Please hep identify these caps?

[Steve_Karl]

Hi there,

I found these in my parts box and wonder if anyone can tell me:

what are they?
what they might have been used for?

The numbers on them are 47k and 101.

I suspect they're from one of my old Les Paul modifications, or attempts, decades ago but I can't remember.

Thank you!

Steve

EDIT: OK I get the 47k is probably a .47k cap but what would the 101 be used for?
Would that be a .101?

 

[croquet hoop]

101 is a 100 pF cap — the last number is a multiplier, google "capacitor codes" if you want more details; 102 would be a 1000 pF cap (or 1 nF), 103 would be 10 nF, etc.

47K is a 47 pF capacitor with 10% tolerance — that's what the letter indicates. J indicates a tolerance of 5%, M 20%, etc. There is no such thing as a 47K capacitor (there are kilo-somethings for many values, but not for farads).

These caps look like they are MLCC, multi-layer ceramic caps; they are generally better* than the plain old ceramic disc caps (which are good enough for any guitar anyway) so you can re-use these two caps with no problems.


* they do not vary as much with temp and/or voltage, for instance, although it depends on the exact dielectric used; in a guitar application, this would have no practical advantage. But they won't hurt anything.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Thank you!