What cap value for a Strat?

[fender3x]

I am putting together the wiring for my daughter's "Stratomaster" build... Strat pickups and trem, Jazzmaster body. this will have a 5-way switch like a Strat and 1 tone, one volume, like a Jazzmaster. Here's what I have read: late model fenders tend to ship with a .022 cap. Very old Strats may have had .1 caps. Most common is .05 or .047.

I am using these pickups in it:

Epic Custom Shop, D2

This are a hand wound, slightly hotter than vintage pickup.

Curious what folks here tend to use?

[Drashkum]

I have used 0.47uf candy cap in my build. I Had used a 10 way Freeway switch with a Volume pot, 1 no load tone pot and a Kingtone switch. It can depend the amount of tone change you want. Most modern strats use 0.47 with 250k pots



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[McCreed]

I reckon you'll get as many answers (suggestions) as there are members, as it really boils down to personal preference and how the player uses the tone control. There many many players that don't even touch the tone control, ever. And there are others that like to use it as wah effect (ala Rory Gallagher). Don't know what kind of player your daughter is, but it might be worth asking her how she thinks she'll use it.

My go-to is .033uf (code 333). I find it more useable than .022uf and .047uf. I guess because it's in the middle of those two.
To complicate things further, in a standard 1V 2T strat set up, I've even used two different values for T1 & T2, and I *always* wire the bridge pickup into the tone circuit on any strat.


I would also suggest, if you haven't already, using a logarithmic pot (audio, A type)for the tone control. I started using audio pots for both volume and tone controls a few years ago and just find them more usable.
FWIW, I am a player that uses the tone control. Typically just to knock off some highs from the bridge pickup because I tend to set my amp tone with my neck pickup. But that's just me.

You can also consider a treble bleed which is a whole other discussion. Not all guitars (or pickups) need it IMO, and there are lots of configurations of capacitor/resistor or just a single cap. They can involve a lot of experimentation, or you can just try a prescribed configuration. The good news is, if you don't like it, you can simple snip it out of the circuit. I have some guitars with, and some without, some with various cap/resistor combos, and some with just a .001uf cap (102). It's not always a "one size fits all".

[fender3x]

That is a really gorgeous strat, Drashkum.

On a guitar with a Tele setup I tried various caps and ultimately settled on .033uf...so I may just try that. I was so indecisive with my TeleStrat (Tele electronics in a hard-tail strat body and pickguard) that I wired it so that I could switch caps at the jack rather than at the pot. May do the same thing again...or maybe I'll put in another .033.

Do either of you actually use the .047 or .033 with the tone rolled all the way off. I think I found the .033 on the Tele a good compromise for the two pickups...but when I played with it yesterday I found that I never really rolled it all the way off.

I always use log pots too.

My daughter is pretty new, and just learning to play the guitar. This started as a school project, and now she feels ready to get serious about learning. It may be a while until she knows what she likes. Will listen to some Rory Gallagher while I am at it. Will suggest that she do the same ;-)