Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: 5F6-A on November 22, 2011, 06:56:22 PM

Title: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: 5F6-A on November 22, 2011, 06:56:22 PM
I did some recording and compared a 22 mylar bee and a 22 PIO general intrument cap in a LP.

The bee, at 10, allowed more highs to come through and when turned the roll-off was more noticeable.
The PIO was altogether darker and creamier providing a better "woman Tone"

Both are very nice sounding caps.

The first clip (003) is the bee and the second (006) is the PIO

Jensens (like the ones sold by BKP ) are very smooth. More like the Gen. Instrument PIO IME...

Highly recommended

See what you think...
Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: Oli on November 22, 2011, 08:36:09 PM
Are you able to measure the value of the caps at all? I keep meaning to do a test like this, but never seem to get round to it!

(I preferred the rolled off sound of the PIO)
Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: 5F6-A on November 22, 2011, 09:10:24 PM
yes... both of them read about 0.024 uF
Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: HTH AMPS on November 22, 2011, 09:16:13 PM
What about leakage? - have they been tested in that respect?

I can definitely hear a difference and like the Bees best.

What about the outer foil too? - you should install them with the outer foil the same way too if you really want to compare fairly (I know people will disagree).

I'm getting so anal that I'm gonna do some listening tests with the orientation of coupling caps in my gigging amp.  This is not a good think, I don't NEED to be any more anal about this stuff, ha ha.

Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: FernandoDuarte on November 22, 2011, 09:21:12 PM
I think I can hear a difference... :P Well, rolled way down is more noticable, on 10 not so much... (I have not been playing for a loooong while)

But I think I preffer the PIO
Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: 5F6-A on November 23, 2011, 07:02:11 AM
leakage has not been tested.... I loved the looks of the real bees but the GI PIOs sound IMO a bit creamier and smoother.

A recent pic of the cavity of my LP guitar before I changed the bees for PIOs (notice the BKP 550k CTS vol pots).
Those stripes are sooo cool... ;)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/5F6-A/DSCF2547-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Comparing caps... mylar bee vs PIO cap
Post by: 5F6-A on November 25, 2011, 10:17:54 AM
I've been trying back and forth. I think I like the mylar bees best. The sound with everything at 10 is much better and more "in-tune" with the resonant peak of the pickups. They seem to load or flatten the tone less than the PIOs...