How in heck does one "hear" a difference representing a quantitive reality over the internet? Does anyone know anything about reference monitoring. That simply CANNOT happen using a transmitted media, Not color, Not Sound, not the stoney character of a '51 Mouton Hoytoyty. You have to be there using real ears or real scientific equipment... It kills me to hear someone say something like, "I heard the subtitles between the Alder and the Swamp Ash (as an example) when some guy played a You-Tube video he made..check YouTube for examples. Countless people experimenting and showing that there is a subtle difference.
No need to take this so personal. I didn't attack you.That’s your opinion.
Try for yourself or check YouTube for examples. Countless people experimenting and showing that there is a subtle difference. Whether that matters to you or not is a different story.
Like I said, I’ve tried it myself. I have nothing to gain by posting my experience. In my experience, I prefer the PIO.
No need to attack by saying people who think differently are deluding themselves. No need to throw a cyber punch at those who disagree with you.
Very helpful info.the issue with PIO caps is the manner in which they are made.. there is a piece of paper separating two ribbons of a conductive foil... there can be NO continuity between the two slivers of foil..
There's nothing wrong with any of that except the paper.. Ever notice how paper gets yellow as it gets old? That's the sulfites contained within the body of the paper turning into acid... No, it's not the kinda acid the Mafia uses to get rid of "former employees", ex business associates and business competitors, it's more or less like the acid ya find in a lotta fruits and vegetables .. kinda low key.
the problem is, Acid is conductive.... you can poor a glass full of Vinegar, stick a VOM's leads in either side and see that there's continuity... you can get the same results sticking the probes in the opposite sides of an Orange.. so in a PIO cap, as the paper is becoming more and more acidic, it's value is changing, until it gets to the point the paper simply can no longer keep the two ribbons separated electrically and it fails completely.
Do not worry, if the cap fails, nothing dangerous is gonna happen, it's just gonna sound funky. It's not gonna blow up...
So, you guys paying big bux for genuine vintage caps are buying, what's like a car with 250,000 miles on it... it might make it another 250K or it may die completely backing out of the driveway.
Nothing relative to a capacitor, ANY Cap, assuming a correct cap for the application, is relative to a guitar, and/or it's voice, except it's value....
He heard differences and liked PIO better. Caps were same value. Worth a listen.
Saying people are deluding themselves isn't exactly a non critical remark. Either way when I said "Try for yourself or check YouTube for examples" I was referring to anyone reading this thread, not you in particular.No need to take this so personal. I didn't attack you.
What makes you think I haven't tried it by the way?
When you have, have you measured the caps before swapping them? Capacitors have a lot of variety and tolerances aren't as tight as resistors.
I maintain my point: if people hear a difference, they either hear differences in capacitance due to variation in value (due to tolerance) or they delude themselves.
You don't believe so? You have every right to but I don't agree with you.
I don't. I haven't attacked anybody. Humans delude themselves constantly (we all do), guitar players seem to be very prone to this. The guitar world is filled with "magical things" that aren't magical at all...try not to insult people in the process when they've actually performed an experiment on this exact topic and have a different opinion.
I'll add that gear is supposed to be fun. How something makes you feel can be just as important as how it sounds. People get inspired all the time by using and doing things I would never do. Stacking pedals, changing preamp tubes, strings, picks, pickups, eq pedals, reverb, delay, compression... the list goes on and on. Does that mean with what I use that my opinion is superior, correct, better? Not at all.Saying people are deluding themselves isn't exactly a non critical remark. Either way when I said "Try for yourself or check YouTube for examples" I was referring to anyone reading this thread, not you in particular.
I did measure the caps and they were within .001uF of each other. Not exactly the same, but very very close. I don't like to just base my decisions on what I read or watch alone. I like to experiment myself and determine what I like.
I have no problem with you disagreeing, just try not to insult people in the process when they've actually performed an experiment on this exact topic and have a different opinion.
Was it a huge difference? No. Worth it for me in this guitar? Yes.
Old caps do look cool. I like the way old Sprague PIOs look. Nobody is gonna see them, I suppose. But still. I know.I like the way bumblebee capacitors look in a guitar control panel. That is all I can meaningfully contribute to the topic.
Caveat: EE with years of experience, including musical instrument electronics design.
There is a long list of misconceptions related to how things work, 'magic' and snake oil in this field.the list goes on and on. Does that mean with what I use that my opinion is superior, correct, better? Not at all.
Did you measure each value, and were they identical, before installation?There is a difference. I can tell. So many others say they can’t or it’s no big deal, but let me assure you that I have noticed a “noticeable” difference in my guitars when I changed them from ceramic to PIO. You have to try it for yourself. And I really don’t care what others hear on a recording or not. If all you care about is what others hear then wtf are you doing, silly?
It’s crazy to me how many guitarists will try to convince you not to experiment with such things.
Linking to a guy who is hardcore into all vintage gear as some kind of objective reference isn’t real great. I’ve talked to him on YouTube about a few parts (pots, resistors, capacitors and SAD vs MN ICs) and he’s more interested in the magical voodoo Mojo than any real and measurable scientific results.
Do PIO caps leak? Like the actual oil? Asking for a friend.