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Elliott Sound Products Project 214

'Zero Capacitance' Guitar Lead
© May 2021, Rod Elliott

Introduction

The capacitance of a guitar cable (or any cable used with a high impedance
source) affects the 'tone' you get. The range of guitar cable capacitance varies
from as little as 52pF/ metre up to nearly 200pF/ metre [ 1 ]. Most will be
somewhere in the middle, and while around 125pF/ metre might not sound like
much, a typical 3 metre lead can have up to 600pF of capacitance when the
plugs are included. This still doesn't sound like much, but it can affect the high
frequencies you get from your instrument. The effect is generally much worse
when the volume control is turned down, as the source impedance is a lot
higher. Some cables can generate noise too, caused by what's known as the
'triboelectric' effect, which is only audible with high impedances at both ends of
the cable. While this is (mostly) solved by good cable design, it can still be a
problem in some cases. A 'cable preamp' makes this (and the loss of treble) go
away, due to the dramatically reduced impedance.

The fundamental frequency range of a guitar is from 82.4Hz (low E) up to

1,318.4Hz (high E, 24th fret). Harmonics extend to around 6kHz for most
pickups, and this is generally considered to the the upper limit (most guitar
speakers roll off beyond ~5kHz). The pickup itself has a resonant frequency,
because it's a coil of wire wound around a magnetic polepiece, and there is stray
capacitance between each turn of wire. Any capacitance added by the lead can
affect the tone, and while this can make it 'better' for some playing styles, it can
also make it sound worse.

Guitar Pickup & Wiring Example Circuit, With Impedance Response

The drawing shows the equivalent circuit of a guitar pickup, consisting of a

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generator (the moving strings), a resistor (the coil's winding resistance), an

inductor (the coil itself) and the stray capacitance within the pickup windings
and in the control cutout. These combine with the tone and volume controls,
and wiring to the output socket. The relative impedance is shown in the graph,
and resonance occurs at around 2.7kHz for this example, as shown by the peak.
External (guitar lead) capacitance will reduce the frequency and amplitude of the
peak, and in an extreme case could remove it altogether (the tone control can
do the same). Mostly, this is solved by adding a wee bit more treble boost at
the amplifier, but some players may prefer to use a cable preamp to eliminate
the rolloff cause by cable capacitance. Naturally, the 'wee bit of treble boost'
applied at the amplifier may translate to 'a fair bit of treble boost' if the volume
pot is turned down, and the amount of boost needed varies with the volume pot
setting. Many players don't like this effect.

Fairly obviously, it's not possible to have a guitar lead with zero capacitance, but
you can build a tiny preamp inside the jack plug [ 2 ]. The referenced website
shows the general idea, which was developed many years ago (in around
1992). The version shown here uses the same principle, but takes the
termination box wiring a bit more seriously for the Figures 2 and 3 circuits.
Rather than just using the JFET preamp in the jack plug and having a battery,
resistor and a couple of capacitors, I determined the values to obtain almost
unity gain, and for Figures 2 and 3, I added an emitter follower that can drive
almost any lead length with ease.

Most guitar amps have a 1MΩ input impedance, and that's repeated with this
circuit. You can make it higher, but if your source impedance is high, you may
have to track down a JFET that has very low input capacitance (CISS. You will
need to use an 'oversized' jack plug, as it must house a JFET and three
resistors. It's possible to 'hard-wire' the electronics using SMD parts, but they
will need epoxy encapsulation to keep everything in place.

The second version goes a step further, and uses a dual supply. This cannot be
configured to allow the gain to be changed, as it always operates with a gain of
ever-so-slightly less than unity. Some of the ideas used here are adapted from
the Designing With JFETs article, which is pretty much a 'must read' before you
start. Because JFETs have such a wide parameter spread, you will almost
certainly have to select the JFET from a number of candidates, although there is
some leeway if you test the circuit first in a breadboard and make adjustments
to suit the JFET(s) you have. I was fairly lucky, in that I found an ideal JFET
after only three attempts (the moral of this story is that you need to buy several
JFETs to get one that works properly).

The optimum VGS(off) voltage for all circuits is around -1.0 to -1.2V, and this
should allow the JFET to bias properly. Because JFETs are so variable, device
selection and/ or circuit changes are inevitable, so if you're not prepared to hand
select the JFET or make changes, there's no guarantee that any of the circuits
will work. This specifically excludes Figure 2, which will bias (almost) any JFET
properly without you having to do any selection. All circuits shown have been
tested using a J113 JFET, and it's one that I know will work very well (selection
will still be necessary though).

