Capacitor "Test Drive" box

[kayakerca]

Finally got around to putting together a little capacitor "test drive" box. So far, I've only had a chance to use it on one customer's guitar that we put a set of my pickups in. He liked being able to make his cap selection based on the tone to his ear rather than an internet article to his eyes.

[Jim Darr]

Very nice and what a great idea. What are your test capacitor's values? I like the way you set it up so you can see the different caps. Did you wire them to a potentiometer or just 0N-or-OFF for each value?

[DRH1958]

They have made decade boxes since the '50s but it's cool that you built your own. They come in many different ranges. Here's an example: Cornell Dublier Decade Capacitor Box Model CDA 5 O 0001 0 001 Ranges Nice | eBay

[kayakerca]

Very nice and what a great idea. What are your test capacitors values? Did your wire them to a potentiometer or just 0N-or-OFF for each value?

I wish I could take credit for thinking of this, but I've seen a number of variants of it on the internet.

I just remove one side of the cap in the guitar and clip in where the cap will go (I solder a jumper in if necessary), then put the pickguard of control cover back in place for playing. The switch I used has 8 contacts, but I only used 7 (6 with caps and 1 open with no cap in the circuit at all). You just turn the selector to match the cap you want to put in the circuit.

I went with the following capacitors types/values:
- .01µF PIO (value used by Clapton for the "woman tone")
- .022µF Orange Drop
- .022µF PIO
- .047µF Orange Drop
- .047µF PIO
- .1µF PIO (late 50's/early 60's Strat value)

Basically put in the values and types players seem to ask about most often. Easy to change them out though as they are just set in screw type terminal blocks on the underside.