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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 09:21:07

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 09:20:46

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 09:20:15

It’s interesting, because the Jaguar I just built has the same issue. Engaging the strangle switch has a barely perceptible effect on the sound. I used an .0033 mFd cap, as specified in the schematic, but it may be that the individual cap is out of spec’. I’m still dialing in the guitar, so I won’t be addressing this until everything else is to my liking. I may pick up some assorted values of high end, tight spec’ caps and test them.

That would actually be be pretty easy to test. If you get some hook-style test leads, you can test various cap values fairly easily. Another thing to keep in mind is that cap values are additive in parallel, so two .001 mFd caps in parallel results in .002 mFd of capacitance.

In the case of my Jaguar build, I’m a bit stumped. The pot values are correct and the DC resistance of the pickups is as it should be. It is most likely that the cap in my guitar is simply out of spec, by a substantial margin. Perhaps I will buy a new multimeter that has the ability to measure capacitance, one of these days. I’ve had my old Fluke for 35 years, and it’s still accurate, but the new ones are awesome.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Tqi wrote:

synchro wrote:

In the case of my Jaguar build, I’m a bit stumped. The pot values are correct and the DC resistance of the pickups is as it should be.

And did YOU remember the 56K resistor? Sorry, your photos don't show under the south control plate so I have to ask.

For sure, it’s there.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

rfcii wrote:

While I am awaiting the new one, I was just really curious if anyone was already aware of the values that would or would not make an audible difference. I guess I now know - mine is -just barely- audible, and really I can only tell on the low E string or E/A string parts of barre chords. I'm looking forward to hearing it like it should sound. Funny that it has taken me about 15 years to get around to really looking into it - I just thought the switch was overhyped all this time.

Here’s the two-bit version.

Capacitors, block DC and pass AC. The higher the frequency, the more readily the current passes. So the low E on your guitar is roughly 82 Hz, the E at the second fret of the fourth string is roughly 164 Hz, and the open top string is roughly 329 Hz. This means that four times as much (6 dB) of the fundamental will come through on the high E as passes through from the fundamental of the low E. It’s important to remember that the upper harmonics of even the low E will pass through the Strangle cap’, which means that the Strangle Switch favors upper harmonics, and functions like the inverse of a tone control.

It would be possible to plot the frequency curve of a given capacitor, but in general terms it’s very safe to say that the smaller the capacitor, the higher the cutoff frequency for the signal it passes. There’s no magic to any of this, the low E had the same frequency 60 years ago as it has now, and I think it’s safe to assume that when Leo Fender and perhaps, Freddie Tavares, were on solid ground when they chose the value for that cap’. The schematics I have show a .0033 mFd value, and I believe that is a good choice.

In acoustics, it normally requires a doubling or halving of a value in order to make a perceptible difference. For example, if you have an amplifier putting out 5 watts, you will have to turn it up to 10 watts in order to make a slight perceptible increase in volume. That would be 3 Db. In order to have a change in volume that is perceived as a doubling in volume, takes 10 X the power, which also equates to 10 dB of gain.

Acoustics work logarithmically, and relate to how volume (physical spaces) work. When we you the term “volume” to describe how loud something is, we are actually speaking in terms of filling a physical space with vibrating waves of air. The science of acoustics came about when the Bell System was being developed and it became necessary to learn how to measure the characteristics of sound so that they could deliver phone service that was consistent for their customers. One of the hats I wear is to administrate phone systems, so while I’m not an Acoustical Engineer, I have had to work with acoustics as part of my job, and there was a steep learning curve while I became accustomed to thinking in terms of the math involved in measuring sound.

Now this sounds a bit afield from the strangle switch on a Jaguar, but the principles involved are identical. If you have an 80 dB fundamental of 82 Hz, and pass it through a capacitor of a given value, it is possible to know just how many deciBels will be cut from the fundamental, and each overtone, but it requires knowing the resistance of the circuit, and the actual capacitance of the circuit. That rabbit hole is essentially bottomless, but it’s not necessary to got that far. Most guitars use .047 mFd of .022 mFd caps, and those values work well for the frequencies produced by guitars. Jaguars are a bit different, using .01 mFd caps, but even that is not that far away from what is typical.

My plan for the Strangle cap is to cut the original cap out of the circuit and try a different .0033 mFd cap. If that doesn’t work well, I’ll try with a .001 mFd cap and see how that sounds. If that is too harsh, I will put two .001 mFd caps in parallel, which will result in .002 mFd. This will be a few weeks, but it is in the pipeline.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

rfcii wrote:

I've installed the new cap, and yes it does make a difference. I can finally really hear this switch doing something. It isn't radical, but definitely cuts a bit of the bass. I guess I was expecting a really thin tone, and it does not do that.

Anyway, glad to have confirmed that my hearing/perception is not as terrible as I feared and that it was in fact an issue with my guitar all along.

Great news. The Strangle Switch took me a while to warm up to, but now I love it. Sometimes I’ll use it on the neck pickup for a mellow sound that doesn’t get too boomy. It’s a great tool.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

TallTenor wrote:

It plus the bridge pickup can make a pseudo Buckaroo tone

I think my Jaguar is better for Country than my Teles.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.