Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

sleepingtiger wrote:Anybody , who really knows, care to explain the "bass-cut" cap(s) to this idiot?

Tony

Be careful what you ask for, there are folks here that can really make you feel like an idiot after they fully explain what that cap is doing to the signal.

All I want to know is how the clockwise revolution of the knob will effect tone if I substitute a .0047 cap & possibly an explanation of the basic tone. I'm not asking for "Capacitors 101".

Tony

sleepingtiger wrote:All I want to know is how the clockwise revolution of the knob will effect tone if I substitute a .0047 cap & possibly an explanation of the basic tone. I'm not asking for "Capacitors 101".
Tony

OK, let's start over.

For stock wired, two-pickup guitars with the inline .0047 capcitor to the bridge pickup: this capacitor affects the bridge pickup only, by cutting the lows, and its musical effect, to our ears, is to increase jangle.

The 5th knob is wired to the neck pickup and only affects the volume of the neck pickup only. The 5th knob does not affect tone; it is only a second volume control to the neck pickup to help balance the relative volume of the neck and bridge pickups.

And each of these functions is in addition to the fact that each pickup has its own volume and tone (treble roll-off) control.

OK, so at it's extreme counterclockwise rotation it would be "normal" & at extreme clockwise it would be full bass-cut, correct?

Tony

sleepingtiger wrote:OK, so at it's extreme counterclockwise rotation it would be "normal" & at extreme clockwise it would be full bass-cut, correct? Tony

It's not bass cut. It's volume cut to the neck pickup. That said, your observation of the operation of the control is correct.

Just to clarify, I wa referring to the tone control, not the "Blend" or 5th knob.

Tony

sleepingtiger wrote:Just to clarify, I wa referring to the tone control, not the "Blend" or 5th knob. Tony

On a stock two-pickup instrument, each pickup has its own volume control and tone control. Each of the two tone controls is a roll-off, so on each of the the tone controls, all the way clockwise, as looking at it from the front, is full treble - no rolloff; full counter-clockwise is treble completely rolled off.

Well, now I have a master tone, but if I switch the cap to .0047, it would be a bass rolloff rather than treble, correct?

Tony

sleepingtiger wrote:Well, now I have a master tone, but if I switch the cap to .0047, it would be a bass rolloff rather than treble, correct? Tony

NO!!! The .0047 cap is between the pickup and the volume control, and the tone control is downstream after that. It's not wired to a control.

http://www.rickenbacker.com/pdfs/19511.pdf

Look at this diagram. C3 is the .0047 in-line "jangle" capacitor. Notice it is between the pickup and the controls. The controls are later. Even if you are not versed in reading electronic schematic diagrams, it's easy to see that the arrows are the control pots.

If you want this capacitor, have your tech wire it with a push-pull from RIC on the bridge pickup volume control as you have it on your guitar, so that you have "straight" or "jangle" on the bridge pickup when you pull or push the bridge pickup volume control.

Thanks for your time & patience! Seeing that I almost never use the standard tone control, I could substitute the .0047 for the tone cap, right? The tone is already on a push/push pot.

Tony

sleepingtiger wrote:Thanks for your time & patience! Seeing that I almost never use the standard tone control, I could substitute the .0047 for the tone cap, right? The tone is already on a push/push pot.

Tony

NO!!! It's not a substitute for a tone cap. It is a separate component used specifically on the bridge pickup only between the pickup and the center lug of its volume knob. for jangle.

Scott, you have the patience of a grasshopper teacher!

I understand how it WAS used, I just wanted to know if I used it how I described, what the effect would be. The current tone control TO ME is useless. Therefore a a switchable .0047 alternative, MIGHT be desireable, depending on the result. I thought maybe you could inform me if it had a similar effect as a tone cap substitute. I guess I'll just have to try it & see. I'm not concerned with the wiring being "vintage", just useful TO ME.

Thanks for Your Time,
Tony

Caps are used to roll off the treble as used in a typical/normal tone control; on a Rick the .0047µF cap is used in line with the pickup to roll off the bass, does that make more sense, now?

To do what I want, I guess I'll have to wire it in line to the bridge pickup, & switchable via the push/push on the tone control. Do I make sense now....for a change?

Tony