Capacitor Shoot-Out!

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Capacitor Shoot-out!! The science of capacitors in guitar circuits may be simple, but the effects of capacitors are open to much debate. I couldn't figure it out with book learning, so I decided to make it real. I gathered up my strays.

Here's how it went down. Each capacitor was soldered into a 50th Anniversary Les Paul 1959 Standard Reissue, connected to stock tone and volume pots.

All testing was done on the neck position, through a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover.

I played two open chords, each with tone open, then on 6, and then closed. I then played a chord sequence and some notes, all with the tone on 6. I avoided 2.4 for obvious reasons. The guitar was put through a Carr Rambler with a bit of reverb. All controls for all tests were done the same.

Following are samples of the capacitors with a picture of each. If you'd like to compare them more directly, scroll to the bottom and I have the samples listed without any pictures. If you'd like to here them without knowing what they are and then finding out which is which, click HERE TO GO TO ANONYMOUS SAMPLES. (Update: At the bottom of the page, I have added two new clips that are of the same Orange Drop, but recorded twice, with the capacitor polarity reversed between clips). Here you go:

Genuine '50's Bumblebee! (.015ish)