surf green
Squier-holic
Got cheap pickups? Here's an easy and fast mod that maybe worth a try, before considering replacement. Waylon adds tone caps to individual pickups to directly change the sound and demos the results.
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Add a cap-save an SE Strat
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Diavolo
Squier-holic
I saw that video the other day.
Bit skeptical if it's a practical solution.
I've messed with resistors and caps before to change tones.
If you like single coils and have no money to buy anything new and happen to have a bunch of spare time and caps laying around to experiment then ok...
Considering you can get a really nice set of alnico single coils for like $25, new pickups seem like a more cost and time effective solution for an upgrade that yields better results.
Bit skeptical if it's a practical solution.
I've messed with resistors and caps before to change tones.
If you like single coils and have no money to buy anything new and happen to have a bunch of spare time and caps laying around to experiment then ok...
Considering you can get a really nice set of alnico single coils for like $25, new pickups seem like a more cost and time effective solution for an upgrade that yields better results.
archetype
Fiend of Leo's
It can be a simple process. I've tried different caps using two jumpers with alligator clips on the ends, both hanging out from under the edge of the pickguard. That's allowed me to settle on a value and fine tune a neck pickup when height and tilt didn't get the tone where I wanted it.
Diavolo
Squier-holic
thats the way to do it!
i'm just saying; if you don't already have the caps laying around, its pointless to spent $20 or more on caps, when you can just upgrade the pickups for less cost and time.
from my understanding the caps are just acting like a filter bleeding off some frequencies, so you could also just ya know, wire them to a pot and turn it into an adjustable tone control
archetype
Fiend of Leo's
thats the way to do it!
i'm just saying; if you don't already have the caps laying around, its pointless to spent $20 or more on caps, when you can just upgrade the pickups for less cost and time.
from my understanding the caps are just acting like a filter bleeding off some frequencies, so you could also just ya know, wire them to a pot and turn it into an adjustable tone control
Cool. Sometimes the goal is best and most easily served with different pickups. Sometimes the goal is just to fine tune what you have with $0.50 capacitors.
In this case, the cap doesn't bleed frequencies to ground like a tone control. It's in series with the pickup and the value of the cap determines the low end of the band that it passes. It works like an inter-stage coupling cap in an amp, like between the preamp and the driver stages.
In a Fender 5E3 tweed Deluxe, a 0.1 MFD cap passes a lot of low end, so the amp may be loose and ratty. Using a 0.047 cap cuts off the low end at a higher frequency and 'tightens up' the amp's low end. A 0.022 passes even less low end. Etc...
Diavolo
Squier-holic
...if capacitors were $0.50 then yes.
unless theres an electronic store near you, online options aren't practical from what I've found.
either spend $12 on a kit for like 240 pieces of cheapy capacitors which you will only use a couple of, and then have literally hundreds still laying around, useless.
Or you can buy a few for around $2 each and then pay $6 for shipping.. and then end up spending $12 again.
Then waste time soldering them in and hoping the results are something, and its something you like.
It just makes more sense to ME to spend $26 for some kick ass pickups and know the results will be good.
G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) 803173490124 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
But where is the fun and challenge if all you have to do is install them....if capacitors were $0.50 then yes.
unless theres an electronic store near you, online options aren't practical from what I've found.
either spend $12 on a kit for like 240 pieces of cheapy capacitors which you will only use a couple of, and then have literally hundreds still laying around, useless.
Or you can buy a few for around $2 each and then pay $6 for shipping.. and then end up spending $12 again.
Then waste time soldering them in and hoping the results are something, and its something you like.
It just makes more sense to ME to spend $26 for some kick ass pickups and know the results will be good.
G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) 803173490124 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
It's not a true mod or build if you don't have to redesign the pyramids to make it work.
...if capacitors were $0.50 then yes.
unless theres an electronic store near you, online options aren't practical from what I've found.
either spend $12 on a kit for like 240 pieces of cheapy capacitors which you will only use a couple of, and then have literally hundreds still laying around, useless.
Or you can buy a few for around $2 each and then pay $6 for shipping.. and then end up spending $12 again.
Then waste time soldering them in and hoping the results are something, and its something you like.
It just makes more sense to ME to spend $26 for some kick ass pickups and know the results will be good.
G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) 803173490124 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for G.M. 62'z Alnico 5 Single Coil Pickup Set (white) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
I personally like to tinker and solder and mod, and have done what you suggest with $25 pickup sets, and wasn't pleased with them out of the box, so then you're out $25 and back where you started.
And as for the cap mods, Mouser.com has $4.99 shipping for small orders, you have to make an account, then this shows up as a shipping choice during checkout. They have any cap you would ever need for this kind of thing for pennies a piece, and they are fast. ceramic caps are fine for the pf range, "chicklet" type polyester film caps for higher values and in a guitar low voltage ratings are just fine and cheaper. You can buy an assortment and be outfitted for life probably for for under your stated $12.
Pick your own poison! YMMV