Note that the preferred connector for the termination box is a 3-pin XLR (J2 in

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each drawing). As always, pin 1 is ground, and pin 2 is the signal. The Figure 2
version requires all three pins, with pin 3 being the connection to the JFET's
drain. There are other connectors you can use, but the XLR provides high
reliability and they are readily available everywhere.

Guitar Output Levels & Internal Preamps

Before you start, read the details shown in the Guitar & Bass Pickup Output
Voltages article. On average (taken with a variety of guitars and pickups), you
can expect a level of between 25 and 80mV RMS, with peaks between 150 and
600mV. The peaks (just as the string is released by a finger or pick) are
typically between 15 and 20dB greater than the averaged RMS voltage, and the
level tapers off at a rate determined by the guitar itself. Some have more
sustain than others, so notes/ chords last longer before disappearing into the
noise.

The circuits described here are intended to allow up to 1V peak (around 700mV
RMS). It's certainly possible to handle more, but that will almost always mean a
higher operating voltage. Few guitars can output more than 1V peak unless
played very hard, with high-output pickups and heavy strings. If this describes
your setup, then it's unlikely that you'll need a buffer anyway. If you do, then
Figure 2 is the circuit for you.

There are a few guitars that have an inbuilt preamp. Some include active tone
controls and other 'bells & whistles', while others are simple buffers not unlike
those shown here. The disadvantage is that to install a preamp in the guitar
means modifications to the body cutout, along with the need to make the
battery accessible without eventually destroying the timber where the screws
will be removed and installed regularly. Should you get a flat battery during a
set, the guitar cannot be used unless you include a means to bypass the
preamp.

While this is not my recommendation, any of the preamps shown can be used
internally if that's what you prefer. You have to consider the likelihood of
possibly serious internal damage if (when) the battery leaks, especially if the
instrument is not used every day. The cable preamp has the advantage that if
there's a failure, you can substitute a standard cable so the show can go on (as
it must). )

Simplest Version

The first circuit is very similar to the one described in the first reference. R4 is
selected so the output level is almost identical to the original. You may choose
to use a trimpot in place of R4, because the gain of the JFET may be
unpredictable. All the JFETs I tested gave roughly the same gain (close enough
to 0dB), but the first two refused to bias properly to allow 1V peak input. Note
that this circuit is inverting.

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Figure 1 - Simple JFET Cable Preamp

I've shown the circuit using a J113 JFET, not because they are especially good in
this role, but because they are one of the few that are readily available almost
anywhere. Because of fairly high input capacitance, the input impedance will fall
to around 900k at 10kHz. This is perfectly alright, as it's still far greater than
you'll get with even a low capacitance cable. Naturally, if you use a JFET that's
designed for audio (or RF), the input impedance will remain at 1MΩ up to higher
frequencies. However, you will need to change the values to get sensible
operation. With some JFETs it may not be possible to bias the device and obtain
the desired unity gain.

There are disadvantages with any simple design of course. The circuit is
reasonably tolerant of high capacitance cables, and it will be perfectly alright
with anything up to about 2nF (that's very high for a guitar lead, but is still
within reasonable limits). The JFET will need to be selected to obtain around 7 -
7.5V at the drain (the positive end of C1). Ideally, you'll be able to verify that
the preamp can handle at least 1V peak (700mV RMS) without gross distortion.
This requires a signal generator and oscilloscope, but PC-based instruments
(using the PC's sound card) will be sufficient if you don't have the proper test
gear. My test unit shows distortion to be just under 1% at 1V peak.

Depending on the characteristics of the JFET you use, it may be necessary to

adjust the value of R4 to obtain (close enough to) unity gain. If your JFET
meets the basic requirement of having VGS(off) of around 1V, the drain current is
about 500µA and 1.3V is dropped across the drain resistor. This allows just
enough headroom to handle a 1V (peak) signal without excessive distortion.

Measured performance shows that the circuit is 3dB down at 60kHz, driving a
cable that I know has fairly high capacitance (around 1.5nF for 3 metres). With
a 1MΩ source impedance, the output is predictably half that from the generator
(the JFET has a 1MΩ gate resistor). Even with this very high source resistance,
response still extends to 20kHz (-3dB). Distortion with 700mV RMS was under
1%, which is quite satisfactory for the intended usage. All of this using a JFET
that is cheap and readily available!. The other circuits shown have similar
performance, but the next one shown can handle much higher levels.

