical notion that if three modes existed then they ought to provide very different tonal profiles. What I now realize is that the three mode switch just made it a puzzling and somewhat frustrating instrument; I spent time chasing PU mode tonal differences that for all practical purposes don’t exist.

To My Ears: The three PU modes of the Kiloton don’t differ in any meaningful way except that series mode starts at a darker timbre (tone pot between zero and ~20%) and is louder throughout it’s range; otherwise everything available in one configuration is available in the others; an amp can easily make up for the initial series difference I noted. The the tonal endpoints (tone @ full CW) are the same for all three.

No longer puzzled or frustrated, I find it a wonderful bass though I (at present) much prefer higher value tone caps than the stock 0.047mF unit (interestingly the SB-1 uses a 0.1mF cap). I may take a look at the caps between 0.047 and 0.1 in the context of my better understanding of the instrument but there is no longer any pressing need.

 

[Ach]

Necrobump to this thread.

I have added a 2.2nF loading cap to my Nordstrand MM5.4 pickup to make the Lakland 55-02 sound like a Stingray (EBMM 3EQ Stingrays have a loading capacitor onboard their preamp).

It worked really well.

Ref:

A

Post in thread 'Lakland Owners Group #69'

Jul 12, 2026

The long promised report on my attempt to make the Nordstrand MM5.4 bridge pickup to sound like MM Stingray.
In short: I think i made it sound much closer.

The results sound sample (use headphones!): Nordstrand MM5.4 bridge pickup: no capacitor vs 2.2nF capacitor
Wiring schematic below.

What has been done:
A lot of online research and ultimately the findings of Youtuber Mikedeeez (StingRay Bass 2-Band (2EQ) vs 3-Band (3EQ) Preamps Explained + Hear the EXACT Sound Difference!). All that got me thinking that the key part of the MM tone is the...

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