Older P's - under the hood - capacitor regime

[Longwheelbass]

Whacked in a 0.1 cap into my parts P yesterday (its a 68 body with 74 neck and 75 pickups that usually runs a 0.05 cap) Anyone done this to their old P Bass? I think the factory was still dropping 0.1s into the P bass until 62 or 63? Am I right?
Anyways, it seems to have made the bass sound a lot woodier/less top end as per the physics of a higher rated cap. Akin to a 50's P. Also makes it sound more different than my 74 with its OG 0.05 cap.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

I have only noticed tone from capacitors changing when the tone knob is actually being used. I personally did not like the 0.1 I put in a P bass. Too wooly.

 

[ad9000]

I ordered a couple of .01 caps a while back but I haven't tried putting them in a bass yet. My regime is usually to put in a .005 orange drop cap if a bass has a stock .002 cap, which I just did in the '77 Jazz with the finish issue. Seeing this thread inspires me to experiment with an .01 cap - maybe I'll drop one in my Road Worn P with flats and see how it works.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

Here is a different approach to tone control that some may find useful:

HOME - Stellartone

tone control

stellartone.com

 

[mikecd1]

I have an old 80's USA Peavey Pbass and had to replace electronics and the Fender pure vintage tone pot came with a .1 film cap and I have no complaints. For me when I use a passive tone control I hover around the area of turn where it just seems to engage and then back off a little. How the cap affects tone at that point is what I'm interested in. I like the orange drops and have them in some basses as well, but get the clarity and a little extra bottom with the .1 when I just barely hit the engage point it if that makes sense. Fully engaging any passive tone pot is not really a sound I'm interest in. I have enjoyed some paper in oil tone caps around .5 and this thread has peaked my curiosity what a PIO .1 cap might sound like.

 

[bassdude51]

If we're into "mud".........go 0.1 cap. ()

 

[Root 5]

Whacked in a 0.1 cap into my parts P yesterday (its a 68 body with 74 neck and 75 pickups that usually runs a 0.05 cap) Anyone done this to their old P Bass? I think the factory was still dropping 0.1s into the P bass until 62 or 63? Am I right?
Anyways, it seems to have made the bass sound a lot woodier/less top end as per the physics of a higher rated cap. Akin to a 50's P. Also makes it sound more different than my 74 with its OG 0.05 cap.

I LOVE .1uf capacitors and the high roll off I get. I do it with my guitars too.

I never understand the folks who say to put a .015 - .022uf cap in a LP style guitar.

The lowest value I will use in a guitar or bass guitar is .047uf

 

[Longwheelbass]

I LOVE .1uf capacitors and the high roll off I get. I do it with my guitars too.

I never understand the folks who say to put a .015 - .022uf cap in a LP style guitar.

The lowest value I will use in a guitar or bass guitar is .047uf

Yeah I'm the same, I'm waiting on a Jazz body to arrive so I can use it with just the neck pickup installed and a 0.05 cap.

 

[Root 5]

I have only noticed tone from capacitors changing when the tone knob is actually being used. I personally did not like the 0.1 I put in a P bass. Too wooly.

Back to re-education camp for you!

 

[Root 5]

The ‘mud’ sounds amazing!

 

[Longwheelbass]

I have only noticed tone from capacitors changing when the tone knob is actually being used. I personally did not like the 0.1 I put in a P bass. Too wooly.

I write a lot of trip hop trash so the woolly is perfect for that without having to take out a mortgage to buy a good set of flats. My other P the 74 is bone stock with a 0.05 and that does the bitier tunes I write beautifully.

 

[Longwheelbass]

Here is a different approach to tone control that some may find useful:

HOME - Stellartone

tone control

stellartone.com

Ooh they're cool. Clever cats!

 

[micguy]

I have only noticed tone from capacitors changing when the tone knob is actually being used. I personally did not like the 0.1 I put in a P bass. Too wooly.

Yes - if you hear a difference when the tone control is at max, you're "hearing things" that aren't there:

Thread 'How Tone controls work'

Mar 18, 2024

On a lot of threads, I end up trying to explain to people how passive tone controls on basses work (spoiler - they don't work like you think they do). Though they are simple circuits, the reactive nature of the pickups feeding them results in behavior you wouldn't really expect - they don't just "turn down the treble". Anyway, having designed circuits and other pro audio stuff for a living, Spice simulations (they way we predict circuit behavior before building prototypes) are in my wheelhouse. I won't go into tall the details of this (you need to characterize the pickups, which is a non-...

• micguy
• Replies: 165
• Forum: Pickups & Electronics [BG]

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[Bass4ThePublic]

I write a lot of trip hop trash so the woolly is perfect for that without having to take out a mortgage to buy a good set of flats. My other P the 74 is bone stock with a 0.05 and that does the bitier tunes I write beautifully.

Flatwounds are what, $40 and you only have to buy them once. In the long run they’re cheaper than rounds.

 

[micguy]

Flatwounds are what, $40 and you only have to buy them once. In the long run they’re cheaper than rounds.

Roundwounds are a bit cheaper, and if you play them long enough, they become flats - at least sonically.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

I have a six position rotary switch in the tone pot hole of my PBass with the 1st position open and positions 2-6 with caps .01uf, .022uf, .033uf, .047uf and .10uf. It’s essentially a home-made Stellartone control.

In the volume pot hole I have 250k/250k ohm dual concentric pots with the top knob as volume and the “ring” knob as the tone control. I keep the tone fully counter-clockwise (clockdumb) most of the time and click to the cap I want to use with the rotary switch. With the first three caps (.01, .22, & .33) I usually leave the tone ring fully clockwise, but with the .047uf & .10uf caps I’ll turn the tone ring a little clockwise to thin-out some of the mud depending on the song. I play most of the time with the cap selector on .01uf & select more treble reduction from there.

 

[Havin Fun]

I have a Nordstrand Tone Drop in one of my passive basses. Push/pull tone knob: 0.047 down, 0.1 up. Nice to have the flexibility.

 

[Longwheelbass]

I have a six position rotary switch in the tone pot hole of my PBass with the 1st position open and positions 2-6 with caps .01uf, .022uf, .033uf, .047uf and .10uf. It’s essentially a home-made Stellartone control.

In the volume pot hole I have 250k/250k ohm dual concentric pots with the top knob as volume and the “ring” knob as the tone control. I keep the tone fully counter-clockwise (clockdumb) most of the time and click to the cap I want to use with the rotary switch. With the first three caps (.01, .22, & .33) I usually leave the tone ring fully clockwise, but with the .047uf & .10uf caps I’ll turn the tone ring a little clockwise to thin-out some of the mud depending on the song. I play most of the time with the cap selector on .01uf & select more treble reduction from there.

Damn you're the bass scientist I wish lived a few short blocks away.

 

[edwinhurwitz]

Roundwounds are a bit cheaper, and if you play them long enough, they become flats - at least sonically.

Flatwounds are cheaper in the long run. The Pyramids on my Starfire get changed every 4-5 years. I’ve never had rounds that last that long.

 

[GeddyLeeIsNotMe]

I have only noticed tone from capacitors changing when the tone knob is actually being used. I personally did not like the 0.1 I put in a P bass. Too wooly.

Did you think you would notice with the tone cap 99% bypassed?