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This circuit has some advantages, but it ideally requires two 9V batteries and it
also needs a dual shielded lead (e.g. microphone cable). The biggest advantage
is that you can use almost any JFET without any requirement for testing or
selection. It will bias the JFET quite happily, regardless of parameter spread or
even the type of transistor. There's also one less resistor in the plug, so it may
be easier to wire up. You only need to avoid JFETs with a particularly high
VGS(off), as some may need more voltage than the batteries can provide. The
output is not inverted, and maintains the original polarity if you think that's
important.

The basis of this circuit was patented in 1996 [ 5 ], but the patent would never
have been enforceable because the principles were already well known (nothing
'not apparent to someone skilled in the field'). For more info on patents, see
Patents 101 for DIY Audio Enthusiasts. Since the patent is over 20 years old
(the maximum patent protection period), it's now 'public domain' and anyone
can use the ideas therein. We'll ignore the contradictions and errors in the
patent - they are not repeated here.

Figure 2 - Dual Supply JFET Cable Preamp

With a suitable JFET (and the J113 works perfectly), this circuit can handle up to
7V peak (5V RMS). This is far greater than the output of any guitar, regardless
of pickups, strings or playing style. The total current drawn is comparable to
that of Figure 1 and Figure 3, being about 3.7mA from ±9V. The performance of
this circuit exceeds all others, but at the expense of having to run a 2-core
shielded lead to the preamp and the requirement for a higher supply voltage. It
can be operated from a single 9V battery (giving ±4.5V supplies), but the JFET's
characteristics become more critical.

My tests show that the circuit is flat to at least 40kHz with a 'typical' mic cable.
Measured capacitance was 1.2nF from each wire to the shield (measured with a
3 metre microphone lead). My original intention was to use a buffer transistor in
a feedback configuration, but the intervening cable made the circuit unstable, so
that idea was abandoned. If desired, a simple emitter follower as shown for
Figure 3 can be added, and it will not cause any issues.

The frequency response and linearity are considerably better than you can get
with the other two versions, and this can almost be considered a 'true hi-fi' cable

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preamp. It does need a 3-pin connector, but I suggest an XLR connector for all
circuits. Neither of the other circuits can come close - even if you use the J113
JFET. Its response is capable of being flat from DC to daylight (well, close
enough), with measured distortion below 0.1% with 2V peak output.

In order to get a low output impedance, an emitter follower is included on the

JFET circuit shown below. You could use another JFET as a source follower, but
it will have much poorer performance. A BJT is more predictable, and they have
a higher gain than JFETs. This minimises loading on the drain resistor and
prevents a loss of gain. This is particularly important if the termination box is
expected to drive multiple amps or paralleled pedals. Like the Figure 1 circuit,
this version is inverting.

Figure 3 - JFET Cable Preamp With Emitter Follower Buffer

As always with JFETs, you'll either need to select the JFET or be prepared to
modify the circuit to get around 7.5V at the base of Q1. The buffer reduces the
output impedance dramatically, and while it's not strictly necessary, this is the
version I built for my own use. The drain current will normally be around 500µA
as with the first circuit, and the emitter current for Q2 will be about 2.5mA
(these are the figures you should aim for by selecting the JFET). I used a J113
JFET, and overall performance is very good.

48V Phantom Power

It is possible to make a preamp lead that can be plugged directly into a mixing
console. To make it useful, the output impedance must be very low, so there
will be more circuitry inside the phone jack, and the XLR connector will need
some circuitry too. This makes the undertaking very difficult without an
oversized jack plug, and it's not really something I'd recommend. It's quite
simple if the cable will only be around 3 metres long, but if it has to go all the
way to a FOH (front of house) mixing console, you may need 50 metres or
more, depending on the size of the venue.

If that's what's needed for your application, you'll be better off using a DI (direct
injection) box after the termination box with its power supply. The two functions
can be combined into a single unit if preferred, and the power for the

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termination box can be obtained from the phantom supply. This is (I think) an
unlikely scenario, so it's not covered at this time. Should there be sufficient
interest, I'll have a look at how best to achieve a good result.

