Are these angela [Jenson] paper in oil capacitors worth the money???

[Steve Camp]

Do they really make that much of a difference in the tone circuit??             http://angela.com/angelacopperfoilpaperinoil047uf630vdccapacitor-2.aspx

 

[blue313]

There are many people on both sides of that question.  Some say they're huge, others say a huge waste of money. 

Although part 2 of this article has some debatable issues, its a decent primer on them.
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Mar/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors.aspx
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Apr/Auditioning_Tone_Capacitors_Part_II.aspx

 

[Alfang]

there's no secret expensive capacitor that is the magic capacitor for guitars tone circuit.  My last 5 builds have been totaly void of a tone controll circuit, and to be honest, I don't miss it.

The only reason to add one is for vintage reasons, or if you actually roll off the highs

 

[line6man]

I feel that a capacitor is a damn capacitor. Back in my electronics days, i wouldn't pay more than 10 or 20 cents for a small capacitor to use in a project.
Cheap capacitors can have terrible tolerances, which is why better quality capacitors with tighter tolerances are perceived to sound better. Get a decent quality capacitor and you will be fine. I use Orange Drop capacitors, and they sound great.

 

[mayfly]

IMHO, they are a waste of money.

BUT

If you are concerned about cap quality, don't use a ceramic disk - these ones I can actually hear the graininess (!)

Get a nice metalized polyester (orange drop, mallory, etc) and you'll be fine.

 

[Superlizard]

IMHO, they are a waste of money.

BUT

If you are concerned about cap quality, don't use a ceramic disk - these ones I can actually hear the graininess (!)

Get a nice metalized polyester (orange drop, mallory, etc) and you'll be fine.

Ceramic disk "graininess" actually works quite well in a Marshall amp... I have a handful on my PTP board and as the bright cap on the Hi Treble volume knob.  That graininess contributes to the classic Marshall "crunch".

 

[Watershed]

You know, I never really bought into the whole oil filled capacitor thing.  I always used just your basic ceramic disks.

Then a buddy of mine picked up some caps off of another guy on the My Les Paul forum.  They are oil filled, pretty big, silver, apparently made in Russia, and are supposedly the same ones that are currently marketed as BumbleBees.

So, with a whole bunch of skepticism, I installed them in his Les Paul.  Getting ready to ride him about buying snake oil, I ate a bit of crow.  I gotta say they were pretty smooth.  It's not like they just completely blew me away and changed my life or anything, but the tone control actually became useful.  It rounded off the highs, but not in a way that sounded like a pillow over the speakers.  I really didn't think I would hear any difference, but I was impressed.

I ended up picking up a bunch at about $7.00 a pop in various values.

Just my 2 cents.
James

 

[Superlizard]

You know, I never really bought into the whole oil filled capacitor thing.  I always used just your basic ceramic disks.

Then a buddy of mine picked up some caps off of another guy on the My Les Paul forum.  They are oil filled, pretty big, silver, apparently made in Russia, and are supposedly the same ones that are currently marketed as BumbleBees.

So, with a whole bunch of skepticism, I installed them in his Les Paul.  Getting ready to ride him about buying snake oil, I ate a bit of crow.  I gotta say they were pretty smooth.  It's not like they just completely blew me away and changed my life or anything, but the tone control actually became useful.  It rounded off the highs, but not in a way that sounded like a pillow over the speakers.  I really didn't think I would hear any difference, but I was impressed.

I ended up picking up a bunch at about $7.00 a pop in various values.

Just my 2 cents.
James

Yep, there's a lot of little things you can buy for your guitar/amp/stompbox/etc to improve your tone that seem like snake-oil, but they're not.

One example - best strings I've ever used on a Strat:  Snake Oil Brand Strings (by Dean Farley).  Don't let the name fool ya.

Even a small thing like a cap can make enough of a difference... and sometimes, it's the right kind of cap in the right place.

As well, some vintage items/concepts have phenomenal tone, yet there are those who pooh-pooh it only because of the corque-sniffer vintage heads out there, or because they just haven't heard it yet.  If all I knew was the tone of SS Crate amps, I wouldn't think anything was better until I actually heard it.

Bottom line is - it's not BS if you actually try it/know it and it sounds good. 

 

[jackthehack]

No

 

[bpmorton777]

LOL

 

[DocNrock]

It's not like they just completely blew me away and changed my life or anything, but the tone control actually became useful.  It rounded off the highs, but not in a way that sounded like a pillow over the speakers. 

This is exactly why I use them in some builds. 

 

[Mor Paul]

It's not like they just completely blew me away and changed my life or anything, but the tone control actually became useful.  It rounded off the highs, but not in a way that sounded like a pillow over the speakers. 

Same  :laughing7:

This is exactly why I use them in some builds. 

 

[Steve Camp]

Here is a cheaper version.            http://store.triodestore.com/47delco100.html      also, has anyone here tried the "stellartone" tone circuit?