Caps - what do we reckon..?

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:46 pm

Just ordered some CTS pots and new caps for my Epi SG. Just wondering what people think of the alternate types of caps out there and if they make a real difference. Are Bumble Bees really worth paying so much money for when a decent quality orange drop can be purchased for a fraction of the cost with exactly the same spec (and probably with more accurate tolerances just by the nature of the materials they are made from) ? It's not like your punching huge voltages through the thing, and they don't do anything with your tone up full. Am I missing something?

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:35 am

From my limited experience, I couldn't tell the difference.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 7:08 am

I've never really noticed a huge difference with caps, especially bumblebees which are priced way high because of "mojo" and their history with Gibson... orange drops and even cheaper ceramic caps are fine. The only bumblebee I have came with some ex-Custom Shop Gibson electronics (pre-wired Junior pots/cap) and I have an identical guitar with identical wiring that has some yellow sprague capacitor (not a legendary guitar-related sprague, just something I ordered in bulk from a place called Talon ages ago) in it, there's no perceivable difference when they're plugged and I'm messing with the tone knobs all the time on those guitars. I used orange drops in a G400 and didn't notice a difference between a little ceramic cap I'd had in previously or the green cap that was stock...

The CTS pots will probably require a slight reaming of the holes in your Epi btw, unless they're metric spec ones (I think these actually exist, can't remember). I've done this a few times with Epis and with some import kits too, just a warning in case it throws you off when they don't fit.

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:54 am

Yeah, I thought as much. If you have a 1950's Les Paul and the caps need replacing, I can see the point in keeping things original, and Â£80 for a couple of caps doesn't seem too bad when you have an instrument worth thousands. But apart from that, can't see the point to be honest.

Paul - Thanks for the heads up. I figured I would probably have to open the holes a little. Sand paper at the ready!!

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:15 pm

electric current does not recognize mojo arrows. so therefor. niether will your ears.

Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 9:59 pm

Ok, swapping out the caps and pots for better quality ones is worth doing. More tonal range from the pickups and everything just sounds sweeter.

One thing I will not use again is waxed cloth wire. I found it a complete pain to strip, it just kept fraying at the ends! There is a reason cable is wrapped in plastic these days. It does the job of insulating cable perfectly, which is all you want it to do and is easy to strip it neatly. Still the wax wire looks cool......not that you can see it!!!!

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 10:48 pm

Fan of braided metal insulated wire in Gibson-style cavities, real fast/easy work with the right clippers. Cloth wire tends to piss me off too.

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:57 am

about caps listen this and decide by userself.

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Rayjaysonic · Post by **Rayjaysonic** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:14 pm

paul_ wrote:Fan of braided metal insulated wire in Gibson-style cavities, real fast/easy work with the right clippers. Cloth wire tends to piss me off too.

Agreed, metal braided insulated wire is great stuff. Very easy to deal with, but the cloth stuff is crap.

iCEByTes - Yeah, I had come across those videos, interesting demo but I think you loose a lot of subtle tone on YouTube clips, so not as easy to tell as if you are in the room and playing