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Post subject: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Special
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 3:58 pm
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I recently replaced the stock Texas Specials in my 2012 American Special Strat with Custom Shop '69's as it was sounding way too hot and I wanted more "traditional" strat tone. Another thing I was told (by people on these forums as well actually) that the GreaseBucket circuit could be effecting the tone and that they'd have it removed and just wired like a plain standard strat. So, that's exactly what i asked for when I bought the pickups and asked the tech to install them lus remove the GreaseBucket.

Well, I got the guitar back and she sounded much better but still not quite as good as i heard the same pickups in other strats so after looking at the schematics of both the Standard and the Special I have noticed that he hasn't wired it like a Standard like I asked at all. It seems he's just used one of the GreaseBucket (0.100uf) instead of a 0.22 like the Standard.

So, my question is, while my strat still works and sounds ok, will it sound much better if ii put a 0.22 one in like I originally wanted??

Here are some pictures:

This is the American Special capacitors with the GreaseBucket circuit:
Image

This is the picture of th American Standard capacitors:
Image

Here is what the Tech at the guitar shop gave back to me after he installed the pickups and removed the Greasebucket....as there's only 3 instead of 4 I'm assuming he's used one of them instead of a 0.22...know wht I mean?
Image

So will my strat sound better with a 0.22 instead??
Thanks!

:-)

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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 11:24 pm
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Yep slightly different using a 0.022uf or .047uf ... not a .22uf though!
Interestingly those in the pic are 0.02uf.
I think vintage used 0.1 so your tech may have thought since you were using vintage pickups he would use the higher value.
Just ask him to change it assuming that is what he did. :D


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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 3:49 am
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Don't want to insult your intelligence :oops: but unless you're actually using the tone controls they're not going to affect the tone, surely? IE: If they're on 10, whatever caps are fitted are bypassed anyway. Or am I wrong?

Funnily enough, I bought an AmSpec with CS 69's and went back to TS's (which the previous owner kindly included)! I almost never use tone controls, so I've never noticed any difference between the Special and any of my other Strats. They all sound different anyway; even swapping the same p/ups into different Strats gives different sounds! I put it down to wood variations...

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 10:01 am
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I think the first order of business would be to let us know exactly what you're looking for in terms of your tone.
Is your guitar too bright? Too dark?
Are you looking for more difference in tone as you roll off the treble or less difference?
Are you using your volume pot?
If so, are you finding the treble bleeds off too much or too little as you roll off the volume?
Are there caps attached to only the tone pots or is there also something wired to the volume pot?

A couple of clear pictures (resized to fit the forum web page) of the current wiring in your guitar would be helpful.
I'm not referring to a schematic but pics of your actual guitar.
It's not the easiest of tasks to answer the question when a few of these bits of info are missing.

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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 1:43 pm
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When it comes to the electronic parts of a guitar im not very understanding so if what im asking is silly, sorry.
So, according to one reply, if i don't use my tone my tone isn't affected..that's kind of obvious isn't it!!
According to another it shouldn't matter...now im more confused...haha!!
Sorry, all im trying to ask is if i wired it exactly like the Standard will it sound better??

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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 2:01 pm
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Well what I am trying to say is that the response you get when using your tone control and different value caps will be slightly different.
The capacitor is always in circuit but has little effect when the tone control is open i.e. at 250kohm. Or tone at ten.
A larger cap value will sound darker at the same point as a smaller value cap when the control is used
Better or worse hard to say.
.1 uf is vintage .022 uf modern :D


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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 3:04 pm
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Cheers mate. That sort of makes sense. I guess he's wired it "vintage" like you said then.
My strat now sounds really nice with the CS '69's (not as hot as with the Texan Specials) -i guess I'm just curious if anymore adjusting can be done to affect the sound. I've sat down and got each pickups height sounding at an equal volume, got the intonation perfect etc..

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Post subject: Re: Removing the GreaseBucket circuit from my American Speci
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:05 am
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Dan999 wrote:
So, according to one reply, if i don't use my tone my tone isn't affected..that's kind of obvious isn't it!!

Yes, sorry mate - but you'll note I did apologise in advance for possibly insulting your intelligence! And you did say you're not too clued-up on electrics!

Dan999 wrote:
Sorry, all im trying to ask is if i wired it exactly like the Standard will it sound better

I think what I was trying to say was that - with tones on '10' - it'll only sound better/different because the p/ups are different. IE: CS'69's instead of TS's. 'Better' is a personal thing - you obviously prefer the 69's whereas I prefer the TS's. But sorry if I misunderstood the question!

Cheers - Peter.


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