Good Tweed Coupling Cap Replacements??

[dragonbat13]

So after I check the coupling caps in an old tweed fender and confirm that they are leaking (most likely) I need to know what everybody likes to replace them with.

Ive seen those jupiter wax caps, and while expensive they would keep a little of the tweed vibe going. Not sure how they perform though. Also cant seem to figure out where to get them at.

So what brand and construction method?

 

[firemedic]

Just get some mallorys & be done with it.

 

[muchxs]

I just gotta be a wise ass...

 

[muchxs]

Seriosuly, aren't original vintage amps a PITA? It's not like a '55 Tele with untouched solder joints. There is 350+ volts in there up against those leaky caps. Leaky = noisy.

I'm not a big fan of "cut the leads, save the solder joints", either. Cut the leads = original caps with short leads. Yank 'em out, clean the eyelets, put the originals in a baggie. Save 'em for when George Gruhn decides amps that don't work aren't worth anything original or not.

Mallories as per the suggestion above are a good idea. I'm wary of boutique capacitors handmade in some basement workshop. I have friends who work at Sprague. Sprague built the caps that went to the moon. Large industrial entities have the bucks to do the research and design to make solid hardworking parts. Parts with a proven track record. Two bucks a cap, solder 'em in there and don't worry about 'em ever again.

Replace the electrolytics, replace the coupling caps then gig the piss out of it until you think it no longer owes you re-sale value. Then when you sell it you'll be money ahead.

 

[dragonbat13]

Mallory 150s it is.

 

[TNO]

Mallory 150s are good. Mojo Dijons are foil caps (as opposed to mylar like the 150s) with construction similar to the Jupiters and Sozos but at a better price.

 

[hackworth1]

These are cool. They're KBG brand Soviet era Caps. Not KGB - KBG.

 

[G-log]

No way I'm putting Commie caps in any amp!!

 

[hackworth1]

I thought that would get a rise out of somebody! Slow Night.

 

[G-log]

Hah,I would probably try them...After all I am not that politically minded anyways....

 

[kleuck]

Most similar to vintage caps found in tweeds are the Mallory, they have a pronounced grain in the mids to my ears, there's similar (cheaper) caps that sound more neutral to me, the Nichiden http://www.banzaimusic.com/Nichiden-Audio/
PIO are good too in these simple circuits.

 

[andyfromdenver]

No way I'm putting Commie caps in any amp!!

Lol

 

[Commodore 64]

No way I'm putting Commie caps in any amp!!

Why does everyone hate me?

 

[dlaroe]

Why does everyone hate me?

Don't worry, its because you are the people's computer and they like their bourgeois elitist Apple II.

 

[schoolie]

I've been using a boutique cap manufacturer, by the name of Xicon. I think their polypropylene film caps sound great!

 

[dragonbat13]

Looking at those Sozo, I am going to go that route. but they have the blue molded caps described as good blackface/tweed application. Doesnt make much sense to me. Unless Astrons and blue molds were the same thing. I really dont know if there was a difference between the two. Exactly which Sozo cap should I use?

 

[hackworth1]

I was joking about the Russian Caps. If I were you, I would use Mallory. Just so you know I am in the Mallory column. Not Ruskie - that would be gauche for a genuine old Fender. But Not Sozo, either. Mallory.

 

[dragonbat13]

Before I start going around pulling caps, what REAL damage could the original ones do? I have all the parts to replace the faulty power caps and can get the amp working. Should I really worry about the original astrons just yet? Only thing I have ever really heard is that a really leaky cap could skyrocket the bias on the output tube. Not too worried about the tube as much as the output transformer. I for sure dont want to damage that.

 

[firemedic]

If it's cathode biased you don't have much to worry about unless the PI coupling caps are REALLY leaky. That said, the caps feeding the power tubes should be replaced if they're leaking. If yer pots aren't scratchy, the rest of the coupling & tone caps are probably OK.

 

[dragonbat13]

Its a single ended wide panel princeton.