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What cap value for this idea?

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  • What cap value for this idea?

    I had an idea i wanted to try. When i turn my amp up from bedroom level to stage volume it gets brighter as is typical. I would like to be able to have a one knob equalizer to turn the brightness down by inserting a pot and cap like a guitar's tone control in the effects loop. I would use a no load pot, probably 1 meg or at least 500k to minimize the initial engagement and would likely use only a small amount of attenuation just to take that edge off, hence a large pot value. Thinking about this it seems to me that larger cap values may be better because they would affect a large portion of the freq range thereby not creating a peak at the knee anywhere in the highs or mids. (i believe knee would be a applicable term) Do you think that's the way to go as far as cap value or no? Or do you see issues with this idea? I don't want to use a EQ in the loop because i don't want to add more circuitry and it's already much louder than i would ever need so i'm not worried abut the fact it will not only attenuate highs but the overall volume max. I more or less want the type of high end attenuation you get with a single knob amp like an old tweed deluxe. Would it be much better to actuaklly create a tweed deluxe type circuit in a box rather than just a pot and cap? I want to attenuate the added brightness while not changing the tone to any notable degree.

  • #2
    I think your idea about less attenuation with a larger cap, rather than acute attenuation with a smaller one sound right. The cap and pot values depend on the circuit because that will dictate the impedance were using to determine the affected frequency. Not that we can know what the most effective frequency to affect is!?! This is going to be a very personal matter. So, once again, as is common in your world, it comes down to experimentation.

    Another thought... Why complicate the amp with "counter measure" controls? That's too fussy for me, personally. I would probably add a bright cap to the master volume to keep the tone brighter when it's down and then re-tune some overall parameter so the amp sounds right when at volume. See what I did there!?! No extra controls.
    "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

    "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

    "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
    You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Chuck H View Post
      I think your idea about less attenuation with a larger cap, rather than acute attenuation with a smaller one sound right. The cap and pot values depend on the circuit because that will dictate the impedance were using to determine the affected frequency. Not that we can know what the most effective frequency to affect is!?! This is going to be a very personal matter. So, once again, as is common in your world, it comes down to experimentation.

      Another thought... Why complicate the amp with "counter measure" controls? That's too fussy for me, personally. I would probably add a bright cap to the master volume to keep the tone brighter when it's down and then re-tune some overall parameter so the amp sounds right when at volume. See what I did there!?! No extra controls.
      Thanks Chuck. But this is a modeling amp so no mods like that possible. EQ's in the loop seem to hurt the tone so i wanted to try something passive. It's funny but i must have investigated the phenom of louder volumes getting harder and brighter when i was building and tweaking my amps and even with the production amps i had. I tried a million and one solutions but It always came down to the same old question....CAN it be fixed or is it the things it's often said to be like the way the human ear works or speakers and how they change with volume. Looks like those latter reasons were right because here i am with a modeler, and tho it works a little better than a tube amp in this regard, it's still there to a degree.

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      • #4
        Does the amp have a Series FX loop?
        That would be best.

        Click image for larger version

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Jazz P Bass View Post
          Does the amp have a Series FX loop?
          That would be best.

          [ATTACH=CONFIG]32449[/ATTACH]
          It's series.

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          • #6
            Goody.
            Grab two 1/4" plugs & wire it up.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Jazz P Bass View Post
              Goody.
              Grab two 1/4" plugs & wire it up.
              Point taken, but i just asked to see if anyone had any thoughts in what might work best. Guess i'll have a go with a .022 and see. Maybe put a meter across the send and return and use a pot about double the lowest resistance reading?

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