Vitamin Q Paper in Oil Tone Caps...The Deal-io?

M

Mr.TTT

New member
Hello All,

So I just finished a Swamp Ash USACG P Bass, really having started with a Mexican Fender P Bass I had since 1999, and gradually upgraded...nothing left is stock now except the neck, which my tech said was a "lucky choice one."

When it came time to upgrade the electronics, after I selected the pickups, I figured "what the hell" and bought a .047uf Vitamin Q Paper In Oil tone capacitor. I also bought one with a value of .022uf for my Mahogany Les Paul Jr. in Tele clothes...that is, mahogany 1 pc. body, all other Gibson specs, neck too(of course bolt-on) but with all the cosmetic looks of a Telecaster.

Is this just hype or is there a real difference in tone? FWIW, I used to be a "who cares?" guitarist until my friend's Uncle gave him a mint 1954 Les Paul Jr. from his attic, and from then on truly am convinced vintage is not just a marketing slogan, or a fin de siécle phenomenon...it is hands down the most ridiculous, amazing, out of this world, beautiful sounding guitar I've every played/heard ever, and changed my whole concept of what a guitar should be, and sound like...really blew me away, which is why I decided to build one instead of buy an off the shelfer. Plus I thought the LP in Tele clothes was neat, as I've always loved an played Teles exclusively 'cos of the looks, but never dug the tone.

So, back to the point, I know the '54 LP had had a Paper in Oil tone cap, so I figure I'd install one since I really want as "old technology" as possible since my experience with the LP Jr. rendered it true that the tone is far superior...

So what will I hear differently? What will I expect to get tone-wise from putting a new Oil cap in a new guitar? Do these things need "burn-in" or need age like wood or anything...will I notice immediately, and big-time?

Any info./experience/advice would be appreciated, and even info. for both the bass and the mahogany guitar too, as it surely must have a different outcome on bass than guitar. Did Fender even use Paper in Oil caps in early P-Bass models?

T'anks...
 
You probably won't hear any difference at all.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
You probably won't hear any difference at all.
Click to expand...

Especially if you play with the tone all the way up most of the time. The cap only affects the tone when you are rolling off the treble.
 
Try removing the tone cap altogether...If you want to hear what your guitar Really sounds like. The only person I ever met who actually used the tone control was Vern Vannerson, who was an old time Rhythm player, a'la Freddy Green. BTW, also disconnect the tone pot.
 
chazba said:
Try removing the tone cap altogether...If you want to hear what your guitar Really sounds like. The only person I ever met who actually used the tone control was Vern Vannerson, who was an old time Rhythm player, a'la Freddy Green. BTW, also disconnect the tone pot.
Click to expand...

If you remove the tone cap, then the tone pot has no effect on the circuit.

But I use the tone control(s), and I know lots of players who do. Neck pickup, tone all the way dark, lots of overdrive/distortion = the "woman tone".
 
chazba said:
Try removing the tone cap altogether...If you want to hear what your guitar Really sounds like. The only person I ever met who actually used the tone control was Vern Vannerson, who was an old time Rhythm player, a'la Freddy Green. BTW, also disconnect the tone pot.
Click to expand...


Even better, replace the tone pot with one of Fender's No-Load pots. There is a gap in the track so that when the control is at 10 the cap is completely out of the signal. It is exactly like having no tone control, and it works great. That's what I have in my Strat.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Thanks All,

I've read conflicting opinions on removing the tone cap altogether, because that was a route I was interested in, as I use it very rarely...definitely on occasion, but definitely quite rarely.

My tech, who is damn cool and has does some pretty esoteric stuff talked me out taking the tone cap out...FWIW, he also tried to talk me out of the Vitamin Q too...I should mention that cap being replaced was ceramic since it was originally a MIM P Bass. Those ceramic caps have really bad readings...

And BTW, I'm no fool, and for sure am not expecting a life-altering change in tone for the better, but was more just curious if anyone used one and thought it was slightly nicer or whatever.

When I built my 1 pc. mahogany LP in "Tele" clothes, I knew trying to get that tone of my friends '54 LP Jr. was totally out of the question, but I just wanted to use every last spec to build my guitar with, right down to the cap...that's all. So I'm changing the guitar tone cap because I bought a electronics "kit" online, and not thinking it was for a Tele, with a .047uf cap, and I want to change to a .022uf. I know, it's so minimal, especially with the guitar, but as I said on the bass, I replaced all the electronics, didn't buy a kit, so I thought I try one of these out.

My guitar sounds amazing though not of course like a '54 Jr., so glad I built one instead of buying off the shelf, or buying used vintage for $2-6k. I think when all was said and done, it cost me under $600 for the whole thing...
 
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