Comments on: The Clarity and Sparkle Show http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show The ongoing tale of a fifty year old man trying to build a guitar, write some songs and record an album in his spare time Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:50:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/comment-page-1#comment-4147 Jim Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:48:19 +0000 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/#comment-4147 Thanks for the input Nikola. See this post: <a href="http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/guitar-tone-episode-83/" rel="nofollow">Guitar tone episode 83</a> where I attempt to compare the differences between my custom wiring and the Fender Strat stock wiring. I have since rewired the guitar with the same components, but using the Fender stock schematic and the difference is striking. My guess is that my custom wiring blocks the treble frequencies at low volume or allows them to leak out somewhere, but I just haven't had the time recently to analyse the situation properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated. :) Thanks for the input Nikola.

See this post: Guitar tone episode 83 where I attempt to compare the differences between my custom wiring and the Fender Strat stock wiring.

I have since rewired the guitar with the same components, but using the Fender stock schematic and the difference is striking.

My guess is that my custom wiring blocks the treble frequencies at low volume or allows them to leak out somewhere, but I just haven’t had the time recently to analyse the situation properly.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. :)

]]> By: Nikola Tesla http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/comment-page-1#comment-4146 Nikola Tesla Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:19:17 +0000 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/#comment-4146 Guitar wiring isn't a subjective thing just physics. Star grounding is used to avoid earth loops. I've yet to hear any reduction in noise, which is what it is meant to do, but a link to ground is just a link to ground. It will never affect the frequency range of a guitar unless it isn't actually going to ground. The "bleed" capacitor is used to retain treble frequencies at lower volumes due to the woeful inadequacies of passive electronics in guitars. So it lets treble frequencies past, it doesn't cut them. Telecasters used to have a "boom" capacitor to allow more bass frequencies through at a time when electric basses were few and far between which may be the cause of confusion. What you need to look at is the set of potentiometers and the tone capacitor in the guitar. Cheap guitars have 500k pots and an .033uf capacitor to give a brighter sound but interact badly when you turn the tone/volume down. 250k pots and a .022uf capacitor make things better and are fitted as standard on real Strats but the "bleed" capacitor is still a good idea to retain top frequencies. I don't know why a couple of solder joints and a few pence worth of electronics are beyond Fender when they charge £600+ but there you go. Guitar wiring isn’t a subjective thing just physics. Star grounding is used to avoid earth loops. I’ve yet to hear any reduction in noise, which is what it is meant to do, but a link to ground is just a link to ground. It will never affect the frequency range of a guitar unless it isn’t actually going to ground. The “bleed” capacitor is used to retain treble frequencies at lower volumes due to the woeful inadequacies of passive electronics in guitars. So it lets treble frequencies past, it doesn’t cut them. Telecasters used to have a “boom” capacitor to allow more bass frequencies through at a time when electric basses were few and far between which may be the cause of confusion.

What you need to look at is the set of potentiometers and the tone capacitor in the guitar. Cheap guitars have 500k pots and an .033uf capacitor to give a brighter sound but interact badly when you turn the tone/volume down. 250k pots and a .022uf capacitor make things better and are fitted as standard on real Strats but the “bleed” capacitor is still a good idea to retain top frequencies. I don’t know why a couple of solder joints and a few pence worth of electronics are beyond Fender when they charge £600+ but there you go.

]]> By: Stefan Pich http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/comment-page-1#comment-4115 Stefan Pich Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:48:19 +0000 http://www.jamesbisset.com/blog/guitar/the-clarity-and-sparkle-show/#comment-4115 never mind doing silly guitar tests... do more podcasts like this... you may become an internet star!! never mind doing silly guitar tests… do more podcasts like this… you may become an internet star!!

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