DC Input

The DC input for guitar pedals and other circuits is always a nuisance, because
many are designed to use the centre pin for negative rather than positive. This
appears to be historical, because when people started making pedals they used
PNP germanium transistors, with a positive ground. PNP germanium devices
were used because they had better performance than NPN types (this situation
was reversed when silicon was adopted as the dominant semiconductor
material).

Unfortunately, many DC input sockets have the metal body (which connects to
the sleeve of the connector) grounded, so reversal of the input polarity requires
the connector to be insulated from the chassis. This is usually harder than it
sounds. There isn't any 'standard', so you can easily end up with a mixture of
pedals - some with centre-pin positive, others with the centre-pin negative. The
circuit below will not blow up if the polarity is reversed because of the input
diode, but it won't work until the correct polarity is applied.

I prefer the positive to be on the centre pin, as almost everything else that uses
an external DC supply is wired that way, but the choice is yours. The DC input
voltage is nominally 9V but 18V can be used for the Figure 2 circuit (see Figure
5). If you use other than 9V, it may be necessary to make adjustments to get
optimal performance. I tested my unit with 12V, and no changes were needed,
and that's the voltage I'll normally use anyway.

Figure 4 - DC Input & Filtering Circuits (Single Supply Only)

The diodes and filtering shown are required for all variations. The diodes protect
against reverse polarity (D1) and stop an external supply from trying to charge
the battery (D2). Some DC connectors include a switch to disconnect the
battery, but many don't. The diode is easier to install, and there's less likelihood
of an error when wiring the connector. The LED and its limiting resistor are
optional. The LED should be a high-brightness type, as the current is
deliberately limited to about 700µA. The Schottky diodes do introduce a small

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loss of voltage, but it won't affect operation.

The filter circuit is designed to remove noise from switchmode plug-pack ('wall-
wart') supplies. The ferrite bead is optional but recommended - the type
suggested is a miniature hollow core of around 5mm long by 4mm diameter.
The nomenclature used by suppliers is inconsistent, but the dimensions will help
you to find the right one. C2 is a 100nF multilayer ceramic, selected because
they have good performance up to very high frequencies. As noted on the
drawing, the filter network should be right next to the DC input socket, with very
short wiring. C3 (10µF) is located on the Veroboard (or PCB if you make one),
and bypasses the supply for the active circuits. This isn't shown on the
individual circuits for clarity.

If you use the Figure 2 circuit, you need a different power supply, having an
output of ±9V nominal. It can be higher if you use an external supply, but I
wouldn't recommend anything more than 24V at the DC input. The circuit will
operate with a single 9V battery, but the centre-tap 'ground' (R3, R4, C3 and
C4) is needed to provide ±4.5V output. The DC input connector must be fully
isolated from the chassis!

Figure 5 - DC Input & Filtering Circuits (Dual Supply Only)

Note that the centre-tap of the two batteries is not connected to earth/ ground.
They are wired in series, and the voltage is spit using R3 and R4. The splitter
only passes a small current (around 1mA with new batteries), and there is no
unbalanced current drawn by the Figure 2 circuit. The only thing that's referred
to ground is the JFET's gate, which draws no current.

Construction

I'm fortunate to have a supply of large jack plugs that have ample room for the
electronics. They aren't particularly handsome, but they are high quality and
very reliable. You may (or may not) be able to get something similar, depending
on your supplier. The one shown below has the JFET and three resistors
installed, with plenty of room to spare. The wiring needs to be done with care
though, because you don't need a preamp that dies in the middle of a set
because you skimped on insulation or hot-melt glue to keep everything in place.

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With the values used in the Figure 3 circuit, the preamp has a gain of about
0.7dB - easily measured, but it won't be noticeable. What is noticeable is the
complete lack of treble reduction when the guitar's volume control is turned
down. The high frequencies aren't affected at all, and the treble rolloff usually
heard is completely absent. There's no doubt that it works, and noise is
commendably low (although a very slight hiss is audible at [very] high gain).

Figure 6 - Test Preamp And Termination Box

My termination box was built using a rather small die-cast enclosure I had to
hand. It has no room for a 9V battery, but it won't be used anyway so it's not
an issue for my test unit. My playing is limited to the occasional solo session in
my workshop, and anything with a battery will end up corroded when (not if) the
battery leaks. I used an XLR connector for the preamp lead and a jack socket
for the output. I was tempted to use a BNC connector for the output because
that's what I use in my workshop for almost everything, but decided against it.

