Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: SteveInMN on May 02, 2024, 09:34:51 pm
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Due to advances in capacitor tech over the past 70 years, when you go to fill the eyelet board of your latest vintage build, it can sort of look like Little Smokies on a brat bun (yes, I have a million of 'em). Just size-imbalanced and wrong.
I have considered using capacitors with wildly over-speced voltages...'cause they're BIGGER.
I know nothing will blow up as a consequence, but is there some tone-mojo -- of the kind that normal humans can actually hear -- my 5F6a clone will lack by doing this?
OR -- is there some source I have not found yet that offers vintage-looking/sized caps?
THANKS!
Steve
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https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/capacitor-sozo-500v-nexgen-blue-molded-vintage
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So, having taste tested the modern caps against the old style guys, I can't tell the difference in tone myself.
Looking at the few comparisons between caps (distortion) always seem to have the CDE 715P and 716P series on top, and maybe that's part of the reason people like them; the other reason being their garish orange(!).
Both of these series are big boys, especially the 716P which are round, with the 715P being "pressed." I like the 715P series in part due to their copper leads, and the fact that they are smaller side to side and fit my boards better.
Truthfully, I've gone over to modern caps now due to the size. You can get very robust polypropylene (800-1kV) caps that are still reasonable size, albeit radial.
BUT, they certainly lack aesthetics! Haven't tried the Sozo Blues yet, but they do look good.
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I like the Jupiter caps for aesthetics, but, like those Sozos, you pay for the privilege
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AES has the MOD house-brand caps that are silver & sized more like a vintage cap. To me, they look like the caps Fender used in the late 70's.
Mallory 150s are also more vintage looking than some, though not huge.
Both are axial.
Like acheld, I am going to radials wherever possible.
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Sounds good, folks, thanks.
Because I didn't hear anything to the contrary -- I will "assume" (Ha!) that biggie-sizing the V rating (which means a physically larger cap) has minimal to zero impact on the ultimate tone, at least as far as anyone knows.