I'm thinking about adding a Mid Boost circuit to my strat minus the TBX control - so it would just be the mid boost control. This would leave me with a master volume, master tone, and mid boost knob. I know that hooking a pickup to a tone control inherently trims off a bit of the high end (the amount dependent on the capacitor value) even when the knob is at 10. So my question is, if I do create a master tone knob, what capacitor value would trim the least amount of high end out of my tone?

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[08 MIM Standard Arctic White] > [Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ > Radial Texas Bones OD > Tonerider British Distortion > Electroharmonix Russian Big Muff Pi > Vox V847 Wah] > FM65R

You are correct about the load of the pot trimming off a tad of high end but not the value of the cap when said pot is on '10'. For with the pot on '10', the influence of the cap is actually being repelled by the pot. The cap starts doing it's thing as you dial down.

If you choose a higher value tone pot, say 500K, 1,000K (1meg) or even a 'no-load' pot which literally takes itself out of the circuit on '10', you'll have respectively less, lesser and none in terms of the pot's dampening influence within the circuit. However, in all cases, the difference will be negligible for it is the volume pot which is the chief factor in shaping the pickup's inherent tone through the guitar's circuit.



The lowest realistic value you could use would be .01uf. However and again, this would only come into play when you roll the tone pot back. Of note is the fact that you will not get a typical range of high end frequencies going to ground as you would if say, a .022uf or .047uf cap was used. Collaterally, the lower the resistance of the tone pot, the more 'efficient' you'll perceive the pot being as the larger values beyond 250K will have 'bald spots' and 'ramp ups' as you dial.

You also have to consider in the overall equation of your project that the preamp is going to take over as the ultimate tone shaper. And because the preamp is never out of the circuit, essentially, using anything other than a 250K tone pot and a .022uf cap (which the preamp circuit was designed around), the effects of the preamp may appear to be less and/or it may produce a non-musical howl because the tone pot's resistance is too high and the preamp can't handle it.

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So if I understand correctly, it doesn't really matter the capacitor value, but more the value of the pot? The pot has a much more noticeable influence on the amount of treble it can remove from the circuit than a capacitor? And, separately, that on "10" the pot doesn't dampen any treble?





Hadn't thought of this, I'll keep it in mind if I opt for the midboost circuit. I'm currently on the fence about it. I hardly use my tone knob at all so my objective with any cap change would have been to reduce the amount of treble bled out on 10 while still retaining some control over the tone. Now I see that this is of no concern and I suppose I should concern myself more with the possible midboost than worrying over whether I'm losing clarity.

Please correct me again if I'm still misunderstanding anything, I really am in the dark when it comes to electronics work. I appreciate the help you've already offered,

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[08 MIM Standard Arctic White] > [Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ > Radial Texas Bones OD > Tonerider British Distortion > Electroharmonix Russian Big Muff Pi > Vox V847 Wah] > FM65R

The value of the VOLUME pot is the chief added influence on the pickup's tonality. The value of the tone pot is more concerned with how the capacitor tapers in or out.

Yes to the pot on '10'.

Again, the least would be .01uf.

You're welcome.

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You dig?