There's nothing critical about the construction of the unit, and I used a couple of
tiny pieces of Veroboard for the emitter follower and other circuitry. The DC
input is shielded from the rest of the wiring with an aluminium shield, well
attached so it can't move to create a short circuit. Because the box is so small,
it was a bit tricky to get everything inside, and the photo doesn't show
everything. You can see that the XLR is the wrong sex - I used a female plug
and male socket. This is so the unit can't be plugged into a mic input which may
have +48V on it.

Noise is low, but even with the filtering I used, a slight hum was audible from
the two switchmode plug-pack (wall wart) power supplies I tried. I followed the
preamp with a laboratory low-noise preamp (Project 158), with a gain of ×100,
which is a pretty severe test ... the volume on my guitar was set close to
minimum. An 'old school' unregulated linear supply was unusable due to 100Hz
hum. The power supply you use is important, and you may need to try a few
before you find one that's quiet enough. I tested my prototype with a 9V

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battery, and measured a broadband output noise of 6µV, which is very quiet (I
had to increase the gain of the lab preamp to ×1,000 to measure it). That's
pretty good for a JFET that isn't even rated for noise, and is -78dB referred to a
'typical' guitar output level of 50mV (-102dBu).

Conclusions

Using an 'active cable' or 'cable preamp' means that you don't need to worry so
much about the cable's capacitance. Nothing can make it go away, but a circuit
that reduces the impedance from the guitar's output goes a long way towards
making the capacitance irrelevant. Some guitars are more sensitive to cable
capacitance than others, and it's common to find that there's a loss of treble
when the volume is around the halfway position. Since the 'typical' guitar
volume pot is between 250kΩ and 500kΩ, the worst case impedance from the
pot itself can be over 125kΩ. This will cause the signal to roll off above 850Hz
with just 1.5nF of cable capacitance!

By comparison, the impedance 'seen' by the cable is the value of the drain
resistor. If the cable has 1.5nF of capacitance, that makes the -3dB frequency
just under 40kHz. There's not much doubt that this is a significant
improvement. The input capacitance of the J113 doesn't have as much influence
as you may imagine, because R3 (2.2k) in Figures 1 and 3 is not bypassed, so
the influence of the gate capacitance is reduced dramatically. A simulation
shows that the response extends to 46kHz (not including cable capacitance) with
a source impedance of 1MΩ. With a more realistic source impedance of 250k,
response extends to well over 100kHz. Ultimately, it's still cable capacitance
that dominates the response, but it's effect is greatly diminished.

My preference for a cable preamp is the one shown in Figure 3, and that's the
one I built up for full testing. The JFET needs to be selected to ensure it works
properly, but because of the emitter follower it has a low output impedance, and
can drive several pedals and/ or amplifiers at once. It can also be used with a
DI (direct injection) box if a clean sound is required at the mixing desk. The
Figure 1 and 3 circuits are inverting, and some players may not like the idea.
However, it's highly unlikely that anyone will hear the difference, as our hearing
does not depend on absolute phase.

These circuits are not unique in any way, but they are complete designs that I
know will work properly because they have been tested and verified. Like all
ESP projects, I don't publish anything that doesn't work. Unfortunately, the Net
is full of circuits where that is not the case. I've also provided a range of
circuits, one of which will (hopefully) suit most players. There's no such thing as
a 'universal' circuit that everyone will like, but with three to choose from there's
a reasonable chance that anyone who needs a cable preamp (or 'zero
capacitance' cable if you prefer) will find one that suits their needs.

References

1. Guitar Cable Capacitance Chart - Shootout

2. Preamp Cable - Donald Tillman
3. Guitar & Bass Pickup Output Voltages
4. Designing With JFETs

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5. US Patent US5,585,767 - Impedance Matching Cable System For

Electronically Coupling Musical Instruments To Amplifiers Note 1

1. The patent cited in reference #5 has expired, but it could never have been
enforced. The basic principles have been known for a long time, including the
circuit described in Reference #2

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Copyright Notice. This article, including but not limited to all text and diagrams, is the
intellectual property of Rod Elliott, and is © 2021. Reproduction or re-publication by any means
whatsoever, whether electronic, mechanical or electro-mechanical, is strictly prohibited under
International Copyright laws. The author (Rod Elliott) grants the reader the right to use this
information for personal use only, and further allows that one (1) copy may be made for
reference. Commercial use is prohibited without express written authorisation from Rod Elliott.
Change Log: Page published and © Rod Elliott, May 2021.

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