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Wiring tone pots

Hi guys and gals. This resource has been a gem. Thanks to Shane and to all who contribute. I hope I'll be able to help someone down the track too.
I'm on my second build and I've come a long way and still have much to learn. Most of this stuff I can self-educate by trawling for good advice previously posted here and elsewhere but after hours of scouring the interwebs I have a question that I can't find an answer for.
I like the idea of tone pots because the piezo can be very bright. Also my #2 build has a lipstick neck pickup and may be quite jangly. My problem is that I have tried two different tone pots, the second one with a 47 thingy capacitor, but I'm not getting a big tone cut. If anything, I am getting a substantial volume cut. Even worse, the first one (a prewired job) cut low freqs, not high.
No, it aint that I wired it wrong I think, because the vol and tone pots of both setups came ganged together prewired and match the schematics I have studied. All I had to do was solder the hot into a lug and the ground onto the vol pot as per all diagrams out there .
My Tele uses a 47 cap (had to open it today to see why it works better than my cbg) and it alters the tone dramatically. Why can't I hear the same diff on my cbg which now has piezo to vol and tone (47 cap)????
Any advice greatly appreciated by a humble newbie.

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Permalink Reply by Grizz on April 19, 2010 at 8:57am

try using a higher value capacitor. theoretically the high the value the more bass output from the tone pot.
Also, are your volume & tone pots 250K value? you might try 500K or 1M pots. That may help also.
Fenders usually have 250K pots and they tend to be brighter. Les Pauls use 500K and they're warmer.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff "Sweet T" Tinsley on April 19, 2010 at 9:56am

Hi Glenn. The only thing I'll add to Grizz's post is to check the pot's resistance through the whole range with a VOM.
I've seen several pots that were ridiculously out of their rated ranges.

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Permalink Reply by jim on April 19, 2010 at 5:13pm

You have just discovered the simple fact that capacitors have little effect with piezos. I would go as far as saying that thy are not even worth the time or money involved. Congratulations on your discovery.

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on April 19, 2010 at 6:10pm

Now THAT is interesting, Jim. Why does a capacitor affect a piezo less than other types of pickup? Is there any other solution, apart from using a wound pickup rather than a piezo?
Thanks

jim said:

You have just discovered the simple fact that capacitors have little effect with piezos. I would go as far as saying that thy are not even worth the time or money involved. Congratulations on your discovery.

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Permalink Reply by jim on April 19, 2010 at 6:28pm

you could install an onboard preamp with eq controls, like the ones built into store bought guitars. piezos and mag pups are like apples and oranges, as far as the signal they produce.

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on April 21, 2010 at 5:20am

OK, I'm going to try 25k pots and a 1 MegOhm capacitor. The pots will take off some highs and heaps more capacitor should equal heaps more cut. I understand from what Jim has said that I'm probably wasting my time but parts are cheap and I've got the knobs on there so may as well use them on my test bed cbg and see what happens. Any other advice?

Shame I totally suck at soldering.

jim said:

you could install an onboard preamp with eq controls, like the ones built into store bought guitars. piezos and mag pups are like apples and oranges, as far as the signal they produce.