Give me some advice on bright cap values

BesaMoogie

BesaMoogie

Well-known member
So I am thinking of doing the bright cap switchable on both of my Marshall clones, 2203 and SLP.
Currently the 2203 has 1000pf and the SLP has a 500pf cap. I am considering a 3-way switch. So what values would you guys suggest to try beside the stock value and no cap?
I could go the route by choosing something between no cap and stock cap. But some people even go as high as 4700pf with the bright cap. But I`m not sure, if this would be overkill.
BTW, I somewhere read, that the Friedman Plex is using 500pf, 100pf and no cap as bright switch. Can anybody confirm this?

Thanks!
 
For me, the big ass 4700pF or 5k pF is where it’s at with a non-MV. Think of it as those amps were never designed to be run running the volume from 0 up to ‘loud enough’. They were designed to be used in big stadiums running the volume from 4-5 (loud/bright af) on up.

Volume on 6-7 is already about as crunchy as it gets but the bright cap is in play so it’s bright, tight, and cutting. As you turn it up it just gets less bright/more squishy up to about 8-ish then it just gets more out of control from 8-10. I used to think that cap was way too big but nah, Marshall knew exactly what that big ass cap did. I have mine on a 2-way pull pot switch. ‘Pushed’ has a 220k resistor in series with a 4700pF cap and ‘Pulled’ is straight cap. It is labeled Pull Bright.

I also tend to prefer no cap to 500pF. 500pF is just the shrill imo.
 
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1000pf, 2200pf, and 4700pf are my favorites depending on guitar, strats will rip your face off with a 4700. Kinda covers all bases and styles. For home volumes I like the 2200 and 4700 options with a les Paul, and 500-1000pf if your playing really loud.
 
You can just temporarily piggyback a bunch of values in there before soldering to see what you like. Takes all of 3 seconds to swap in/out various values.
 
I like nothing in the middle, a small cap, usually 150-220pf, on one side of the switch and a larger cap, 1000-2200pf on the other side, depending on the amp. 4700pf is hard to beat on a non MV Marshall.

1000pf gives good balance between saturation and definition. It’s used in a lot of high gain amp circuits, SLO, VH4, JCM800, Dual Rec, etc… 1500 or 2200pf will add more body and midrange if the amp needs that.

The 150-220pf gives a nice extra edge to the tone without being overly saturated or wonky when the gain is rolled back. The larger cap gives the saturation and gain for the heavier tones. It’s nice to have that flexibility and options.

Some amps I’ll do a small cap in the middle and two larger caps on each side of the switch. Using alligator clips and a capacitor decade box is the best way to find which ones are best for your amp.

I built my own box and put in the values I wanted. You can get them in kit form.

https://www.tequipment.net/ElencoK-38.html?v=7324
https://www.tequipment.net/ElencoK-38.html?v=7324
 
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Thanks a lot guys for the suggestions!

I just went through YT video of the Plex where Friedman is mentioning that the bright switch offers 4700pf and 100pf or no cap.
With all the other suggestions, I guess I will settle on no cap, something like 150pf and the 4700pf for the NMV. For the 2203 I‘m thinking of something like no cap, 150pf and 1000pf.
 
RedPlated said:
I like nothing in the middle, a small cap, usually 150-220pf, on one side of the switch and a larger cap, 1000-2200pf on the other side, depending on the amp. 4700pf is hard to beat on a non MV Marshall.

1000pf gives good balance between saturation and definition. It’s used in a lot of high gain amp circuits, SLO, VH4, JCM800, Dual Rec, etc… 1500 or 2200pf will add more body and midrange if the amp needs that.

The 150-220pf gives a nice extra edge to the tone without being overly saturated or wonky when the gain is rolled back. The larger cap gives the saturation and gain for the heavier tones. It’s nice to have that flexibility and options.

Some amps I’ll do a small cap in the middle and two larger caps on each side of the switch. Using alligator clips and a capacitor decade box is the best way to find which ones are best for your amp.

I built my own box and put in the values I wanted. You can get them in kit form.

https://www.tequipment.net/ElencoK-38.html?v=7324
https://www.tequipment.net/ElencoK-38.html?v=7324
Click to expand...
That box looks nice. I would buy it in a heartbeat! But shipping to Europe will probably be pricey 😕
 
That sounds like a great mod for your Marshall clones! A 3-way switch will give you a lot of tonal flexibility. Here are some suggestions:

  1. 500pf (stock for SLP)
  2. 1000pf (stock for 2203)
  3. 100pf: This is subtle and often used in some boutique amps.
  4. 4700pf: This is indeed high and might be too bright for some tastes, but it's worth trying if you're curious.
Considering what you read about the Friedman Plex using 500pf, 100pf, and no cap, that seems like a good range to experiment with. You could set your switch to:

  • No cap
  • 100pf
  • 500pf (SLP stock)
This will cover a broad spectrum without going to extremes. Good luck with your mod, and enjoy the new tonal possibilities!
 
Piggybacking on this

Imma mod my Friedman Smallbox 50 to

- 500pf
- No cap
- 4700pf

For both the Plexi and BE channels.

Whether I do that by drilling and installing another 3way or using a 6pin 3way mini switch remains to be seen.
 
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