Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2020 12:38:41 GMT -6
Aug 13, 2020 14:21:33 GMT -6 @eagleblues said:
It always comes back to the "Tone" word. I was trying to point out that in the grand scheme of things, all of this worrying over what make a better "tone" gets lost. Everyone one of us has some kind of an idea on what we like. The "tone" that one likes is not always going to be tone that someone else likes.
"tone" is subjective. I try really hard at getting the best sound that I can with what I have.
Depending on the amp I am playing through can and does effect the sound a lot! A lot more than caps, and pots we use in a guitar.
Yes, I do know how filter caps in tube amps can go out of speck. And of course some other components as well. I have also heard by changing these in a tube amps that I have worked on, you can get a much better sound than stock. I have now recapped about 12 tube amps. Mostly Fender amps. BY changing a few things you can alter the sound of that amp.
I like working on tube amps. To me if someone really wanted to argue about their "tone" they should start with the amp they are using.
Yes Dane, I do like the PIO caps. I have not used then in a long time. I was using Orange drops for a long while. Only because I had found a great deal on them on eBay. So I bought a big lot of orange caps of different values. I wish I would have kept some of them now. But when I sold off all my parts they were part of that deal. OH well..
So many things can effect "tone"
"tone" is subjective. I try really hard at getting the best sound that I can with what I have.
Depending on the amp I am playing through can and does effect the sound a lot! A lot more than caps, and pots we use in a guitar.
Yes, I do know how filter caps in tube amps can go out of speck. And of course some other components as well. I have also heard by changing these in a tube amps that I have worked on, you can get a much better sound than stock. I have now recapped about 12 tube amps. Mostly Fender amps. BY changing a few things you can alter the sound of that amp.
I like working on tube amps. To me if someone really wanted to argue about their "tone" they should start with the amp they are using.
Yes Dane, I do like the PIO caps. I have not used then in a long time. I was using Orange drops for a long while. Only because I had found a great deal on them on eBay. So I bought a big lot of orange caps of different values. I wish I would have kept some of them now. But when I sold off all my parts they were part of that deal. OH well..
So many things can effect "tone"
I can hear a big difference in an acoustic guitars sound if someone is sitting or standing while playing. If sitting the sound gets more on the thick side. Only because most people slouch over the guitar. So when they stand the guitar can breath more and it sound more open.
I wonder if that turn buckle changed the "tone" of that acoustic I seen... Hum...
I guess as long as there are people that play guitar the subject of "Tone" will always be talked about! LOL!
EB
Concerning the tone caps, I've heard them all and we use the little green cheap ones in the shop. The key is using a good quality pot to solder it to. Make sure you check the resistance of pots before you install them. It is not like the old days - even the good brands have some pretty crazy variance.
What I like to see is a guy like Billy Strings pick u a so-so guitar and completely destroy it, making it sound like it just came down from Mount Olympus on the wings of doves...then somebody else pick it up and it sounds like it just came out of a container from China. Never underestimate the power of a good player!
One more thing - the old Centralab pots used in old Gibson do sound different. They had a different composition in the trace...probably more dangerous to work with than the new pots. That's why you see guys rob them out of old Silvertones and even old Gibson archtops in order to install them in their new R9 reissues.
John
Yep I have seen a big change in the pots in the 25 years or so. I see a lot of people complaining about them all the time on other forums.
The one thing I pride myself on is soldering. I see so many guitars that have BAD (not in a good way) soldering in them.
For me, I think that use of good wire is as important as the pots and caps themselves. I now only use good high end wire. When I first started I was using cheap wire. But since I started using better wire I don't get all that noise in my guitars like some people experience.
In some of the Squire's and EPI's I now replace the wires when I can to better stuff. Seems to make a difference in the way the guitar sounds and really cuts down on noise.
I like my guitar to be dependable. One reason I have been changing things in some guitars, is, that when I pickup a guitar and it's been sitting in a case for a long while, I hate it that something does not work right. Like a switch or pot! And even the input jack. LOL! I cannot tell you how many times I had picked up a guitar to take to a gig and have problems with the guitar at the gig. Yes I should have checked it before take the guitar. But you know how we get in a hurry and grab what is close to ya! LOL! It always seems to be the one guitar I had not upgraded the pot, switch and input jack.
But I have learned my lesson on buying the cheap stuff. And yes it seem some of the higher end stuff is not much better at times. The quality is just not like it use to be. So sad. It gets so frustrating when working on guitars and having to replace things in them because of faulty components. Some of the stuff made in China I wish I could box it up and send it back to them. Makes me angry that we have to put up with junk!
One time I bought a big lot of 250k and 500k pots. Out of the lot I only used like 4 out of both lots. The rest were junk! Never again will I buy like that again. I stopped buying from China a long time ago.
But I have learned that China has warehouses here in the USA and now ship you parts that are already here.
I don't trust a lot on eBay any more, due to the fact that if you buy form a supposed USA seller and they are out of that part you will get it form China. Read how long it take to get the item. if it says it will take up to 2 to 3 weeks then it's not a US business selling the parts. I have had this happen to me twice. I click on what is said to be from the USA, only to find out after buying it was changed to a China address. I don't see how they can get away with that. But it does happen.
EB
